Can You Name Some Actors Who Are Typecast?

[OneEyedDiva]

I thought of this while watching Michael Emerson on Elsbeth, though there are certainly several actors who have been typecast for decades before he became known. He played the creepy, evil, yet nerdy guy in all the shows I've seen him in. He played those parts well on Lost, Evil and in S2 of Elsbeth where he is a murderous judge who frames the victim's GF and becomes Elsbeth's nemesis as she tries to find the real killer. BTW Michael and the actress who plays Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) are married in real life.

What typecast actors and actresses come to your mind?

 

[Pepper]

James Dean. Due to his untimely death will always be the REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Fine actor he was. Loved him in GIANT.

 

[Pepper]

Lyle Bettger. Always “bad guy “ in old westerns.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

Lyle Bettger. Always “bad guy “ in old westerns.

I had to look him up because I didn't recognize him by name. I think I've seen him in a couple of things though, probably Bonanza and Hawaii Five-0.

 

[Jazzy1]

 

[BJintheUK]

Max Baer Jr. He played Jethro in the Beverly Hillbillies. Apparently no-one would cast him after his time in the show. So he had to go into the technical side of the business, as no-one was prepared to put him in front of the camera again.

 

[Marv Malone]

Almost all actors in westerns, mainly leading men like James Arness, John Wayne, Randolph Scott, etc.
In fact, most leading men and actresses in the past were typecast.

 

[MarciKS]

Johnny Depp is always typecast for these super odd roles in movies. Movies that I don't think any other actor but him could pull off frankly.

 

[ChiroDoc]

Michael Shannon always seems to be cast as a weirdo, psycho, or space cadet. He's actually an extremely accomplished actor, having first starred in several plays on Broadway. I think I read somewhere that he's trying to start concentrating on more normal roles to break the type casting.

 

[Michael Z]

Pretty much anyone playing an extra silly role in a comedy tv series. Imagine Don Knotts playing a serious role? Or Max Baer (Jethro) playing any kind of serious role?

 

[Nathan]

he's trying to start concentrating on more normal roles to break the type casting.

It would be hard to turn down a paycheck, even-though it furthers a typecast.

 

[Been There]

First name that came to mind was Clint Eastwood. He played as a bad dude in most, if not all of his roles.
He could be a bad guy in several Westerns, he could be a bad cop in several of his Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry) movies.

The only role I can think of where he wasn’t a bad guy was “The Mule” and “Cry Macho.” There’s probably others, but my mind can’t always recall the things I want when I want them.

 

[Been There]

Pretty much anyone playing an extra silly role in a comedy tv series. Imagine Don Knotts playing a serious role? Or Max Baer (Jethro) playing any kind of serious role?

I agree. How about Don Knotts as “Dirty Harry?” Or, Max Baer, Jr as “The Wolf of Wall Street?”

 

[Paco Dennis]

 

[seadoug]

I think Farah Fawcett was typecast after being launched as a sex symbol. She was outstanding as a dramatic actress in The Burning Bed but still didn't receive many serious acting roles, even after that.

Many attractive women like Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe pigeonholed themselves when it came to serious acting roles by acting like sex bombs when they were actually very intelligent.

Jayne Mansfield had a reported IQ of 163. She was a highly intelligent individual, fluent in five languages and skilled in piano and violin.

 

[ChiroDoc]

Good point about Mansfield. But I don't think MM was that bright.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

Jason Statham. The quiet but kick ass action hero who can take on several at a time. I find him very watchable and wouldn't mind watching every movie he's in, but too bad there's so many F bombs in his films!

 

[JBR]

From the many movies I've seen, Jack Nicholson has played a whole lot of villainous, morally weak, corrupt, and insane characters that I can see this producing a "typecasted" impression. He's an accomplished actor, so maybe he's generally preferred those "negative" roles.

I know my wife and other women have a hard time recalling he's played decent, sympathetic characters. I'm convinced my wife has been so disgusted by many of his roles that she simply cannot register Jack's breadth.

 

[JBR]

James Dean. Due to his untimely death will always be the REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Fine actor he was. Loved him in GIANT.

I've always thought Giant was his best.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

From the many movies I've seen, Jack Nicholson has played a whole lot of villainous, morally weak, corrupt, and insane characters that it can see that producing a "typecasted" impression. He's an accomplished actor, so maybe he's generally preferred those "negative" roles.

I know my wife and other women have a hard time recalling he's played decent, sympathetic characters. I convinced my wife has been so disgusted by many of his roles that she simply cannot register Jack's breadth.

I never cared for him, but did like him in the movie Something's Gotta Give with Diane Keaton. I was surprised that I liked the film so much.

 

[ChiroDoc]

I've always thought Giant was his best.

I agree with you. I've seen it many times, but happened on it awhile back, and I couldn't shut it off from amazement at James Dean's performance.

 

[horseless carriage]

Sean Connery quit James Bond partially due to concerns about being typecast, but it was one of several factors. He also wanted to pursue other roles, felt underpaid for the franchise's success, and was tired of the pressure and lack of privacy that came with the iconic role.

Connery had a point, of the six actors that took on the double O seven role only Daniel Craig made the character believable, although I am sure that's a contentious opinion.

Rowan Atkinson created the character of Mr. Bean while studying for his master's degree at Oxford University. He described Mr. Bean as "a child in a grown man’s body." The first official appearance of the character occurred at the "Just for Laughs" festival in Montreal in 1980.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

Sean Connery quit James Bond partially due to concerns about being typecast, but it was one of several factors. He also wanted to pursue other roles, felt underpaid for the franchise's success, and was tired of the pressure and lack of privacy that came with the iconic role.

Connery had a point, of the six actors that took on the double O seven role only Daniel Craig made the character believable, although I am sure that's a contentious opinion.

Rowan Atkinson created the character of Mr. Bean while studying for his master's degree at Oxford University. He described Mr. Bean as "a child in a grown man’s body." The first official appearance of the character occurred at the "Just for Laughs" festival in Montreal in 1980.

To me, nobody else was James Bond but Sean Connery. I definitely didn't care for Daniel Craig in that role. But everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

@ChiroDoc, @Pepper and @JBR I don't think I ever saw Giant and if I did, it was so long ago that I've forgotten. I did see Rebel Without A Cause though.

 

[squatting dog]

Leslie Nielsen.

 

[seadoug]

Good point about Mansfield. But I don't think MM was that bright.

Not sure about that.

Marilyn Monroe was intelligent and intellectually curious, despite her "dumb blonde" public image. While some sources claim she had an IQ of 168, there is no documentation of her ever taking an IQ test. However, she was a voracious reader, possessed a large library, was married to playwright Arthur Miller, and demonstrated her keen intellect in other ways, such as her ability to navigate complex legal contracts for her career.