History Main / PlayingWithCharacterType

!!!Unmarked spoilers below.

* Creator/NolanNorth's role in ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' as Cpt. Martin Walker initially appears to be quite similar to North's usual type (specifically the "Drake" voice from ''VideoGame/Uncharted''), but as the game wears on it turns into a savage deconstruction of the character type, with Walker becoming increasingly violent and unhinged as a consequence of the horrific actions he is forced to carry out.

* Creator/NolanNorth's role in ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' as Cpt. Martin Walker initially appears to be quite similar to North's usual type (specifically the "Drake" voice from ''VideoGame/UnchartedDrakesFortune''), but as the game wears on it turns into a savage deconstruction of the character type, with Walker becoming increasingly violent and unhinged as a consequence of the horrific actions he is forced to carry out.

* In an episode of ''Series/{{Bones}}'' Creator/RobertEnglund guest-stars as a creepy janitor who hangs out in the basement of the school - who, in a subversion of NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize, isn't the perp.

* In an episode of ''Series/{{Bones}}'' [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Robert Englund]] guest-stars as a creepy janitor who hangs out in the basement of the school - who, in a subversion of NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize, isn't the perp.

* LeslieNielsen's goofy role in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' was a play on his previous roles of the studly, stoic hero; one critic quipped that what was needed of him in his dramatic roles and his comedic roles was exactly the same - the ability to recite patently absurd dialogue while keeping a perfectly straight face. This was so successful that he's now [[LeslieNielsenSyndrome better-known as a comedic actor than a dramatic one]].

!!!''Unmarked spoilers below.''

!!! Unmarked spoilers below.

* In an episode of ''{{Series/Bones}}'' [[ANightmareOnElmStreet Robert Englund]] guest-stars as a creepy janitor who hangs out in the basement of the school - who, in a subversion of NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize, isn't the perp.

** He also plays a broken character in Reign Over Me where the character's seemingly carefree attitude is actually just an escape mechanism so he doesn't have to acknowledge a terrible trauma in his life. Any attempts to disturb his escape from reality tactics are usually met with violent denial and outburst.

* Anthony Perkins in ''Film/{{Psycho}}''. Thitherto this, Perkins had been known for playing likeable, affable, somewhat socially awkward supporting roles. When adapting the film from Robert Bloch's book of the same name, Hitchcock was unimpressed with the original characterization of Norman Bates, a grouchy, overweight alcoholic with much more overt problems with women and sex (directly based upon the inspiration for Bates, Ed Gein). He instead decided to change the characterization to superficially match Perkins's earlier roles, largely because Perkins looked, in Hitchcock's own words, "like a boy scout". This made Bates's character more sympathetic, the DecoyProtagonist element easier to swallow and the TwistEnding much more shocking. Alas, this gambit was so successful that Perkins ended up being typecast as Bates for the rest of his career.

* JohnTravolta has a natural screen presence that can be described as a complete embodiment of the NiceGuy in TV shows and movies like ''Series.WelcomeBackKotter'', ''Film/{{Phenomenon}}'', and ''Film/LookWhosTalking''. On the other hand, he seems to LOVE subverting that niceness by playing AffablyEvil or EvillyAffable characters in movies like ''[[Film/BrokenArrow1996 Broken Arrow]]'' and ''TheTakingOfPelhamOneTwoThree''. His role in the movie ''Film/FaceOff'' zigzags this trope, where he starts out as a NiceGuy FBI agent who has to swap faces with evil terrorist NicolasCage. This allowed Travolta (and Cage) to play both sides of their personas in the same movie.

[[quoteright:249:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Robin_Williams_1771.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:249:He's smiling in [[Film/GoodMorningVietnam both]] [[OneHourPhoto films]], but only one of these is a comedy.]]

* Similar to the above, JimCarrey subverted his reputation for upbeat, funny, over-the-top characters in ''TheCableGuy'', playing a character whose demented zaniness is indicative of his StalkerWithACrush tendencies, and in ''TheTrumanShow'', in which his character's superficial friendliness and whacky charm hides his inner loneliness and yearning to escape his dreary life.

* As part of ''{{Unforgiven}}'''s GenreDeconstruction of Westerns as a whole, ClintEastwood's role in the film is a deconstruction of his earlier Western character(s), namely those from the DollarsTrilogy.
* In what has actually become a sort of type casting itself, MorganFreeman, who is known for playing "wise old man" characters, sometimes plays "wise old man characters... who turn out to be evil", with ''{{Wanted}}'' being a good example of this.

** His character in ''{{Click}}'' is predictably an angry JerkAss with very little patience, but as the film goes on the audience learns that this attitude makes him miss out on most of his life, leaving him a broken man.
* A OneSceneWonder example in ''NaturalBornKillers'', with Rodney Dangerfield - replete with LaughTrack and his "I don't get no respect" shtick - playing Mallory's violent, sexually abusive father. Makes for very uncomfortable viewing indeed.
* RobertDeNiro has made a career for the past ten or more years out of subverting, parodying, or deconstructing the tough-guy cred he had accumulated over a long and illustrious career. Examples include ''AnalyzeThis'' and ''{{Stardust}}''.
* LeslieNielsen's goofy role in ''{{Airplane}}'' was a play on his previous roles of the studly, stoic hero; one critic quipped that what was needed of him in his dramatic roles and his comedic roles was exactly the same - the ability to recite patently absurd dialogue while keeping a perfectly straight face. This was so successful that he's now [[LeslieNielsenSyndrome better-known as a comedic actor than a dramatic one]].
* Anthony Perkins in ''{{Psycho}}''. Thitherto this, Perkins had been known for playing likeable, affable, somewhat socially awkward supporting roles. When adapting the film from Robert Bloch's book of the same name, Hitchcock was unimpressed with the original characterization of Norman Bates, a grouchy, overweight alcoholic with much more overt problems with women and sex (directly based upon the inspiration for Bates, Ed Gein). He instead decided to change the characterization to superficially match Perkins's earlier roles, largely because Perkins looked, in Hitchcock's own words, "like a boy scout". This made Bates's character more sympathetic, the DecoyProtagonist element easier to swallow and the TwistEnding much more shocking. Alas, this gambit was so successful that Perkins ended up being typecast as Bates for the rest of his career.
* JohnTravolta has a natural screen presence that can be described as a complete embodiment of the NiceGuy in TV shows and movies like ''WelcomeBackKotter'', ''{{Phenomenon}}'', and ''LookWhosTalking''. On the other hand, he seems to LOVE subverting that niceness by playing AffablyEvil or EvillyAffable characters in movies like ''BrokenArrow'' and ''TheTakingOfPelhamOneTwoThree''. His role in the movie ''FaceOff'' zigzags this trope, where he starts out as a NiceGuy FBI agent who has to swap faces with evil terrorist NicolasCage. This allowed Travolta (and Cage) to play both sides of their personas in the same movie.

[[quoteright:249:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Robin_Williams_1771.jpg]][[caption-width-right:249:He's smiling in both, but only one of these is a comedy.]]

When successfully executed, this trope can cast an actor's earlier roles in an entirely new light and lead members of the audience to cry, "HeReallyCanAct!" When done poorly, it can seem jarring and awkward and may lead the audience to ask "WTHCastingAgency?" (especially if the actor in question is insufficiently skilled to pull it off).

When successfully executed, this trope can cast an actor's earlier roles in an entirely new light and lead members of the audience to cry, "HeReallyCanAct!" When done poorly, it can seem jarring and awkward (especially if the actor in question is insufficiently skilled to pull it off).

[[quoteright:249:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Robin_Williams_1771.jpg]][[caption-width-right:249:He's smiling in both pictures, but only one of these is a comedy.]]

[[quoteright:249:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Robin_Williams_1771.jpg]][[quoteright:249:caption-width:249:He's smiling in both pictures, but only one of these is a comedy.]]

[[quoteright:249:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Robin_Williams_1771.jpg]][[caption-width:249:He's smiling in both pictures, but only one of these is a comedy.]]

[[quoteright:249:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Robin_Williams_1771.jpg]]
[[caption-width:249:He's smiling in both pictures, but only one of these is a comedy.]]