History Main / TomHanksSyndrome

* Creator/StevenSpielberg. It's easy to forget that in 1993 there was some skepticism when it was announced that he was going to direct an adaptation of ''Film/SchindlersList'', a dark Thomas Keneally NonFiction novel about UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, particularly since he was working on the more characteristic ''Film/JurassicPark'' at the same time. At that point, he was firmly established as a master of lighthearted family films and popcorn blockbusters. Since he'd failed to win Best Picture or Best Director at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s for ''any'' of his iconic popcorn movies (''Film/{{Jaws}}'', ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'', ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', and ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''), he'd spent much of TheEighties trying to prove he could be a Serious Director. ''Literature/TheColorPurple'' was very blatant OscarBait (which, ironically, won ''zero'' Oscars -- and Spielberg wasn't even nominated), but was still well-regarded. But his subsequent "serious" films ''Film/EmpireOfTheSun'' and ''Film/{{Always}}'' didn't do as well with either critics or audiences. So ''Schindler's List'' was initially anticipated to be another well-meaning, but probably misguided, grasp at credibility for Spielberg. Instead, it marked a major GrowingTheBeard moment for him as a filmmaker and finally netted him an Oscar. And then, just to prove ''Schindler's List'' wasn't a fluke, he gave the world ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''. Sure, he still makes lighthearted family films and popcorn blockbusters, but those two movies established him as an auteur.

* The {{Trope Namer|s}} of course, Creator/TomHanks first rose to fame with a series of comedies in the 1980s. Then, in 1993, he won critical praise and a Best Actor Oscar for his dramatic turn in ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}''; the following year he won again for ''Film/ForrestGump'', becoming only the second man to win leading-role Oscars in consecutive years since Creator/SpencerTracy in 1937 and 1938. Since then his stock-in-trade has largely been in dramatic roles with a comedic bent. The trope was hilariously {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in RealLife on his ''Series/InsideTheActorsStudio'' appearance when he spent forty-five minutes discussing his art, only for a fan to gush that ''Film/TurnerAndHooch'' was her favorite movie ever!!! during the Q&A period. During a "Year In Review" for 2009, MSN [[http://movies.msn.com/movies/year-in-review/bummers/?photoidx=3 stated]] how much they miss the funny Tom Hanks.

* Creator/KeanuReeves was mostly known for playing [[Film/BillAndTed Theodore "Ted" Logan]] before 1995. Nobody, but nobody, saw his future as an action star in films such as ''Film/{{Speed}}'', ''Film/TheMatrix'', and ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' coming. This is emphasized even more in the 2010s with his famous role in the ''Film/JohnWick'' trilogy as the titular character and in CD Projekt Red's ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'', so much so that younger audience were surprised in 2020 when ''Film/BillAndTedFaceTheMusic'' was announced starring him.

* Creator/AubreyPlaza had her breakthrough as April Ludgate on ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', which got her typecast in dry-witted, {{emotionless|Girl}} DeadpanSnarker roles to the point that she was a popular fan casting to play a live-action [[WesternAnimation/{{Daria}} Daria Morgendorffer]] (which she herself acknowledged in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBQXugKu8L4 fake trailer]] for Website/CollegeHumor) or a grown-up [[Franchise/TheAddamsFamily Wednesday Addams]]. In 2017, however, she won acclaim for her dramatic role on ''Series/{{Legion|2017}}'' as Lenny, PlayingAgainstType [[spoiler:as a swaggering and terrifying villain based on Music/DavidBowie]], as well as for her role as the AntiVillain title character in ''Film/IngridGoesWest''. Since then, she's increasingly taken on more dramatic roles in films like ''Film/ChildsPlay2019'', ''Film/BlackBear'', and ''Film/EmilyTheCriminal''.

* Creator/JordanPeele started off with ''Series/MADTv'' and then rose to fame as one half of the title duo on the sketch series ''Series/KeyAndPeele'', which showcased his comic talent, skill in impressions, and penchant for mocking aspects of Black culture. Then, in 2017, he wrote and directed the absolutely terrifying ''Film/GetOut'', which, in addition to being straight-up horrifying, was a serious, gripping sociocultural study on contemporary Black life in the United States. He followed ''Get Out'' with the equally disturbing and socially-conscious ''Film/{{Us}}'', which cemented his new career as a master of psychological horror; there's a reason that Peele was selected to produce and star in the latest revival of ''Series/TheTwilightZone2019.''

* Creator/JossWhedon likes to cast according to this trope; his justification is that it's harder to be convincingly funny than it is to be convincingly unfunny.

* Chris Weitz started his early career working with his brother Paul directing films like ''Film/AmericanPie'' and ''Film/DownToEarth2001'', which were decidedly comedic in tone. However, after they wrote ''Film/AboutABoy'' together, Chris parted ways with his brother and his solo directorial efforts, like ''A Better Life'' and ''Film/OperationFinale'', are serious dramas containing little of the comedy that he became known for. By contrast, Paul has been able to stick with comedy films outside of a couple exceptions.

* Creator/KevinSmith has penned an entire rant about the sequence in which actors/directors must do artsy, comic, and "money" films in order to maintain optimal popularity and funding while still being allowed to enjoy at least some of the roles or films they are involved in. Certainty that that was the case with Smith's career up until ''{{Film/Tusk}}'' (which is still a comedy, albeit a dark one).

* Ah, Creator/DavidHayter. As shown with his role history as seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6ph-zPTn0g here]], he seemed more into either heroic everymen or pretty boys. And then he got the taste of his StarMakingRole, [[VideoGame/MetalGear Solid Snake]], and the new rule is that henceforth, he's more likely use his Snake-style GutturalGrowler for his future roles.

* George Miller is another online example, first gaining widespread memetic popularity as the [[SurrealHumor surreal]], [[VulgarHumor vulgar]] and [[WidgetSeries all-around oddball]] WebVideo/FilthyFrank series, and during this time Miller had dabbled in expressing himself through music, both as "Pink Guy" (a character in the series) and as himself under the title Music/{{Joji}}, the latter of which was much more personal and serious. By 2017, Filthy Frank concluded due to lacking interest in the project, and since then he's continued on a more sincere and dramatic music trajectory as Joji.

* Creator/WillSmith was first known for his humorous rapping and as a sitcom star in ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir''. After ''Film/BadBoys1995'' paired him with fellow comedian Martin Lawrence as {{action hero}}es, Smith continued his action turn in the blockbuster ''Film/IndependenceDay'', cementing him as a full-fledged movie star able to do action, comedy, and romance. ''Film/ThePursuitOfHappyness'' and ''Film/SevenPounds'' added drama to the repertoire. 1993's ''Six Degrees of Seperation'' was critically acclaimed and earned an Oscar nod.

* Overlaps with OnlySoManyCanadianActors: almost half the current cast of ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'' were formerly KidCom main cast members on shows made for the Canadian Family channel.

* Creator/MichaelJFox was on a hot streak in the mid-eighties with comedies like ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' and ''Film/TeenWolf,'' but by 1987 he was looking for greener pastures. Creator/BrianDePalma offered him the lead role in his melodrama ''Film/CasualtiesOfWar.'' Fox acquitted himself well, but it really did come off like a forgotten ''Back to the Future'' sequel where Marty [[IAmNotSpock traveled back in time to Vietnam!]] He had better luck a year later, playing a cokehead in ''Film/BrightLightsBigCity.'' Fox returned to his comedic roots in ''Film/DocHollywood'' and was shortly diagnosed with Parkinson's; he only starred in comedies after that. He confessed in his autobiography ''Lucky Man'' that [[MoneyDearBoy he needed the quick buck.]] His TV appearances in the 2000's have been a mix of slapstick and pathos, owing to his deteriorating health.

* Peter Farrelly (of the Farrelly Brothers): While it's still somewhat comedic, ''Film/GreenBook'' was a major far cry from the sort of low-brow, slapstick humor he and his bother were known for (''Film/DumbAndDumber'', ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'', ''Film/ShallowHal''), and it was not only a critical success, but it also won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2019. Interestingly, it's also his first film in which his brother Bobby was not involved.

* Australian actor Barry Humphries, best known for his characters Sir Les Patterson and Dame Edna Everage and as the voice of Bruce in ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', is cast in the entirely non-comedic role of Rev. Strachey in the 1977 film ''Film/TheGettingOfWisdom''.

** Some voice actors who normally works in anime can fall into this trope. For example, Creator/YuriLowenthal is [[PigeonholedVoiceActor best-known]] for his WideEyedIdealist KidHero roles such as [[WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce Ben Tennyson]], [[LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh Yuri Shibuya]], and [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Simon]]; or flatout comedic ButtMonkey like [[VideoGame/{{Persona4}} Yosuke]]. However, ever since his PlayingAgainstType role as [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sasuke Uchiha]], he has been getting more dramatic roles that are very {{angst}}y such as [[Anime/TigerAndBunny Barnaby Brooks Jr.]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Cecil Harvey]] and [[Anime/CodeGeass Suzaku Kururugi]].

* For Japanese voice actress Creator/AyakoKawasumi, the role of Chikane in ''Manga/DestinyOfTheShrineMaiden'' allowed her to ''finally'' break her (albeit beloved) typecast as "the sweet and nice GirlNextDoor with a soft voice" (such as a Aoi of ''Manga/AiYoriAoshi'' and Akari of ''VisualNovel/ToHeart'') in romantic comedies; henceforth, she is as a '''rule''' cast as the serious, mature badass lady with a [[ContraltoOfDanger deep and sexy voice]] such as Saber of ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. She went on to pass this syndrome onto fellow actresses she mentored, and the actresses ''they'' mentored as well (in order, [[MasterApprenticeChain like a chain:]] Creator/MamikoNoto, Creator/KanaHanazawa, Creator/SaoriHayami)

* For another example of Japanese Voice Actress that wasn't on the chain created by Kawasumi, there's Creator/NanaMizuki. Early in her voice acting careers, she's mostly voicing sweet, sometimes ditzy or mostly shy young girls with soft voice as well (exemplified with [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Colette Brunel]] and [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Hinata Hyuuga]], the last one was her breakout role). Then comes her role as [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha Fate Testarossa]], who, while having similar elements as her previous portfolio, is a lot more subdued and tragic... and along with that, [[StarMakingRole her ticket to ultimate stardom]] thanks to her singing skills being noticed. Ever since then, there was only a few times that Nana returned for 'sweet, ditzy, shy' young girls (notably [[Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure Tsubomi Hanasaki/Cure Blossom]]), most of her roles tends to be either more confident, outgoing or even sports her own ContraltoOfDanger.

* Creator/AshtonKutcher gained big fame for playing the resident [[TheDitz ditzy]] hunk, Michael Kelso, on ''Series/That70sShow''. During his run on the show, he was also known for other roles such as one of the leads in ''Film/DudeWheresMyCar'' and the MTV prank reality show ''Series/{{Punkd}}''. His career took a turn so sharp, it got whiplash when he starred in ''Film/TheButterflyEffect'', a psychological thriller, then followed it up in 2006 with the noticeably more light-hearted, but still quite dramatic ''The Guardian''. Since then, however he has returned to comedy by joining the cast of ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' and while he tried to return to serious stuff by playing Creator/SteveJobs in the biopic ''Film/{{Jobs}}'', it wasn't really successful.

* Creator/DonaldGlover got his big breaks through comedy, from the online series Derrick Comedy and a breakthrough starring role in ''{{Series/Community}}'', to his stand-up routines to releasing upbeat rap mixtapes and albums as "Childish Gambino". As of the mid-2010's, while he's not averse to doing more lighthearted roles, he's become increasingly well-known for acting, directing, and producing much more dramatic work, such as the surrealist dramedy series ''Series/{{Atlanta}}'', the heavily introspective and cynical ConceptAlbum ''because the internet'', and the politically-charged single/music video "Music/ThisIsAmerica".

* Creator/JordanPeele started off with ''Series/MADTv'' and then rose to fame as one half of the title duo on the sketch series ''Series/KeyAndPeele'', which showcased his comic talent, skill in impressions, and penchant for mocking aspects of Black culture. Then, in 2017, he wrote and directed the absolutely terrifying ''Film/GetOut'', which, in addition to being straight-up horrifying, was a serious, gripping sociocultural study on contemporary Black life in the United States. He followed ''Get Out'' with the equally disturbing and socially-conscious ''Film/{{Us}}'', which cemented his new career as a master of psychological horror; there's a reason that Peele was selected to produce and star in the latest revival of ''Series/TheTwilightZone2019.''

* Creator/KurtRussell spent TheSeventies as a family-friendly comedy actor and one of the biggest stars of Creator/{{Disney}}'s live-action films. In 1979, he played Music/ElvisPresley in a [[MadeForTVMovie made-for-TV]] biopic that got him nominated for an UsefulNotes/EmmyAward, but more importantly, it also marked the first of many [[ProductionPosse collaborations]] between him and the film's director, Creator/JohnCarpenter. Their next collaboration, ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'', put Russell on the map as an ActionHero, and while he'd still do the occasional comedy like ''Film/Overboard1987'' and ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', it otherwise marked the start of his typecasting going from "clean-cut Disney kid" to "rugged roughneck badass".

* Creator/JackBlack, Creator/WillFerrell and Creator/JohnCReilly sang [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5JAPkvnyso this number]] about their plight at the 2006 Oscars.

* Creator/BruceWillis started off as a comedic actor in shows such as ''Series/{{Moonlighting}}'' and movies like ''Film/BlindDate''. His casting as the lead of ''Film/DieHard'' made Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox executives nervous: [[ItWillNeverCatchOn they were sure a comedic actor could never play an action hero]]. He finally got the part and soon became one of America's most famous action stars.

* Jeff Portnoy in ''Film/TropicThunder'' joined the filming of the titular movie because he was tired of being [[PigeonholedActor pigeonholed]] into low-brow ToiletHumor comedy roles (his previous claim to fame is a blatant parody of ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor1996'', with way more fart jokes.) Tugg Speedman is a lesser example, with his prior films mostly being schlocky action-comedies until he tried to play an InspirationallyDisadvantaged character in an OscarBait film, then a serious war biopic.

* Creator/AdamSandler is notorious for his low-brow comedies such as ''Film/HappyGilmore'', ''Film/TheWaterBoy'', and ''Film/LittleNicky''. He soft transitioned to a romantic dramedy with 2004's ''Film/{{Spanglish}}'' before coming out with a serious role in 2019's crime thriller ''Film/UncutGems''. While promoting the film, he threatened that he would make a film that was "so bad on purpose" if it didn't win an Oscar.

* In her early TV career, Emma Thompson was known mainly for comedy. Her shift to drama started with the 1987 series ''Fortunes of War'' and was pretty much complete by 1991. Her early work is rarely repeated, so by the time ''Film/NannyMcPhee'' came out in 2005, many people were surprised to find out she could do comedy as well.

* Creator/BenAffleck's roles in the comedic [[Film/TheViewAskewniverse View Askewniverse]] made him notable. While he did try to branch out, none of these attempts really took until the latter half of UsefulNotes/The2000s, when he directed an adaptation of ''Literature/GoneBabyGone'' to good reviews. He has since become a respect dramatic director, repeating the trick twice more with ''Film/TheTown'' and ''Film/{{Argo}}''. His role in the latter, as well as his subsequent roles as [[Film/GoneGirl David Dunne]] and [[Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse Batman]], have led to him becoming primarily known as a dramatic actor in TheNewTens.

* [[Creator/BillCosby The Coz]] proved that he was, for a comedian, excellent at drama and won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series for each of the three seasons of ''Series/ISpy'', making him the first African-American actor to do so. Though comedy remains his forte, making this more akin to the LeslieNielsenSyndrome, Cosby would also do other dramatic material.