History Main / TypeCasting

* Ray Stevenson seems to be starting to get stuck in a typecast as a hedonistic, laid-back, but still formidable warrior type; In ''Series/{{Rome}}'' he was Titus Pullo, in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' he portrayed Volstagg, and in ''Film/{{The Three Musketeers|2011}}'', he's the type-codifying Porthos.
* Creator/PatrickStewart may have been a classically trained thespian for years, but to [[MostTropersAreYoungNerds those of a certain age and disposition]] he will always be [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]
** Patrick Stewart is almost as known for being [[Film/{{X-Men}} Professor Charles Xavier]] these days as he is for his role on ''Star Trek: TNG''.
** At least in movies and on TV, he seems to be typecast for the "good, wise non-action leader" role, especially "good king" - which makes it either very funny when he plays against type (see ''Jeffrey'' - snarky, somewhat CampGay interior designer and Pink Panther activist - and ''Conspiracy Theory'' - "''evil'', wise non-action leader") or rather unsettling (''The Lion in Winter'' - still superficially the affable "good king", but the dialogue establishes really quickly that he's actually a selfish, scheming jerk who has [[WifeHusbandry taken someone raised almost as an adoptive daughter as his mistress]])

* Andrew J. Robinson made his film debut as the baby-faced serial killer Scorpio in ''Film/DirtyHarry''. He was so associated with the role that, despite winning an Emmy as the lead on ''RyansHope'', he was recast after 2 seasons because they didn't want someone noted for playing a serial killer as a sympathetic lead. He went on to play a whole string of psychotic killers in films like ''Hellblazer'' and ''Film/ChildsPlay3'', until he finally got to play one of the good guys: former assassin and torturer Elim Garak in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''.

* TimRoth usually plays thugs/murderers/convicts/all of the above at the same time. And he tends to die violent deaths.

* Sadly, [[{{Seinfeld}} Jerry Seinfeld]] will never, ever, ''ever'' be able to act in any live-action role whatsoever. At least, not until he is past the age of 70. Fortunately, the fact that he is one of the greatest comedy icons of TheNineties doesn't seem to have penetrated his mind, so for ten years he was happy just being a stand-up comedian, as he was before (and ''within'') [[{{Seinfeld}} his prime-time reign]].
* TomSelleck has been typecast as cops or soldiers, particularly in ''Series/MagnumPI'' and ''Series/BlueBloods''. Selleck himself, however, claims that [[AmericanGunPolitics his support for the NRA]] has hurt his career.
* Michael Shannon seems to always play robotic men who are one stubbed toe away from a psychotic break.

* JohnSimm is the man to go to when you want angst. Up until his late thirties, practically all the roles he played were those of cocky, broody, bratty young men (''The Lakes'', ''Human Traffic'', ''Cracker''). When he isn't playing angsty Northeners (most notably in ''Series/{{Life On Mars|2006}}''), he's playing angsty 17th century mercenaries (''The Devil's Whore'') or angsty 19th century Russian axe mudrerers (''Crime and Punishment'') or angsty Danish princes (''Hamlet'') or angsty reporters (''Series/StateOfPlay'', ''Series/SexTraffic''). He only breaks out of the angst if he gets to play an over-the-top villain (Caligula, [[Series/DoctorWho The Master]]). Fitting for a guy who's frighteningly convincing when he cries.

* MarkStrong, as a [[BaldOfEvil bald villain]] with [[EvilBrit an English accent]].

* Michael Sheen is either a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] or TonyBlair.
** He gets a lot of positively gushing critical notices for his ability to inhabit different characters. For many viewers who can only see him as a vampire or Tony Blair, this is an InformedAttribute.

** He's usually some variation of the Universe's resident [[TheChewToy Chew Toy]], [[TheWoobie Woobie]], or, more routinely, an example of BreakTheCutie simply because his characters ''survive'' the amount of crap they're put through (most of the time...). RequiemForADream anyone? Oh wait, how about ''Film/LordOfWar''?

* Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio is an interesting example. After his StarMakingRole in ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'', media pundits almost unanimously predicted that Leo would be another flash-in-the pan celebrity, typecast as a {{Bishonen}} [[TeenIdol teenage heart-throb]] before forever vanishing from the limelight after hitting 35. Unusually, he was GenreSavvy enough to move away from pretty boy roles into [[DarkerAndEdgier something grittier]] and started a very fruitful creative partnership with Creator/MartinScorsese. Ironically, this led [=DiCaprio=] to being typecast in crime and/or business dramas, Scorsese's signature genre, where he usually plays intense, morally ambiguous types. Leo's lead role in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi film ''{{Inception}}'' was seen as an attempt at broadening his acting range... right until it turned out he was playing an intense, morally ambiguous mind thief.

* TomSelleck has been typecast as cops or soldiers, particularly in ''Series/MagnumPI''. Selleck himself, however, claims that [[AmericanGunPolitics his support for the NRA]] has hurt his career.

** When he's a good guy he tends to be a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, such as his breakout role as [[Film/{{Platoon}} Sgt. Elias]]. Examples include [[MississippiBurning an FBI agent]], [[Film/ClearAndPresentDanger a CIA agent]] and [[InsideMan a NYPD cop]].

* WillSmith always plays the charming, witty leading man/action hero.

** Or ''ThePursuitOfHappyness''.
* James Spader's still playing a marble-mouthed sex freak, twenty years after ''SexLiesAndVideotape''.

** Music/DavidBowie is a similar case of musical and movie personas overlapping as he is usually cast in roles that take advantage of what the trailer for his movie ''Film/TheHunger'' (in which he played a vampire) called his "cruel elegance"; whether his character is good or evil, he usually has a mysterious, cool aura. This has served him well in a [[Main/TheManWhoFellToEarth colorful]] [[Main/MerryChristmasMrLawrence variety]] [[Film/{{Labyrinth}} of roles]] [[Main/TheLastTemptationOfChrist over]] [[Film/ThePrestige time]]. He also isn't afraid to play it for comedy or just play against type on occasion -- in the ShortFilm ''Jazzin' for Blue Jean'' he gets to do [[Main/ActingForTwo both]]!

** The remake of ''{{Psycho|1998}}'' is an exception.

* Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter used to be TheIngenue. Since the late nineties, however, she's typically been a darkly funny nutcase, often with a dishevelled look (''Film/FightClub'', ''Film/HarryPotter'', ''Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', ''Film/LesMiserables2012''), and when not, she is virtually ''always'' in a less-than-glamorous/villainous role (''PlanetOfTheApes'', ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'', ''Film/AliceInWonderland'')

This is not entirely the fault of casting directors. When Ed O'Neill left ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' to spread his wings as a dramatic actor, audiences laughed the instant he appeared onscreen in ''Film/TheSpanishPrisoner''. This is an extreme example of this is IAmNotSpock (and also IAmNotLeonardNimoy).

** Samuel L. Jackson is so considered a BadAss that when it came time to give the UltimateUniverse version of NickFury (the most BadAss secret agent this side of Film/JamesBond) a new look, he was made to look like... Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson agreed to let them use his likeness on condition of getting to play Fury in the movies.

* ElijahWood is usually typecast as the wide-eyed innocent charming boy, ten years before playing Frodo from ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''. But since ''LOTR'' he's been desperately trying to avoid typecasting as, well, Frodo (wide-eyed innocent + MessianicArchetype). In fact, he was cast as a tough vandal in ''Green Street'' (also known as ''Hooligans'') because he represented corrupted innocence.

* The late, great Eli Wallach always played villains of some sort, from conflicted BitchinSheepsClothing [[Film/TheMisfits Guido]] to goofy, likable AntiVillain [[TheGoodtheBadandtheUgly Tuco]]. In fact, after Tuco, Wallach was typecast a couple of times as the schlubby, off-the-wall bandito. In his old age, however, he played more mellow and kind-hearted roles such as in ''Film/TheHoliday''.

* Lucy Punch (real name) gets regular work as the boozing, superficial floozy. She's been trying to break into Hollywood of late, resulting in a few serious roles--or, at times, even sluttier ones (''DinnerForSchmucks'').

* Creator/CharlesBronson was the ultimate badass. Apparently, this extended to his offscreen life, too: he was a coal miner at the age of 10. In ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven'', Bronson splits wood onscreen, with an axe and everything. Not only is this physically demanding, requiring good coordination, it's so dangerous that no insurance company is likely to ever let a name star do that again.

** And then there's ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie'', where he's an ArchnemesisDad and ControlFreak.

* Creator/GilbertGottfried is always the loud, obnoxious guy who squints, complains and screams a lot.

* Creator/ChristopherLee's sepulchral tones have made him a career out of playing villains. Though to be fair, he's well-suited for it, with his razor-thin build, dark eyes, towering height, and [[EvilSoundsDeep powerful deep voice]].

* Norwegian voice actor Åsleik Engmark has a record of playing the comedic sidekick, voicing Timon in ''Disney/TheLionKing'', Mike Wazowski in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'', Mushu in ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'' and Buck in the third ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' movie.

* Creator/JamesMcAvoy is often cast as a WideEyedIdealist or an {{Adorkable}} intellectual (or both). He has also acknowledged that he is [[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1239690/James-McAvoy-How-I-feel-typecast.html offered many period roles]] because of his skinny build.

* RobinWilliams does voices. And funny stuff. Not so much now, but he continues to entertain and touch hearts.

* Creator/AdamBaldwin is the Don Draper of the nineties: the scowling, growling ass-kicking man's man. (6'4" 240lbs.) He's often cast a military man, or if not that, at least ex-military: either a merc or a cop. His characters are overwhelmingly Republican (a detail he often insists on, as he is proudly and loudly Republican in RealLife). Notable roles include ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', ''Film/FullMetalJacket'', ''Film/IndependenceDay'' and ''Film/TheLastShip''.

* Adam Baldwin is the Don Draper of the nineties: the scowling, growling ass-kicking man's man. Also TheBigGuy (6'4" 240lbs.) He's overwhelmingly some military man; or if ex-military, is a merc or a cop. Usually a cold-blooded killer. Oftentimes TheMole, and almost always a DeadpanSnarker with a DeathGlare of his own. If his characters political beliefs are important, they are overwhelmingly Republican (a detail he often insists on, as he is proudly and loudly Republican in RealLife). Notable roles include ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', ''Film/FullMetalJacket'', ''Film/IndependenceDay'' and ''Film/TheLastShip''.

* KeanuReeves is the embodiment of spaced-out characters. See ''Film/TheMatrix'', ''BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'', and ''Film/AScannerDarkly''. There is some debate over [[DullSurprise how intentional this is]].
** It's a pity that so few people have seen the movies in which he plays TheHeavy: in ''Film/TheGift'', he plays a violent, wife-beating redneck, and in ''Film/TheWatcher'', he plays a ''SerialKiller''. As an ActionHero? Not so much.
* To younger American audiences,it would probably be weird to see Creator/AlanRickman as anything but the creepy bad guy with the sexy voice thanks to ''Film/DieHard'', ''Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' and ''Film/HarryPotter'' (though he's [[spoiler:just a red herring bad guy]]), even though his career has seen him in a very wide variety of roles. (''Film/SenseAndSensibility'', ''LoveActually'', ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', ''Film/{{Dogma}}'')
** In his own words "I don't play villains. I play very interesting people."
* EricRoberts really lends himself well to playing SmugSnake villains (quite literally in Series/DoctorWho). His career started out promising enough, described by one magazine as having a profile so handsome "it could be struck on a Roman coin." But his serious roles went unregarded, so he willingly became typecast to keep working.

* Joan Plowright is the ultimate Sweet Old English Lady.

* Ray Liotta found himself seriously pigeonholed by ''{{Goodfellas}}''. Even in sci-fi thrillers (''No Escape''), he's still playing an ex-con of some sort. Interestingly, he played a cop in ''{{Film/Narc}}'', and his performance was much-acclaimed.

* Every role Bradley Cooper has done post-''Series/{{Alias}}'' has been a JerkAss or ChivalrousPervert (or combination of the two) who always has an occasion to [[ShirtlessScene remove his shirt]].

typecasting. There are a host of ways to be typecast, and it's the kiss of death for an actor (at least in their eyes). Whereas stage actors are shuffled around quite a bit, allowing them to play all sorts of roles, it's a different story with movies and television.

This is not entirely the fault of casting directors, either. When Ed O'Neill left ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' to spread his wings as a dramatic actor, audiences laughed the instant he appeared onscreen in ''Film/TheSpanishPrisoner''. An extreme example of this is IAmNotSpock (and also IAmNotLeonardNimoy).