History PlayingAgainstType / Theater

* Generally speaking, acclaimed film or television actors will sometimes do a season on Broadway, and the results can be really surprising -- an actor not known for singing is cast in the lead of a musical, for instance. Cynics will say that this is a ploy for flagging shows to bring in a wider audience, but sometimes the actor fits the role and fits into the show very well, indeed.
* Michael Crawford, prior to the mid-80s, had been cast almost exclusively in bumbling, comic roles, like ''[[Film/HelloDolly Hello, Dolly]]''. Then he [[Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera put on a mask and a cape...]]
** Compare Crawford in ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'', where he plays an IdiotHero who even bumbles when he sings, to the Phantom. Wow.
* Creator/DanielRadcliffe of ''Film/HarryPotter'' in ''{{Theatre/Equus}}'', to much acclaim.
** And again in the 2011 revival of ''Theatre/HowToSucceedInBusinessWithoutReallyTrying''. Who knew Dan Rad could sing and dance and do an excellent CampGay?
* Two-time Tony Award winner John Cullum started out playing Shakespeare in New York, was in the original cast of ''Theatre/{{Camelot}}'', ''Theatre/OnAClearDayYouCanSeeForever'', ''On The Twentieth Century'', and ''Film/{{Shenandoah}}''. Then he was in ''{{Theatre/Urinetown}}''. He was understandably baffled the first time he read the script.
* Creator/IanMcKellen gave a monologue while hosting ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' where he talked about his experiences in a theater troupe with Creator/AnthonyHopkins and Creator/MaggieSmith. He ended with: "Who would have thought that Tony Hopkins would be known as [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs a man who eats people's faces]], Maggie Smith would be known as the ''Film/HarryPotter'' lady, and I would be [[Film/XMen1 an action figure?]]"
* Christy Carlson Romano took the role of Kate/Lucy in ''Theatre/AvenueQ''. There is something a bit jarring in hearing WesternAnimation/KimPossible cry "f* ck, it sucks to be me".
* Andrea [=McArdle=], the original ''Theatre/{{Annie}}'', has returned to show business and now plays the nasty Miss Hannigan.
* In 1980, Music/DavidBowie -- he of the sultry voice, smooth onstage moves, and cool persona -- made his Broadway debut as the title character in ''The Elephant Man''. Beyond the role being that of TheGrotesque, it is a notorious challenge for an actor, since the script's instructions dictate that he must rely on twisted body language and vocal distortion rather than makeup to convey his severe deformities. As well, no established rock star had appeared in a Broadway show (much less a non-musical) up to that point, and critics were doubtful this would work -- but Bowie got ''excellent'' reviews from them all the same. And film director Nagisa Oshima cast Bowie in ''Film/MerryChristmasMrLawrence'' after seeing him in this play.
* Creator/LaurenceFishburne, known for playing serious, stoic types, played the title role in ''Thurgood'', a one-man-play about Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, who was something of a BoisterousBruiser.
* The otherwise light-hearted Opal Peachey plays a naughty leather-clad character in ''Modern Luv''.
* Adamo Ruggiero, known for playing gay characters (most notably [[Series/{{Degrassi}} Marco del Rossi]]), played the stoner Van in a production of DogSeesGodConfessionsOfATeenageBlockhead, and outright asks a female character for a blowjob. Adamo even noted that when he was asked to audition, he expected to read for Beethoven, the kid who gets picked on because everyone thinks he's gay.
* Michael Ball, known for originating the role of TenorBoy Marius in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' and for romantic roles/musical stylings, played ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' in 2012, and in fact played an unusually thuggish and unhinged Todd at that. And before that, he had played [[CrossCastRole Edna Turnblad]] in the 2007 London production of ''Theatre/{{Hairspray}}''.
* The original cast of ''Theatre/PorgyAndBess'' included Ford L. Buck and John W. Bubbles, a [[BigGuyLittleGuy little guy/big guy]] vaudeville hoofer team popular in vaudeville, as Mingo and Sportin' Life.
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* Michael Ball, known for originating the role of TenorBoy Marius in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' and for romantic roles/musical stylings, played ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' in 2012, and in fact played an unusually thuggish and unhinged Todd at that. And before that, he had played [[CrossCastRole Edna Turnblad]] in the 2007 London production of ''Theatre/{{Hairspray}}.

* Michael Ball, known for originating the role of TenorBoy Marius in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' and for romantic roles/musical stylings, played ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' in 2012, and in fact played an unusually thuggish and unhinged Todd at that.

** And again in the 2011 revival of ''HowToSucceedInBusinessWithoutReallyTrying''. Who knew Dan Rad could sing and dance and do an excellent CampGay?

* Creator/IanMcKellen gave a monologue while hosting ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' where he talked about his experiences in a theater troupe with Creator/AnthonyHopkins and Maggie Smith. He ended with: "Who would have thought that Tony Hopkins would be known as [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs a man who eats people's faces]], Maggie Smith would be known as the ''Film/HarryPotter'' lady, and I would be [[Film/XMen an action figure?]]"

* Creator/IanMcKellen gave a monologue while hosting ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' where he talked about his experiences in a theater troupe with Creator/AnthonyHopkins and Maggie Smith. He ended with: "Who would have thought that Tony Hopkins would be known as [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs a man who eats people's faces]], Maggie Smith would be known as the ''Film/HarryPotter'' lady, and I would be [[Film/{{X-Men}} an action figure?]]"

* Michael Ball, known for originating the role of TenorBoy Marius in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' and for romantic roles/musical stylings, played ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' in 2012, and in fact played an unusually thuggish and unhinged Todd at that.

* Christy Carlson Romano took the role of Kate/Lucy in ''Theatre/AvenueQ''. There is something a bit jarring in hearing KimPossible cry "f* ck, it sucks to be me".

* LaurenceFishburne, known for playing serious, stoic types, played the title role in ''Thurgood'', a one-man-play about Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, who was something of a BoisterousBruiser.

* Michael Crawford, prior to the mid-80s, had been cast almost exclusively in bumbling, comic roles. Then he [[Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera put on a mask and a cape...]]

* Michael Crawford, prior to the mid-80s, had been cast almost exclusively in bumbling, comic roles. Then he [[ThePhantomOfTheOpera put on a mask and a cape...]]

* Adamo Ruggiero, known for playing gay characters (most notably [[Series/{{Degrassi}} Marco del Rossi]]), played the stoner Van in a production of DogSeesGodConfessionsOfATeenageBlockhead, and outright asks a female character for a blowjob. Adamo even noted that when he was asked to audition, he expected to read for Beethoven, the kid who gets picked on because everyone thinks he's gay.

* Two-time Tony Award winner John Cullum started out playing Shakespeare in New York, was in the original cast of ''Theatre/{{Camelot}}'', ''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'', ''On The Twentieth Century'', and ''{{Shenandoah}}''. Then he was in ''{{Theatre/Urinetown}}''. He was understandably baffled the first time he read the script.

* DanielRadcliffe of ''Film/HarryPotter'' in ''{{Theatre/Equus}}'', to much acclaim.

* IanMcKellen gave a monologue while hosting ''SaturdayNightLive'' where he talked about his experiences in a theater troupe with AnthonyHopkins and Maggie Smith. He ended with: "Who would have thought that Tony Hopkins would be known as [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs a man who eats people's faces]], Maggie Smith would be known as the ''Film/HarryPotter'' lady, and I would be [[Film/{{X-Men}} an action figure?]]"

* In 1980, DavidBowie -- he of the sultry voice, smooth onstage moves, and cool persona -- made his Broadway debut as the title character in ''The Elephant Man''. Beyond the role being that of TheGrotesque, it is a notorious challenge for an actor, since the script's instructions dictate that he must rely on twisted body language and vocal distortion rather than makeup to convey his severe deformities, but Bowie got ''excellent'' reviews.

* The otherwise light-hearted Opal Peachey plays a naughty leather-clad character in ''Modern Luv''.

* Christy Carlson Romano took the role of Kate/Lucy in ''AvenueQ''. There is something a bit jarring in hearing KimPossible cry "f* ck, it sucks to be me".

* The otherwise light-hearted Opal Peachey plays a naughty leather-clad character in ''Modern Luv''.

* In 1980, DavidBowie -- he of the sultry voice, smooth onstage moves, and cool persona -- made his Broadway debut as the title character in ''The Elephant Man''. Beyond the role being that of TheGrotesque, it is a notorious challenge for an actor, since the script's instructions dictate that he must rely on twisted body language and vocal distortion rather than makeup to convey his severe deformities, but Bowie got excellent reviews.

* Near the end of its original Broadway run in 1980 Music/DavidBowie -- he of the sultry voice, smooth onstage moves, and cool persona -- played the title character in ''The Elephant Man''. Beyond the role being that of TheGrotesque, it is a notorious challenge for an actor, since the script's instructions dictate that he must rely on twisted body language and vocal distortion rather than makeup to convey his severe deformities, but Bowie got excellent reviews.
* LaurenceFishburne, known for playing serious, stoic types, played the title role in ''Thurgood'', a one-man-play about Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, who was something of a BoisterousBruiser.

* Near the end of its original Broadway run in 1980 Music/DavidBowie -- he of the sultry voice, smooth onstage moves, and cool persona -- played the title character in ''The Elephant Man''. Beyond the role being that of TheGrotesque, it is a notorious challenge for an actor, since the script's instructions dictate that he must rely on twisted body language and vocal distortion rather than makeup to convey his severe deformities, but Bowie got excellent reviews.