History TypeCasting / Actresses

* Krysten Ritter usually plays bitchy characters with [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold a heart of gold]]. Or the Dark of LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine.

* Icy blondes? The example to beat is Ally Walker and her giant hair. Best known as crooked DEA Agent June Stahl on ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'', she has also played, in order: a {{gold digger}} client on ''Series/LALaw'', a {{mean boss}} on ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'', a shrill fiancee in ''Film/WhileYouWereSleeping'' ("You one-balled bastard!"), and a racist housewife on ''Series/LawAndOrder''. Admittedly, her long filmography features a couple of benign characters, e.g. the heroine in ''Series/{{Profiler}}'' and the mom in ''{{Film/Kazaam}}''.

* 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 (''Film/DinnerForSchmucks'').

* For a girl who's still not out of her teens, Creator/JodelleFerland sure has played a lot of {{creepy child}}ren. See: Bree Tanner in ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} The Twilight Saga: Eclipse]]'', Sharon/Alessa in ''Film/SilentHill'', Lilith in ''Film/{{Case 3}}9'', Jenny in ''Film/TheTallMan'', Patience Buckner in ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'', and a young Carrie White in the 2002 version of ''Film/{{Carrie|2002}}''.

* Creator/SummerGlau tends to be cast as [[{{Moe}} adorable]], [[AxCrazy slightly]] [[CloudCuckoolander unhinged]] [[TheOphelia characters]] who either [[WaifFu kick ass]] or [[TheWoobie induce powerful sympathy]] -- sometimes at the same time.

* Jayne Eastwood is known for playing teacher, grandparent and parent figures on children's TV shows like ''[[Lierature/RamonaQuimby Ramona]]'', the AnimatedAdaptation of ''Film/TheNeverendingStory'', ''Series/ShiningTimeStation'', ''Series/TheNoddyShop'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/JojosCircus [=JoJo=]'s Circus]]''.

* Need a {{fragile flower}}? This was Lesley-Anne Down's stock and trade during the seventies, eighties, ''and'' nineties. She deserves some kind of lifetime achievement award for her facial tics, lip-bitings, and eye-flutterings. Oddly, she also has a history of playing mothers beginning way back in 1994 with ''Munchie Strikes Back'' and continuing through ''Series/SunsetBeach'' (got knocked up by her own daughter's boyfriend) and ''Series/TheBoldAndTheBeautiful'' (an extremely busy cougar).

* Not even out of puberty yet, Creator/MillieBrown has ''excelled'' at playing {{creepy child}}ren. Roles include: a sociopath who killed her mom on ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', the [[DemonicPossession possessed]] host of an immortal serial killer on ''Series/{{Intruders}}'', and a girl with telekinetic powers who was raised in a lab and has a propensity for [[KubrickStare Kubrick staring]] on ''Series/StrangerThings''.

* Courteney Cox has tended to play uber bitch characters, sometimes with a HiddenHeartOfGold, sometimes without. See: ''Franchise/{{Scream}}'', ''Dirt'', ''Cougar Town'', ''Tomboy'', and her role in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' as examples. Her most [[{{Series/Friends}} famous role]] was even Flanderised into this.

* Despite not even being 21 yet, Music/JennetteMccurdy of ''Series/ICarly'' fame has already been typecast to MeanCharacterNiceActor type roles, getting several AlphaBitch characters as well as the occasionally sociopathic Sam Puckett.

** Mo'Nique completely averts this in ''[[Literature/{{Push}} [=Precious=]]]'', and it could very well launch her career into new heights.

* Creator/JenniferAniston. Plays the girl next door and... the girl next door. Most of her post-''Film/{{Leprechaun}}'' movies are {{Rom Com}}s, except ''Derailed'' (where she has an affair and [[RapeAsDrama is raped]] and {{blackmail}}ed). Other exceptions: ''The Good Girl'', ''MarleyAndMe'' and ''Film/HorribleBosses''.

* Linnea Quigley was always the girl in horror movies who gets naked.

* Creator/SarahJessicaParker tended to play [[BrainlessBeauty sexy airheads]] in her pre- ''SexAndTheCity'' days (''Film/LAStory'', ''Film/HocusPocus'', ''Film/MarsAttacks''). ''After'' she did ''SexAndTheCity'' she has mostly played brainy but uptight or neurotic romantic heroines (''Film/TheFamilyStone'', ''Smart People''.)

* Creator/EllenPage is either The Troubled Teen or [[DeadpanSnarker The Smarty Teen]]. Or both. Not that there isn't a lot of range in [[HardCandy those]] [[{{Juno}} roles]]. With ''Film/{{Inception}}'', she breaks new ground playing the smarty college student which is just a bit older than a teenager. Her roles could also be a {{Tomboy}} in general.

* Period Movie: A type of film which features Creator/KeiraKnightley wearing GorgeousPeriodDress and [[MsFanservice occasionally nude]]. She's the plucky main character and is most likely a little ahead of her time. She chose to tweak it slightly when ''{{Atonement}}'' came around as she was approached to play the adult Briony, but chose to play Cecilia instead as she'd "had enough of coming-of-age ladies".

* Characters played by British actresses Imelda Staunton and Pam Ferris are often of the JerkAss and/or SadistTeacher variety. See ''Film/HarryPotter'' and ''Film/{{Matilda}}'' for examples.

* Actresses who star in {{horror}} movies tend to pick up reputations as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scream_queen "scream queens."]] Some actresses (such as Debbie Rochon and Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) have embraced the title, while others resent it ([[Film/KingKong1933 Fay Wray]] wound up taking her career to England because of it). A full list can be found on TheOtherWiki.

* Holland Taylor as the EvilMatriarch, usually a [[RichBitch rich]] and [[PlayedForLaughs comedic]] one.

* Creator/BettyWhite tends to get typecast in a role and then subverts the typecasting in her next big role. Her role on the ''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow'' was a subversion of her earlier typecasting as a sweet, motherly type. In order to avoid the resulting typecasting as a bitchy, man-hungry character she chose to play the Ditz Rose on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' rather than the character of Blanche she was offered. She then subverts that typecasting by playing the character of Betty White on ''UglyBetty'' as a MagnificentBastard who gets the better of the show's antagonist.

** Keira's non-period movies typically have her as a brash JerkWithAHeartOfGold where her love interest is the one that discovers the heart of gold. ''BendItLikeBeckham'', ''Film/TheHole'', ''Domino'' and ''Film/TheJacket'' are examples.

* TildaSwinton as the androgynous IceQueen. ''Film/TheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButton'' completely turns it around with her as a ShrinkingViolet who is also a RomanticFalseLead.

* If Creator/BlakeLively is part of any circle of {{four|temperament ensemble}}, she will always be Sanguine.

* Creator/BettyWhite tends to get typecast in a role and then subverts the typecasting in her next big role. Her role on the ''MaryTylerMooreShow'' was a subversion of her earlier typecasting as a sweet, motherly type. In order to avoid the resulting typecasting as a bitchy, man-hungry character she chose to play the Ditz Rose on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' rather than the character of Blanche she was offered. She then subverts that typecasting by playing the character of Betty White on ''UglyBetty'' as a MagnificentBastard who gets the better of the show's antagonist.

** Oddly averted in her breakout role, ''BagdadCafe'', where she is in charge of delivering the WhoopiEpiphanySpeech.
** Now subverted with ''Warehouse13'': Mrs. Frederic is definitely an authority figure, but rather than being AffablyEvil, she is a gruff, kind of creepy [[DaChief Chief]] who nevertheless ''not'' evil (so far).

** Rose [=McGowan=] is always the deadpan snarker, because that's who she is in real life.
** Emma Stone is always the deadpan snarker in teen comedies or rom-coms who often squints her eyes and mouths her words.
** Mila Kunis is always the deadpan snarker in comedies (though not always the same ''type''). Averted with ''Film/OzTheGreatAndPowerful'' and ''Film/MaxPayne''.
* Blondes carry their own stigma: Tthey can either play [[ReallyGetsAround the Jezebel]], the [[AlphaBitch mean girl]], [[DumbBlonde the bimbo]], or some combination thereof.

* Courtney Cox has tended to play uber bitch characters, sometimes with a HiddenHeartOfGold, sometimes without. See: ''Franchise/{{Scream}}'', ''Dirt'', ''Cougar Town'', ''Tomboy'', and her role in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' as examples. Her most [[{{Series/Friends}} famous role]] was even Flanderised into this.

* Creator/FeliciaDay has made a living as the soft-spoken, slightly neurotic geek girl (WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog, TheGuild, her part on ''Series/{{Eureka}})''. Many fans didn't even recognise her when she played a bitter ActionSurvivor in a couple of episode of ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}''. She is since going from neurotic to full-blown mad in the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' revival.

** In her first starring role as the titular hero/ine of ''Film/{{Orlando}}'', she's an {{Adorkable}} WideEyedIdealist GenderBender who becomes a CoolOldLady whose ImmortalityBeginsAt20. In ''Film/MichaelClayton'' she's a DirtyCoward PunchClockVillain.