Line #14 PlayingAgainstType/FilmWriting


1	* Creator/AlFranken, comedian, writer, talk radio host and U.S. senator, made an interesting turn as co-writer of the romantic drama ''When A Man Loves A Woman'', starring Creator/MegRyan as an alcoholic struggling to keep her marriage together.
2	** The film is supposedly based on Franken's real life relationship with his wife, who is a recovering alcoholic.
3	* Leslie Dixon, usually a comedic writer for films such as the ''Film/{{Hairspray\|2007}}'' remake, also wrote the sci-fi thriller ''Film/{{Limitless}}'', about a man who becomes addicted to a powerful mind drug.
4	* Aaron [=McGruder=], creator of the [[ComicStrip/TheBoondocks comic strip]] turned [[WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks animated series]] ''The Boondocks'', also co-wrote the non-comedic war film ''Film/RedTails'', about the Tuskegee Airmen in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.
5	* John Patrick Shanley, the UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize winner playwright of ''Theatre/{{Doubt}}'' and UsefulNotes/AcademyAward winning writer of ''Film/{{Moonstruck}}'', also wrote the adaptations of ''WesternAnimation/WereBackADinosaursStory'' and ''Film/{{Congo}}'', along with the fantasy comedy ''Film/JoeVersusTheVolcano''.
6	* If this can be extended to television, Creator/StephenJCannell was not limited to cop dramas and adventure shows - as one newspaper article pointed out, do ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' and ''Series/BlackSheepSquadron'' have any real similarities other than both involving flying?
7	* Chris Thompson created the cross-dressing sitcom ''Series/BosomBuddies'', the acerbic Hollywood satire ''Series/{{Action}}'' and the tabloid sendup ''Series/TheNakedTruth''. He also created ''Series/ShakeItUp''...
8	* Vince Gilligan's background was in comedy before he joined ''Series/TheXFiles''' writing staff, dividing his time between writing comedic and serious episodes. As his own show ''Series/BreakingBad'' gets increasingly dark, it deviates further from his type, if it hasn't [[TomHanksSyndrome redefined it altogether]].
9	** Gilligan was also one of the (many) writers of ''Film/{{Hancock}}'', which combines comedy and science fiction.
10	* Jeremy Leven, the writer of romantic films such as ''Film/DonJuanDemarco'' and ''Film/TheNotebook'', also co-wrote the RatedMForManly science fiction film ''Film/RealSteel''.
11	* Tom Schulman more or less made playing against type an art form, writing the inspirational teacher drama ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'' (based on his life and winning an Oscar in the process), co-writing the sci-fi comedy ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids'' (which also happens to be this for Lovecraftian filmmakers Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna), writing the adventure film ''Film/MedicineMan'' and writing and directing the dark comedy ''Film/EightHeadsInADuffelBag''.
12	* After mostly writing raunchy comedies with lots of dialogue and pop culture references, Creator/KevinSmith went against type with a horror/action/thriller movie ''Film/RedState''. This movie was also [[PlayingAgainstType/FilmDirecting atypical for him as a director]].
13	* Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Schaffer, the writers of multiple ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episodes, also wrote the 2003 film adaptation of ''Film/TheCatInTheHat''.
14	* Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, known for subversive, GenreBusting comedies such as ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'' and ''Film/{{Deadpool\|2016}}'', also wrote the straightforward sci-fi horror/thriller ''[[Film/Life2017 Life]]''.
15	* Television writers Glenn Leopold and Neal Barbera spent most of their careers writing for Creator/HannaBarbera cartoons, however they both wrote for the live action horror films Film/TheProwler and Film/TooScaredToScream.

Context PlayingAgainstType / FilmWriting