If there’s one critique a performer never wants to hear—other than “You can’t act”—it’s that you play the same role in everything. You’ve made it in the industry only to hear you have no range. That’s called typecasting, and depending on how you look at it, it’s either a niche or a prison.
Is having a “type” something to avoid altogether? Below are seven actors who knew how to turn typecasting to their benefit, whether by leaning into an onscreen persona or reigniting a stagnating career by purposely upending a pre-established image. Study their careers, and decide for yourself.
Marlene Dietrich
This silver screen legend exuded sex appeal. At a time when women were supposed to be reserved and demure as they waited for a man to take charge, Dietrich owned her sexuality. Perhaps it was her foreignness—her thick German accent was unmistakable—but she seldom had to worry about American mores in her movies. If anything, those mores had to move around her. In films like Billy Wilder’s “A Foreign Affair” (1948) and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Stage Fright” (1950), she played powerhouse women who couldn’t be tamed or made to submit. In earlier roles like Shanghai Lily in Josef von Sternberg’s “Shanghai Express” (1932), Dietrich played women who, rather than hide their desires, put them on display for the world to see. This may have been a type, but the actor wasn’t contained by it; she made the roles she played feel liberating in a Hollywood stifled by sexist morals.
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Morgan Freeman
Need some instant gravitas for your film, no matter the genre? Look no further than Freeman. The Oscar winner has played a wide range of roles over a decades-long career, but when you think of Freeman, you first think of the voice—a cool, calming baritone that has led to the actor being utilized most as an authoritative presence.
For example, in Mimi Leder’s 1998 disaster film “Deep Impact,” Freeman brought a commanding-yet-reassuring air as an American president who was going to make sure we all survived an oncoming comet. It’s not a big jump to then have Freeman play God in Tom Shadyac’s “Bruce Almighty” (2003), Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” (2009), or Batman’s go-to gadget guy Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” (2008).
The audience knows and understands Freeman as the voice of reason. Even if you play against that moral authority by casting him as the villain in a movie like Timur Bekmambetov’s “Wanted” (2008), you’re still relying on that understanding and the instant trust he garners when he steps onscreen.
Burt Reynolds
There was arguably no bigger star in the 1970s and ’80s than Reynolds. Thanks to his performances in hit films like Robert Aldrich’s “The Longest Yard” (1974) and Hal Needham’s “Smokey and the Bandit” (1977) and “The Cannonball Run” (1981), he became the poster boy for effortlessly cool nonchalance. While the actor did have opportunities to show off his range in movies like John Boorman’s 1972 thriller “Deliverance,” audiences wanted to see him portraying charming, working-class renegades who played by their own rules.
The box office rewarded Reynolds for these types of roles—until it didn’t. While some stars find ways to adapt to the demands of a changing marketplace, he couldn’t manage it; he went from being a hitmaker to a man who couldn’t find a hit. His once-popular type became kitschy.
Reynolds enjoyed a brief resurgence thanks to his Oscar-nominated turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights” (1997), a film which mined the darker side of the actor’s charms. Only in recent years have audiences come to appreciate the indelible imprint he left on Hollywood.
5 Steps to Determining Your Type as an Actor Helena Bonham Carter
Carter is a case of moving from one type to another. She broke through thanks to acclaimed performances in period dramas like James Ivory’s “A Room With a View” (1985) and “Howards End” (1992), as well as Iain Softley’s “The Wings of the Dove” (1997).
All that changed in 2001 when she starred in her first Tim Burton film, “Planet of the Apes.” Their collaboration would come to change the way audiences saw her. Like Johnny Depp, Carter became integral to Burton’s aesthetic, playing otherworldly women in movies including “Big Fish” (2003), “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007), “Alice in Wonderland” (2010), and “Dark Shadows” (2012).
She carried this archetype into non-Burton roles as well, like the unhinged Bellatrix Lestrange in the “Harry Potter” franchise and Red Harrington in Gore Verbinski’s “The Lone Ranger” (2013). These showy performances overshadow her subtler work in films like Sarah Gavron’s “Suffragette” (2015), her Oscar-nominated turn in Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” (2010), and her twice Emmy-nominated run as Princess Margaret in Netflix’s “The Crown.”
Vince Vaughn
This comedic actor first came to audiences’ attention in Doug Liman’s “Swingers” (1996), playing a fast-talking wise guy who isn’t as sharp as he thinks. It’s such an electric performance that you’d think it would be hard to repeat. But this archetype became Vaughn’s hallmark for decades in films like Todd Phillips’ “Old School” (2003), Rawson Marshall Thurber’s “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” (2004), David Dobkin’s “Wedding Crashers” (2005), Peyton Reed’s “The Break-Up” (2006), Peter Billingsley’s “Couples Retreat” (2009), and Shawn Levy’s “The Internship” (2013).
But Vaughn has peppered in dynamic dramatic performances throughout; check out his work in Gus Van Sant’s “Psycho” remake (1998) and Tarsem Singh’s “The Cell” (2000). As the popularity of comedy films has waned in favor of superhero fare, Vaughn returned to more dramatic roles in film’s like S. Craig Zahler’s “Brawl in Cell Block 99” (2017).
Vaughn’s career demonstrates that even if the genre for your type falls out of favor, a good actor will stretch themselves—even if it means taking on supporting roles or parts in smaller projects.
Ryan Reynolds
Reynolds is an example of an actor who tried to break free of his type, but ultimately found the greatest box office success operating within it. The actor broke out with fast-talking, quippy roles on the ’90s ABC sitcom “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place” and in Walt Becker’s “Van Wilder” (2002). From there, he attempted to stretch his range in thrillers like Rodrigo Cortés’ “Buried” (2010) and comedies with a much sharper edge like Marjane Satrapi’s “The Voices” (2014) and Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s “Mississippi Grind” (2015).
But viewers didn’t exactly flock to those films, nor did Reynolds feel quite right in more straightforward, action-oriented projects like Joe Carnahan’s “Smokin’ Aces” (2006) and Daniel Espinosa’s “Safe House” (2012). People wanted to see him play a winking, charming wise-ass, which is why his leading turn in the “Deadpool” franchise has been a billion-dollar boon for the actor. His post-“Deadpool” starring roles, like Levy’s “Free Guy” (2021) and Thurber’s “Red Notice” (2021), have mostly felt like a play on his character in the “Deadpool” films.
Michelle Rodriguez
If your movie needs a female star who can convincingly kick ass, you call Rodriguez. Ever since her breakthrough role as a boxer in Karyn Kusama’s “Girlfight” (2000), she’s built a reputation for playing women who can break you in two. Like her “Fast & Furious” costars Vin Diesel and Jason Statham, Rodriguez is a reliable go-to for playing tough characters.
There’s an innate movie-star charisma crackling just below the surface of her performances—especially in movies that use her well like James Cameron’s “Avatar” (2009), Steve McQueen’s “Widows” (2018), and John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” (2023). While there’s no shortage of Hollywood stars who can do action, Rodriguez always knows how to sell her punches with a sly sneer. You wouldn’t pit most actors against the likes of Ronda Rousey, but that’s just another day at the office for Rodriguez, who went toe-to-toe with the MMA fighter in 2015’s “Furious 7.”
Some actors find success by fully embracing their type, allowing them to corner the market on a specific kind of part and become a no-brainer for casting directors. After all, it’s to a studio’s benefit if they know exactly what they’re getting. Being highly in demand for a specific kind of role can lead to more job stability. Eventually, it may give you the freedom to pursue passion projects—if not prioritize them.
On the other hand, you’re likely to have a greater say in which gigs you choose if your reputation hinges on your acting range. Think of someone like Daniel Day-Lewis. The three-time Academy Award winner’s versatility has allowed him to be extremely selective, often going years between roles. This approach can feel more creatively rewarding, and it has career benefits, too: Studios and producers will feel confident that, no matter the character you play, the audience will buy your performance.
It all depends on what your goals are and how you define success. All of the performers listed above are A-listers, but having a type can also lead to a fruitful career without broader audiences knowing your name (e.g., Al Leong as a henchman or J.T. Walsh as an authority figure). At the end of the day, your goal is to make money acting—your persona and skill set are just pieces of the puzzle.
