Moviegoers are used to seeing popular actors and actresses in roles typical for them. For example,Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnsonis always the physical hero type that saves the day, andWill Smiththe charming comic relief. However, Johnson showed complexity in his skills by starring in theunderrated sleeper hitBallers, while Smith stepped away from his usual roles and won an Oscar forKing Richard.
Viewers are often surprised at these transformations, although Johnson and Smith are just two of many examples of acting versatility.Reddit users in the r/movies threadstarted one such discussion - the surprising roles of certain typecast actors. The ten actors they voted on the most showed massive changes from their usual roles, which were worth mentioning for Redditors.
10Tom Cruise in ‘Tropic Thunder’
One of the most surprising roles from an A-list actor was delivered inTropic Thunder. No, it’s notRobert Downey Jr.as the Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus - it’sTom Cruiseas the studio hotshot Les Grossman.Ben Stiller, Tropic Thunder’s director, and actor,said that Cruise invented Grossman, adding that the movie needed an evil studio executive to work.
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Redditors agreed this was one of Cruise’s most surprising roles, even adding that he was hysterical in it. Theuser xxmindtrickxx wrote this about the performance: “Try and say this whole monologue, out loud without laughing with the same emphasis as Cruise, it’s impossible I crack up hysterically everytime.”
9Will Ferrell in ‘Stranger Than Fiction’
Everyone’s used toWill Ferrellbeing silly. From Ron Burgundy to Ricky Bobby, his satirical roles are hilarious and over the top. Some people can’t even keep a straight face when they see Ferrell, which could be negative for an actor like him. This is especially true if they put onStranger Than Fiction,thinking it’s just another Will Ferrell movie.
People were pleasantly surprised at Ferrell’s acting chops inStranger Than Fiction, and it’s not the last time he got serious for a role. However, it was one of the first instances of fans seeing him in a different light. TheReddit user Yackemflaber agreed, saying: “I love how he was able to restrain his silliness to a more realistic level while mixing it with a great dramatic performance.”
8Matt Damon in ‘Eurotrip’
Matt Damon’s sense of humor hasn’t gone unnoticed. Althoughhe’s the king of Dad movies, people were surprised to see him in a teenage comedy about high school grads going on a trip around Europe. Adorned in face piercings, neck tattoos, and black-painted nails, Damon became the face ofEurotrip. Many folks still sing “Scotty doesn’t know” when he’s mentioned.
Redditors agreed that Damon surprised them here, although he is known to take on smaller roles and cameos, seemingly, for the thrill of it. No matter which of Damon’s hilarious cameos Redditors picked, the user named ThatRandomIdiot wrote: “This is still my favorite Damon cameo.”
7Steve Carell in ‘Foxcatcher’
Although fans seeSteve Carelland think ofThe Office, Carell continuously proves he’s more than Michael Scott. Although it’s tough to imagine him in more serious roles when he’s created such an iconic character,Carell’s career is full of them.Foxcatcherwas the first time wider audiences saw his serious side, believing he can nail any role he’s cast in.
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InFoxcatcher, Carell is unrecognizable for a couple of reasons - one is his prosthetic nose, but the other is his performance. Commenters on Reddit mentioned the movie as a big surprise role for him. Still, after several other mentions, includingThe Big Short, the user roboticbrady wrote: “At that point,I think people understood he has a lot of range. I certainly don’t recall anyone being surprised.”
6Matthew McConaughey in ‘True Detective’
Matthew McConaugheyhasn’t surprised people as Rust Cohle because he was typecast - it was because of the immense range he showed throughout. BeforeTrue Detective, McConaughey starred inDallas Buyers Club, earning him an Oscar win. However,True Detectiveis a modern cult classic and the first time wider audiences saw McConaughey knock it out of the park, performance-wise.
McConaughey transformed people’s opinions from being a mostly unserious actor to one to watch. People connected with Rust Cohle, maybe the first time anyone connected to any of his characters. This may be why people lovedInterstellarlater on and attached him to bigger roles. The user HenroTee agrees, saying: “True Detective was what his career had been building towards.”
5Ryan Gosling in ‘The Nice Guys’
Ryan Goslingstarted off as a heartthrob; audiences swooned over him inThe Notebook, often lauding him as the sexiest man alive. Then, in 2016, he starred inThe Nice GuysalongsideRussell Croweand showed why he’s bigger than his pretty boy roles. Gosling is hilarious inThe Nice Guys,with impeccable delivery and a physical comedy sense.
It seems like, afterThe Nice Guys, Gosling’s been able to embrace his comedic side and agree to bolder roles (Ken inBarbieis the freshest example). The userLivinDavideLoca said this about his performanceinThe Nice Guys: “Can’t remember laughing as hard in a cinema ever as at that toilet scene. Amazing physical comedy.”
4Robin Williams in ‘One Hour Photo’
The world’s favorite comedic actor,Robin Williams, surprised many after starring in a serious leading role inOne Hour Photo. He plays a photo film developer who becomes obsessed with one of the families that bring in their films. This nuanced role helped people see a more serious side to Williams. A fun fact says that, when the film aired atSundance Festival, audiences didn’t notice Williams was the lead at first, which helped him break the mold.
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Thecommenter randomaccount178 said in a thread: “It’s something people unfortunately tend not to realize, the key to being a great comedic actor isn’t being a great comedian, but being a great actor.” Williams' later performance inDavid Fincher’sInsomniagave him the great versatile actor credential.
3Chris Evans in ‘Captain America’ and ‘The Avengers’
Chris Evansplayed another cocky, self-assured guy whenThe Fantastic Fourmade him an international star. Besides the hate for that film overall, Evans was typecast, which is why he was an unusual choice to play Captain America in his nextMarveladventure. However, he turned out to be perfect for the role. Redditor legochemgrad agreed: “Most people had only seen him play cocky guy stereotypes. People didn’t think he could play a genuine good-hearted guy without hamming it up.”
Evans leaned into being Steve Rogers while staying true to himself; Rogers is just and serious but charming nevertheless. After Cap, Evans was able to get more serious roles, like inSnowpiercer,The Iceman, andThe Red Sea Diving Resort.
2Jim Carrey in ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’
Similarly to Robin Williams, people weren’t used to seeingJim Carreywithout expecting him to pull a funny face or a gag. Having to be in that sort of persona all the time put him in a box. Although he’s caused many laughs, Carrey impressed folks more after starring in the widely belovedEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Written byCharlie Kaufmann,Eternal Sunshinebecame more famous for being Carrey’s biggest serious role. AlthoughThe Truman ShowandMan on the Moonhad already happened, audiences (and possibly studios) stillfound his best work limited to comedy. Redditorjohnnytightlips2 expressed their opinionon this, adding: “Jim Carrey doing straight acting is so much better than Jim Carrey doing comedy.”
1Heath Ledger in ‘The Dark Knight’
Heath Ledgeris among the most praised actors on Reddit.The Dark Knighthas a wide dedicated audience, but Ledger’s performance asThe Jokeris the thing that swept people off their feet. He brought dimensions to a villain who was thus far played with a villainous demeanor and without clear motivation. He created a character that defines many people’s love ofTDK.
Ledger’s prior roles were serious, but somehow not serious enough. Although he was fantastic inBrokeback Mountain, the jokes regarding his casting inTDKwere pretty awful; people (and the media) didn’t believe he’d be able to pull it off. Even Redditor LayzeeLar confessed: ““Brokeback Batman is going to suck!” I ate those words. I suck.”
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