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Being someone you’re not takes a lot to pull off. Even if it is for a job, i.e. acting (as opposed to lying, feigning, avoiding situations or responsibilities, etc.).

It’s even more so impressive when an actor who’s historically predominantly been typecast to fill a particular kind of role breaks free from the shackles of assumption and proves to the world just how versatile they are as professionals.

Well, folks on Reddit have been discussing just that: actors who were typecast, but performed spectacularly in a role against that type. Take a scroll down the list to see the answers, and why not also share some of your insights and picks for the list in the comment section below.

And be sure to check out our interview with horror blogger Palvi Sharma who provides insights into typecasting from the perspective of the horror genre.

#1

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Tom Hanks was the adorable jokester and lovable romcom man until he did Philadelphia and then he became very versatile for everything.

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Lunaofthenest (She/they)
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I saw this movie in the community center at college and it truly completely unhinged me. I was *NOT* prepared for the depth & gravity. That movie shook 18 year old me. Not only did it really own my eyes to bias, homophobia & the AIDS epidemic but it made me see Tom Hanks in a completely new light. Harsh, but brilliant film.

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#2

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Ik it’s a TV show but Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad is a no brainer for this.

cjhoops13 , Sony Pictures Television Report

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of Hugh laurie. Before he was Dr. House, he was George on Black Adder with Rowan Atkinson and he did sketch comedy with Stephen Fry.

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#3

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Surprised I haven't seen Ralph Finnes in here. Guy built his career on prestige drama roles, and never shied away from playing an unlikable character. See The English Patient, Schindler's List, Red Dragon, The Dutchess, Harry Potter, etc. His performances are always heavy.

Then he goes and does The Grand Budapest and you see the guy has great comedic timing. Blew my mind to be laughing at Ralph Finnes.

Snoopy_Dancer , FOX Searchlight Pictures Report

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Rebecca Ferguson
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This man is a brilliant actor and this is by far my favourite Wes Anderson film.

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For those unaware, typecasting is when film directors and anyone else responsible repeatedly assign the same actors to the same types of roles because of the appropriateness of their appearance or previous success in the roles. The most common reason for that is the industry and (or) the audience simply wants specific people playing specific roles. Simple as that.

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#4

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Heath Ledger as the Joker

VrinTheTerrible , Warner Bros Report

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Owen
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He absolutely blew my mind in that film. He brought something to the screen that is very rare.

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#5

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Charlize Theron in *Monster*.

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#6

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Robin Williams playing a killer in Insomnia was always so striking to me. He did such a great job and it was so different from his prior roles.

chrisball96 , Warner Bros Report

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electronicgogo
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this and one hour photo. his character in that one made me cringe. what an incredible talent. *sigh*

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An example of typecasting can be seen with actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose entire career is mostly based on the strong man action hero type of character.

The same can be said about the likes of Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, and Bryan Cranston, all of whom mostly had funny, lighthearted or otherwise comedic roles, but when given an antithetical role nailed that too.

#7

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Woody Harrelson. It would be an understatement to say people were surprised when Woody from Cheers showed up starring in Natural Born Killers.

Also, Bruce Willis. Until Die Hard, everyone knew him as a romantic lead. He was in Moonlighting with Cybill Shepherd.

Nerditter , Warner Bros Report

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AtMostTheFabulist
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember Woody Harrelson in Cheers. He played such an airhead. Then when he moved to movies it was like he flipped a switch. You could see his intelligence in every role.

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#8

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Bruce Willis broke into action roles with Die Hard.

TheBoredMan replied:
Yeah people these days forget Bruce Willis was a TV heart throb when Die Hard came out. People were used to 80s body builders starring in action movies and a lot of the buzz came from confusion “An action movie starring BRUCE WILLIS wtf??”

moo-loy replied:
Audiences laughed en mass when trailers for Die Hard were aired. The thought of Bruce Willis playing an action hero was hilarious to the general public.

eddietwoo , 20th Century Studios Report

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#9

Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys. That movie showed the world that he could act and wasn't just a pretty actor.

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Bored Panda has reached out to horror movie expert and blogger Palvi Sharma of Dark Horror Tales, who shared her insights into breaking a typecast from the perspective of the horror movie genre.

"Actors can go through a grueling process while acting in horror movies. It can affect them mentally and several actors have mentioned suffering from PTSD-like symptoms after performing intense scenes," elaborated Sharma. "Take for example Alex Wolff in Hereditary or Janet Leigh in Psycho. Both actors were left feeling traumatized after shooting terrifying scenes."

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#10

John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Everyone and I mean everyone at the time associated him with the Look Who’s talking movies and Saturday Night Fever. Then he just gets this amazing career revival and puts out a badass performance in an instant classic.

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#11

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast I think Sally Field provided the blueprint for breaking type casting originally with Sybil. Then came her Oscar wins.

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#12

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Gary Oldman played a lot of bad guys. Liam Neeson played a lot of good guys.

Christopher Nolan reversed that typecasting in Batman Begins.

BlueRFR3100 , Warner Bros Report

Sharma did go on to say that every genre requires actors to perform with a different set of skills. Many might argue that just because an actor is doing comedy, it doesn’t mean that things are easier on set. Performing comedic scenes can be just as challenging as performing an emotional scene.

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However, horror can even be more demanding. The one thing people might hear is that actors are required to perfect their screams for horror movies. In fact, several actors have even taken coaching lessons to perfect their screams and land good movie roles.

#13

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Several have mentioned Robin Williams but I didn't see any mention of *Awakenings*, a straight dramatic role with virtually none of his usual comic shenanigans.

Macaulay Culkin in *My Girl* plays a role that's almost a total opposite of the *Home Alone* character he's best known for.

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Rebecca Ferguson
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of his greatest performances - It was so subtle and controlled.

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#14

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Steve Carell comes to mind for mainly being known for his comedic roles to then doing films like foxcatcher and beautiful boy.

AmusingMusing7 replied:
I think Little Miss Sunshine was his first real dramatic role.

Tacoenthusiast212 , Annapurna Pictures Report

#15

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. People were scoffing at the idea that the snarky goofball from Fantastic Four would be the stalwart, noble leader of the avengers. Said Downey would act him off the screen in Avengers. That the character itself was too boring and he wouldn’t elevate it. Instead became the heart and soul of the MCU and a superhero icon.

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"Many actors started their careers in horror movies before they transitioned to comedy and action," explained Sharma. "Take for example Jennifer Anniston who starred in Leprechaun before moving on to her famous role as Rachel on Friends. Then there was Kevin Bacon who starred in Friday the 13th before playing his most iconic role in Footloose."

"If there is one actor who made a successful transition into the horror genre, I would have to say it is Nicolas Cage. He played meek roles before moving on to action and then adventure roles. He was even sometimes criticized for his acting skills in them. But it is in horror movies that Nicolas Cage has found a way to display his vast acting range and truly shined."

#16

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Between the latest James Bond movies and *Layer Cake*, **Daniel Craig** is mostly known as "suave British spy / criminal." But later he proved he has comedic talent and also a knack for southern accents in *Logan Lucky* and the *Knives Out* films.

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David
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes I don't connect the dots. I've seen both knives out movies and it didn't click that I was seeing james bond.

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#17

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Stanley Tucci in the Hunger Games.

PostMerryDM , Lionsgate Report

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AtMostTheFabulist
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stanley Tucci is so versatile, it's hard to believe. You should see him in Big Night.

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#18

Most recently I would say Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All At Once. She is known for pretty or sexy or put together characters. In Everything she is dowdy (sometimes evil) but never her usual - and she was great.

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Patricia Steward
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Her episodes on the TV show The Bear are astonishing. I didn't know it was her until I read the credits.

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Sharma continued: "Take for example [Cage's] role in the recent Dream Scenario. He goes from playing a timid professor anyone can walk over to an overconfident celebrity to a deranged maniac, calculating criminal (even if it is in a dream), and then a walkover once again. Nicolas Cage truly gets to display his full potential in that movie and you do end up sympathizing with him throughout."

"His best role would have to be as the silent janitor in Willy’s Wonderland. Many horror fans will tell you that this Nicolas Cage was better in Five Nights At Freddy’s. Willy’s Wonderland was supposed to be a sort of parody of the famous video game but Cage’s acting skills helped the movie stand out. Only Nicolas Cage could make a movie with that premise, actually entertaining."

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#19

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Tom Cruise - Les Grossman.

pintosmooth , DreamWorks Pictures Report

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electronicgogo
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

while his scientology stuff creeps me out, this part blew my mind. his dancing weirded me out, but it was good.

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#20

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems.

acart005 replied:
I scrolled too damn far before I saw Adam. That man is a Robin Williams level actor in the right films when it comes to flawless serious and comedic acting.

The problem is he figured out he gets paid more to hang out with his friends on camera for mid comedies (ex. Grown Ups). You can't blame him if the studio is gonna pay for you and all your bros to hangout in Hawaii for a few months AND you get a dump truck of cash, you would do it too. So even though I think he has the actual acting potential to equal Robin, his overall filmography never will which is sad.

His debut comedies are eternal classics and Punch Drunk Love, Longest Yard, and Uncut Gems are all extremely well made serious films.

Upbeat-Fox7091 , A24 Report

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Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I enjoyed Sandler in Spanglish. I also liked the movies he played opposite of Drew Barrymore. He helped her return, and she helped him play fully adult characters. A forty year old man shouldn't be playing the twenty year old living in Mom's basement.

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#21

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Robert Pattinson post-Twilight BUT ALSO I have so much respect for Elijah Wood and Daniel Radcliffe. They made their money and then just started doing BONKERS stuff that they really believed in and wanted to do. Elijah Wood in Sin City and I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore (plus SpectreVision which is a production company he started that produces proper B horror), and Radcliffe in Horns, Swiss Army Man, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

FreeShavocadoCitizen replied:
Agree 100%. Loved Elijah so much growing up, then he went from hobbit to serial killer and it was chilling.

justhere4daSpursnGOT replied:
Green street hooligans is a great movie that he really gave his all in. Completely changed my view of him

skinnyminnesota , Tango Entertainment Report

Now, it isn't unusual to see actors being typecast after their success in a single movie role. Audiences might sometimes demand it, and it can be exhausting for actors as they are given little choice in their roles.

Sharma elaborates that, at least in the horror movie scene, that is the case for the likes of Scout Taylor-Compton, who is often cast to play a character with morals who ends up on the wrong side of the law or with bad company, but pulls through and does justice to the character.

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Another example that Sharma notes is Justin Long. "There is a running joke that if he appears in a horror movie, his character is going to go through a lot of trouble. And it usually is the case. Movies like Barbarian and House of Darkness are proof of that."

#22

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Marlon Wayans in Requiem for a Dream

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Owen
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the best movies I've ever seen. But I don't really want to watch it again. Brutal.

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#23

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast I think Matthew McConaughey is up there for breaking out of the romcom stuff to do things like Interstellar.

Maut99 , Warner Bros Report

#24

Jason Bateman in Ozark?

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Pittsburgh rare
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Absolutely. He did a Bryan Cranston type of thing and turned out fantastically.

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Now, some might argue that it's the fans that ultimately own the franchises. This in turn might encourage anything from gatekeeping to well, akshually moments that leave a bad taste in your mouth.

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Well, Sharma notes that horror fans, while being some of the most loyal in the industry, are very accepting of actors jumping genres and breaking their typecast to test out the waters in the horror scene. 

"How the actors eventually perform in the movies is what cements their place in the Horror community. Many actors have found their place in [here] and have been supported through the years by horror fans."

#25

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Jeff Daniels in *Dumb & Dumber*

Positive_Prompt_3171 , Universal Pictures Report

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Javelina Poppers
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

His part as Union Col. Joshua Chamberlain in the 1993 movie Gettysburg was one of his best roles.

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#26

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition. He leaned into that role so hard and it really paid off. Never would’ve thought he’d play a great gangster like that.

Wilthadg , DreamWorks Report

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David
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10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like tom hanks can play just about anything. Not sure about comedy but he seems believable in just about any serious role. EDIT: Okay yes, he did some early comedy. But mostly stuff I consider 'amusing' rather than laugh out loud funny. I didn't really consider Splash or Sleepless in Seattle that funny. Big was amusing in places. I just have a hard time imagining him doing the kind of comedy that would have me laughing so hard I'm wheezing with tears in my eyes. But he's a damn fine actor so probably could if given the right role. Possibly he is just too classy for my sense of humor. I like absurd humor and dark humor. So... Robot Chicken, earlier seasons of Archer, Shoot Em Up, Deadpool - stuff like that.

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#27

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Most recently Dave Bautista in Knock at the Cabin.

AliasUndercover123 replied:
Bautista in every role. Dude broke in with Guardians and then made a decision to go as varied as possible to break the typecast and prove he's got skill. He's the anti-Rock.

deathbystereo007 replied:
I love that he very obviously cares about working with great directors and pushing boundaries with interesting roles. The Rock has chosen instead to chase money & feed his ego - & thus, has taken on almost no roles that take risks. At one time he did seem relatively eager to take on different types of roles (like in Be Cool), but somewhere along the way he became satisfied with just playing the same character over and over. I don't mean to say that all of his films are bad. The Jumanji reboot & the sequel were surprisingly good. I just always know exactly what I'm getting from The Rock in a movie & that can become stale pretty quickly.

maskofharrow89 , Universal Studios Report

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Lexekon
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People used to not take Bautista or Dwayne Johnson seriously in acting, and both deserved more credit than they got. I want to see them work together in something.

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Sharma continues: "Felissa Rose who rose to fame as Angela Baker in Sleepaway Camp is still doing horror movies and fans still watch any movie her name is attached to."

"Tara Reid used to be known for her roles in raunchy comedies or as the ditzy blonde character in rom-coms, but she too has been able to make her mark in the horror community with numerous roles in horror movies."

"She now gets to move away from stereotypical roles and do something that is better suited to her acting talents. Despite the low ratings on some of her movies, she has been appreciated for her acting skills and screen presence."

#28

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast I haven’t seen anyone mention James Caan’s amazing performance in Elf or George Clooney going to near Nic Cage levels in Burn After Reading. I think Burn After Reading is an amazing overlooked Coen Brothers movie that does a good job getting actors to play against type

trans_pands , Focus Features Report

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Ban-One
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Clooney was hilarious in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" as Everett "Ulysses" McGill. The performance on stage singing Man of Constant Sorrow was fantastic. The whole movie was...

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#29

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me.

monachopsisismynorm , Twentieth Century Fox Film Report

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Lexekon
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She is an amazing actress, and I like her onscreen presence. I don't know how to properly explain it, but she just seems to bring more depth to a role, than the writer likely expected.

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You can check out more from Sharma on her blog Dark Horror Tales, where she discusses all things horror—movies, books and the horror industry in general.

But before you do that, did you notice any actors who didn’t make the list? Share your picks and takes in the comment section below!

You might also want to check out the original Reddit thread which has generated 1,400 comments in discussion, so they might have more to say about things.

#31

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Jim Carrey in The Number 23.

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#32

Sylvester Stallone in Oscar. He could be so so funny. Who knew?

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Nano Iders
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It may be because I was a kid back then and easy to entertain, but I still remember Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot fondly.

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#33

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Does Jack Black in the Holiday count? Still goofy but as a romantic lead? Move over Brad Pitt.

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Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was better in King Kong. Surprising, really for the first 20min I kept waiting for him to be Jack black. But it didn't happen and I forgot about it because he was so damned good in the movie!

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#34

Ryan Gosling in Drive & The Place Beyond the Pines

Before watching him in those movies, I only knew him as the guy from The Notebook

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T'Mar of Vulcan
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The first movie I ever saw with him in was "Blade Runner 2049". I think his work in Barbie is *fantastic*. How a character who is a doll tries to become more and expresses his frustration. at being stymied. He was amazing.

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#35

Ben Stiller in Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I think Walter Mitty was originally supposed to be posited as a comedy of sorts, and Stiller does well in comedy roles, but i thought it was just a fantastic emotional piece that just had some absurdity elements.

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Helena
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I loved that movie. Quiet desperation and then breaking out.

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#36

Aubrey Plaza has been killing it since her Parks and Rec role and other comedies. Back to Safety Not Guaranteed, but even that wasn’t too far from her Parks and Rec character. I watched Emily The Criminal recently and she was great.

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#37

30 Times Actors Surprised Everyone By Nailing A Character That's Against Their Typecast Will Farrell - Everything must go and Stranger than Fiction.

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AtMostTheFabulist
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I loved him on Stranger Than Fiction. Don't really like him in other movies. Except maybe Elf.

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#38

Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People. So different that it took me a while to figure out that she was the issue.

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