Seeing legendary actors play a variety of different roles in several movies and tv shows is part of the fun for some viewers, as opposed to typecast actors who always play the same role. Examples include Nicole Kidman’s complete transformation into Lucille Ball for Being The Ricardos or Charlize Theron’s range of starring in romcoms and adventure thrillers, before changing her complete appearance and winning an Oscar for her role in the 2003 drama movie, Monster. However, some actors often get cast in movies that ultimately see them portray a similar kind of character that they have often played several times in the past
This has become so ingrained in Hollywood movies, that some filmmakers can sell their movies based on the stars in the lead role. If someone goes to see a movie starring Dwayne Johnson, it is pretty clear what kind of film and the type of performance they will get. While some actors can still sell movies with their names, a person like Tom Cruise or Scarlett Johansson can take on varied roles and no one knows what kind of performance they will get. When it comes to the comfort food of cinema, sometimes it is nice to get what you expect when you buy a ticket for a movie.
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds got his start as a teen actor on the Canadian soap opera Hillside before he picked up his breakout TV role in the forgotten 90s TV show Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place. However, his true breakout role came with the movie Van Wilder, where Reynolds developed his sarcastic comedy chops. While there have been different roles in his career, it is that character type that he plays in most of his movies, including Marvel’s Deadpool. As ggroover97 wrote, “While I do like Ryan Reynolds it seems like every role for him is just “Deadpool-lite. That even goes for roles before he took the Deadpool role.”
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg has seemed to settle into a specific kind of character in almost all his roles. Whether he is a reclusive genius in The Social Network or a zombie hunter in Zombieland, he seems to always play a neurotic, arrogant smart guy who doesn’t seem completely comfortable in his own skin. Even when he took on the role of Lex Luther, he delivered almost the exact same performance instead of portraying the comic book version of Luther. MasterLawlz wrote, “I don’t think that was really acting, I think that’s just what he is in real life. At least, that’s how he comes across in interviews.”
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage has solidified his spot as one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors. He also takes roles in a variety of movies, from action flicks to horror movies to comic book adaptations to heartfelt dramas. However, no matter what movie he is in, he is mostly playing Nicolas Cage. This was something that was part of the joke in his movie, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, where he played a fictional version of himself. Redditor JavierLoustaunau wrote, “To his credit there are a ton of Nicolas Cages in his repertoire, mostly from mixing different levels of Crazy.”
George Clooney
George Clooney has been in the business for a long time, but his roles haven’t exactly been versatile. In real life, he is known for his advocacy work and serious yet charming demeanor, (which is exactly the type of character he usually embodies in his work). Redditor LaurenceLaurentz contributed Clooney in a list of actors who seem to play the same role in each role they’re cast in or “a version of himself in most of his work.” At one point Clooney even played a superhero but came off even more Clooney-esque in 1997’s Batman & Robin.
Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum is best known for his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, a character he’s played in each subsequent spinoff and sequel. Even when his character’s name isn’t Ian, Goldblum continues to go for roles with similar energy and personalities, at least according to fans. Reddit user SydNotSoVicious explained that Goldblum is very specifically typecast, stating how “He’s eternally stuck playing the charming but unusual scientist type. He’s just so good at it. Eg. The Fly, Jurassic Park, Independence Day.”
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is best known for her role on Sex & The City – a series that went on to have two movies and a revival series. Despite being in the business for decades now, Parker can’t seem to shake the role of Carrie, and attracts similar roles in every project she’s attached to. A Reddit user wrote that while they love Parker, they see her range as limited, saying “Sarah Jessica Parker is Carrie Bradshaw in every movie. Even in the movies she made before Sex and the City. Even the witch she plays in Hocus Pocus is Carrie Bradshaw.”
Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell is one of the biggest names in comedy, known for his roles in Anchorman, Elf, and his tenure on Saturday Night Live. Despite his success in the business, it’s hard to differentiate his characters in each film he’s been in. They’re all goofy, a bit aloof, and hilariously obnoxious. Redditor jstehlick echoed this sentiment, explaining that while Ferrell is funny, his characters are always eerily similar to one another, “Will Ferrell is a bit of a one-trick pony. Sure his character has major differences based on the storyline, but, at the end of the day, his version of an anchorman, pro-ice skater, basketball player, wedding/funeral crasher, nascar racer, etc.. is pretty much the same character every time.”
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch’s best movies like Doctor Strange and his role in Sherlock have boosted his star power. However, it’s not hard to see that those two roles have a lot in common, like most of the other parts he’s been cast in as a wise, but standoff-ish, blunt person. Reddit user berninger_tat explained the archetype that Cumberbatch usually embodies, “Benedict Cumberbatch always plays an overly intelligent but arrogant pr**k. See Sherlock, Doctor Strange, Imitation Game.”
Judy Greer
Judy Greer has made a name for herself in the entertainment industry as being the queen of rom-coms, just not in the way one may expect. Instead of playing the leading lady herself, Greer is always the main character’s best friend, sometimes doubling as an enemy (13 Going On 30) or having a bit of jaded edge (27 Dresses). Redditor adhesives agreed with this theory, commenting on a thread that asked which actors usually play the same roles writing, “Judy Greer always plays the best friend/sidekick.” Greer has now acquired roles as the mother of main characters in movies like Ant-Man or Jurassic World, still being typecast as supporting characters instead of leading ones.
Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler has done a lot of hit-or-miss comedies, even branching out into rom-coms opposite Drew Barrymore. In most of these roles, he stars as the silly leading man who needs to be taught something and usually has a love interest to guide him through the film. A reddit user summarized this best, stating “Adam Sandler always tends to play the naive/obnoxious guy who resolves the movie’s conflict by learning a heart-warming lesson […and finding love along the way].” However, with that said, Sandler is impressing more and more people with roles like Uncut Gems and Hustle.
Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman has starred in plenty of movies and television shows, ranging from comedy to drama to fantasy. Yet he always seems to play a character with the same awkward and kind personality (as fans would be able to see with Love Actually, Nativity, and Sherlock). Redditor BaconShooter wrote of Freeman’s filmography, “No matter what movie he turns up in, he is always a mildly confused, bumbling Brit who gets into some awkward and confusing situation in which he deals with his awkwardness.”
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is another actor with an impressive list of credits, yet the characters she’s played all have a lot in common. There’s rarely a film with Carter that doesn’t have her appearing slightly untrustworthy and a little evil, and most of the work she does is in the dark fantasy genre. Reddit user Bert3434 described the kind of characters that Carter typically plays as, “Scraggly haired weird witchy, evil queen, scraggly hair, can you trust her is she good or bad? type roles.”
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s acting career has really taken off in the past decade, but many of the roles he’s landed seem to be just an exaggerated version of himself. In fact, he even has a show on NBC, Young Rock, where he plays the older version of himself. Reddit user prodandimitrow wrote on a r/movies thread, “I feel The Rock is The Rock in every single movie he is in.” ‘The Rock’ typically gets cast as a strong, alpha-male character who leads his team to victory over the film’s bad guys.
