Typecasting (acting)

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For other meanings, see typecasting.

Typecasting is the process by which an actor is strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular role, or characters with same traits.

1 The process of selecting an actor
2 When typecasting is particularly strong
3 Attempts to move beyond typecasting
4 Attempts to embrace typecasting
5 Typecasting in other fields
6 See also

The process of selecting an actor

Actors are selected for their roles by either a "Casting Director" (typically found in small productions), or (in larger productions, such as motion pictures) this task is delegated to group referred to as "Central casting." Central casting often exhibits a pattern of placing the actor in subsequent similar character roles after his or her first success (especially if an actor is particularly well-received in that role by the audience or by critics). Typecasting happens to both actors of great and modest ability: an actor may become typecast either because of a strong identification with a particular role or because he or she doesn't have the versatility or talent to move on to other roles. Some actors welcome the steady work that typecasting brings, but in general it is seen as a negative.

When typecasting is particularly strong

There have been instances in which an actor has been so strongly identified with a role as to make it impossible for him or her to find work portraying other characters.

Typecasting is also a particular problem for character actors. This is particularly common among leading actors in popular TV series and films. Clayton Moore and George Reeves, who played the Lone Ranger and Superman (respectively) in the Golden Age of television, were also victims of typecasting to the extent that Reeves' role in the feature film 'From Here to Eternity' was allegedly removed from the film after test audiences ended up shouting 'There's Superman!' whenever he appeared.

Child actors may also suffer from typecasting. The appearance of the adult actor may differ so much from their childhood persona to make them less marketable. Some actors successfully overcome this (see child actor).

In rare cases, it is medical conditions that give a character a distinct appearance and contribute to typecasting. Michael Berryman, whose hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia caused him to fail to develop hair, sweat glands, fingernails or teeth, has been typecast as disturbing characters, mostly in horror films. Michael J. Anderson's case was parodied in an episode of The X-Files in which the three-foot tall actor balked at being mistaken for a former circus freak.

Attempts to move beyond typecasting

Many actors attempt to escape typecasting by choosing opposite, unconventional, or simply unexpected roles. This is called "playing against type." For example Tom Hanks eschewed his "nice guy" image by playing a gangster in Road to Perdition. Dustin Hoffman's choice to play the disreputable Ratso in Midnight Cowboy after playing the naive Benjamin in The Graduate is a famous instance of an actor avoiding typecasting. Elijah Wood attempted to escape typecasting after his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings by playing a trio of undesirables - a football hooligan in Green Street, a cannibalistic serial killer in Sin City and a dishonest employee in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. One of the most successful efforts to break away from typecasting came from renowned actress Deborah Kerr, who before 1953 was well known as the 'English Rose,' a prim, proper English lady. In 1953, she was cast as discontented wife Karen Holmes in From Here to Eternity, a role that resulted in one of the most iconic screen kisses of all time and proved that she did not have to be prim and proper. Although she returned to that image several times, most notably in Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, she had successfully dispelled the danger of typecasting.

To avoid being typecast as a comedy actor, Robin Williams accepted a number of dramatic roles, including Rainbow Randolf, a disgruntled, foul mouthed children's show host in Death to Smoochy; Sy Parrish, a film developer who becomes obsessed with a particular client's family in One Hour Photo; and a sociopathic writer in Insomnia. Williams also won an Academy Award in 1998 for his role in Good Will Hunting.

Some actors may turn down otherwise desirable roles for fear of typecasting. Denzel Washington declined to portray Martin Luther King Jr. after playing two civil rights leaders, Malcolm X and Steve Biko.

Attempts to embrace typecasting

Some actors embrace typecasting, however. Actor and martial artist Chuck Norris usually portrays heroic characters (at least after his first two roles, in which he was a hitman in Way of the Dragon and a crime boss in the Hong Kong-produced Slaughter in San Francisco). Later, Norris turned down the role of Sensei Kreese in The Karate Kid because, as a martial arts champion, he felt he should not be connected to an evil character. Embracing typecasting is sometimes referred to as Seagalism (named for the often typecast actor Steven Seagal). Fans often expect a particular actor to play a "type", and roles which deviate from what is expected can be commercial failures. This beneficial typecasting is particularly common in action movies (eg. Jackie Chan) and comedies (Adam Sandler), but much less common in Drama, although many B-list character actors make careers out of playing a particular dramatic type (mobster, business executive), and it is often suggested to would be actors to audition for roles which fit theire type. Arnold Schwarzenegger is particularly notable for using his standard persona (Austrian accent, muscular build, and limited acting abilities) to his advantage. Referring to typecasting, a phrase in the entertainment industry is "at least you're cast".

Typecasting in other fields

Typecasting also occurs in other performing arts. An opera singer may be limited because of voice range or prior success in one role, such as Denyce Graves as Carmen.