Blog # 5---Option 3

Typecasting is when a particular actor/actress gets put into a category of playing the same types of characters even though they are moving on to different films. In most peoples eyes this is seen as negative, but some actors/actress’ like the steady work that it brings them. Others become typecast because they are not talented enough to play in other types of movies. For characters that want to move on, sometimes they have a hard time, maybe even impossible getting the roles of other characters because they already have the typecast. Some examples of this are, Charles Chaplin being identified with the Tramp, Sean Connery and Roger Moore with James Bond, William Shatner with Capt. James Kirk, and Sylvester Stallone with Rocky Balboa and John Rambo.
An actor may also be typecast by playing the same kind of role in all their film. Humphry Bogart hard-boiled, antiauthoritarian, romantically vulnerable tough guys. Everyone also looked at Marilyn Monroe as a gold digger or dumb blond because those were always the role she played in her films.
Many actors try to “play against the type” by making sure they choose to play different roles from their previous films. They do this to prevent getting the typecast. An example of this would be Tom Hanks. He had the “nice guy” image and then played a gangster in Road to Perdition. Being that Robin Williams is a comedy actor, he accepts many dramatic roles. Some actors even turn down good movies that will be hits and that they would like to do just to prevent typecasting.
On the other hand, some actors don’t mind the typecast. This usually occurs in action movies and comedies. Actors like Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, and Adam Sandler. Although Sandler has been playing other roles in serious movies and doing a very good job. An example would be Click.
I would say that typecasting is harmful and helpful. It can be harmful because when actors do want to move on, sometimes they can’t find another acting job because the producer knows they are typecast and thinks it wont work. An example of this would be the main characters from Seinfeld. They all have the typecast from the sitcom and have had a hard time getting new roles since the show ended. At the same time. I think that typecasting can be helpful if the actors enjoys playing the same roles over and over again. It seems to give them steady work. This would be the actors like Jackie Chan and Adam Sandler. They play the same role in almost all of their movies and people love them. If we know Adam Sandler is in it, more than likely it will be funny so we want to go see it. They become more popular in my eyes. I think it just really depends on the actor and if they are capable of not getting the audience bored.