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Hollywood has a long track record of typecasting certain actors in specific roles. This is pretty prevalent among character actors who people can only see in one role. The cast of Star Trek, particularly the original series, struggled with this issue for the rest of their careers. For example, Nichelle Nichols who played translator and communications officer Uhura, believed that the role so defined her as an actress that no one was willing to hire her for anything else.
Star Trek seemed to be particularly cursed, as even established actors of stage and screen ended up “stuck” with connections to the show. Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Picard in “The Next Generation” was turned down from a role because the director thought Picard overshadowed the actor. It’s worth noting that Sir Patrick Stewart has decades of experience and was and is a fully respected actor in his own right, yet still ended up typecast by this one role.
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It seems like the inability to see an actor as separate from the character is just as present among casting directors as the audience. John Hamm, of Mad Men fame, recalled getting basically only pitches for films and shows set in the 1960s or about advertising. Despite his range, one excellent performance was enough to force him into the same role over and over again, with diminishing results and, no doubt, motivation.
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I loved that movie because of him, but unfortunately if I ever see or hear him in something I am like this is the bad guy ... he did is sooo good!
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There are historical examples of this as well. Soviet actor Mikheil Gelovani played Stalin no less than twelve times, which perhaps wasn’t quite as challenging range-wise, but the pressure to portray the murderous Premier of the Soviet Union no doubt added a certain level of difficulty. Regardless, both Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization and the idea that Gelovani could not depict “mere mortals” after playing Stalin all led to him being denied any other roles.
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Some actors actually end up “bonding” with a character so deeply that they begin to do public appearances as them. Clayton Moore, best known as the Lone Ranger, liked being the masked, former Texas ranger so much that Jack Wrather, who actually owned the rights to the character, had to issue a cease and desist letter. The dispute was ultimately resolved and Moore would continue to go out in public as the ranger.
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Ultimately, more creative directors will try to play “against type” by taking an actor best known for a specific genre or role and casting them in something very different. Bruce Willis was mainly known for romcoms before his career-making time in “Die Hard,” while rapper Ice-T was an unusual, but inspired choice for a police detective in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
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