Discover

: ''For other meanings, see typecasting.''
'Typecasting' is the process by which an actor is strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters with the same traits.

Contents

The process of selecting an actor

When typecasting is particularly strong

Attempts to move beyond typecasting

Attempts to embrace typecasting

Typecasting in other fields

See also

The process of selecting an actor

Actors are selected for their roles either by a casting director, typically found in small productions, or, in larger productions such as motion pictures, a group referred to as central casting. Central casting often exhibits a pattern of placing an 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 actors of both great and modest ability: an actor may become typecast either because of a strong identification with a particular role or because he or she lacks 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 undesirable.

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 playing other characters.
Typecasting is a problem for character actors in particular. It is especially 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 victims of typecasting, Reeves to such an extent that his role in ''From Here to Eternity'' was allegedly removed from the film after test audiences shouted "There's Superman!" whenever he appeared.
Child actors may also suffer from typecasting. The appearance of the adult actor may differ so much from his or her childhood persona as to make him or her less marketable. Some actors successfully overcome this ''(see child actor)''. Typecasting in children is seen as less of an issue when the child is portraying a dramatic or mature character, such as Haley Joel Osment, the child actor in ''The Sixth Sense'' and ''A.I'', Bill Mumy, the ex-child actor in ''Lost in Space'', or as Brandon Cruz, the former child actor in ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father''.
In rare cases, it is a medical condition that gives an actor a distinct appearance and contributes to typecasting. Michael Berryman, whose hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia caused him to fail to develop hair, sweat glands, fingernails or teeth, has been typecast as an array of 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 bridled at being mistaken for a former circus freak.
Reportably Ted Knight nearly left The Mary Tyler Moore Show because fans typecast him as Ted Baxter; he later played the comic role in Too Close for Comfort.

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 film trilogy 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.
Daniel Radcliffe, the child actor in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, recently starred in a stage production of the controversial play Equus that involved an on-stage simulated sex act and full-frontal nudity. Although the role may not have been chosen to counter any typecasting he may face as an adult, Daniel let people know he was willing and able to move beyond the Harry Potter universe.
To avoid being typecast as a comedy actor, Robin Williams accepted a number of dramatic roles, including 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 as the glum psychologist in ''Good Will Hunting''.
Some actors 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. 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 (e.g., 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, and it is often suggested to would-be actors that they audition for roles that fit their type.

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, as was Denyce Graves as ''Carmen''.

See also

★ Child actor

★ Rat pack

★ Brat pack

★ Frat pack

★ Hollywoodland