Cast Against Type - Our favorite actors in rolls we never expected. Ending the Type Cast a new post from Movie Fanfare: Original article can be found at MovieFanfare.com
Seeing ones favorite actor performing in a way youve neverexpected is a treat for viewers, and undoubtedly a welcome departurefor the artist himself. Whether its a normally affable star in atwisted turn or a glamorous performer reduced to pathetic or hideouscreature, here are some of our favorite role reversals.
Michael Keaton Batman
Lets face it, when thinking of tall, dark, handsome, broodingmillionaire/superhero Bruce Wayne the image of Michael Keaton does notimmediately come to mind. Back in the early 80s, the fact that Mr. Momwould take the lead as the Caped Crusader was truly appalling to fansof the comic, and they voiced their displeasure by sending tons of hatemail (reportedly 50,000 letters) to Warner Bros. But having just workedwith him on Beetlejuice, director Tim Burton agreed with producer JonPeters assessment that Keaton had an edgy, tormented quality thatwas right for the role.
Henry Fonda Once Upon A Time In The West
Pillar of the community, paragon of humanity, and dignified fatherfigure is how the general public viewed Henry Fonda for all hisrighteous film portrayals pre-Once. Fonda was adored by Sergio Leone,too, and the director desperately wanted to cast him. But he wanted toshow another side of Fondaa persona the public had never experiencedbefore. Imagine their horror when, in the very first scene, Fondamercilessly guns down an unarmed terrified little boy! Heres Fonda,himself, explaining his involvement:
Charlize Theron Monster
Its become almost de rigueur for any good looking actor to portraya wallflower, but Charlize Theron transformed herself completely forher biopic performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster.Those who remembered the Sexiest Woman Alive as an alluring sexkitten in 2 Days in the Valley were shocked to see a face haggard byher rough & tumble life of street prostitution, accompanied by aguttural shot-and-a-beer & cigarettes voice. Charlize easilyscampered home with a Best Actress Oscar that year.
Fred MacMurray Double Indemnity
MacMurray is often remembered as the kindly, understanding father inthe long-running TV program My Three Sons or as the zanyabsent-minded professor in Walt Disneys flubber comedies. Thoughthose roles were not created until the 60s audiences in the early 40shad similarly regarded Fred as a genial character for the frivolousnice guy roles he played til then. He shattered that faade with thefilm noir classic Double Indemnity where he played a callous, coldlycalculating salesman involved in adultery, insurance fraud, and murder.
Robin Williams One Hour Photo
Appearances can be deceiving. Though no stranger to dramatic parts(Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Good Will Hunting) Williamsnevertheless is most strongly associated with his hysterically maniccomedic roles. In 2002, moviegoers mental picture of him was upsetwhen a much older, timid Williams character (retail photo clerk, Sy)appeared in One Hour Photo. Overtly shy & seemingly unremarkable,slowly Sy is revealed to be mentally unhinged, whose outer calm isbelied by inner turmoil. Check out the trailer:
Terrence Stamp Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
Both in reel life and real life Terrence Stamp was quite the mansman. On screen, he effortlessly played tough guys as well asShakespearian characters; off, he was a fixture of Mod London,photographed arm-in-arm with Julie Christie, Brigitte Bardot, andsupermodel Jean Shrimpton. So hardly anyone could have expected therole he accepted in 1994. Terrence Stamp, on playing transsexual dragqueen Bernadette in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: When the scriptcame in for Priscilla, I was so fearful about the whole project. Ithought it was a conspiracy to get me to make a fool of myself. We weredoing a sequence called Shake Your Groove Thing, and I thought whatam I doing here? I [was voted] the best dressed man in Britain. Im amiddle-aged guy. Im a scholar, a philosopher. I was the great Iago atmy drama school. And here I am in fishnet tights!
Kurt Russell Escape From New York
Disney signed a young, pinchably-cute Kurt Russell to a ten yearcontract in the mid-60s, and Kurt soon became a big star for the MouseHouse, most notably in the fanciful fun of the Dexter Riley trilogyof films. Despite that success, Kurt began searching for something thatwould let him grow up from those fresh-faced youth-oriented roles androte comedic movies that he felt he was getting typecast into. Luckily,director John Carpenter was able to look past Kurts lightweightstatus when casting for his gritty actioner Escape from New York. Whilethe studio honchos preferred either Tommy Lee Jones or Charles Bronsonto play its scruffy anti-hero Snake Plissken, Carpenter insisted onRussell. Perfect choice.
Jack Nicholson About Schmidt
Akin to Robin Williams, usually the Jack Nicholson characteryouknow the one: arched eyebrows and iconic Jack grinis frenzied,rebelling against all things normal. The tables are turned in AboutSchmidt, where Nicholsons newly-retired Schmidt has led an ordinary,drab, non-eventful existence. Confronted with his apparentlymeaningless life Schmidt asks what kind of difference have I made?What in the world is better because of me? The befuddled &beaten-down Schmidt duly recounts his newly realized vision of a worldlacking sense in letters to his African foster child, Ndugu. But whatgood will that do?
Deborah Kerr From Here To Eternity
In 1994 Deborah Kerr was bestowed an Honorary Academy Award whichlauded her as an artist of impeccable grace and beauty, a dedicatedactress whose motion picture career has always stood for perfection,discipline and elegance. This reflected how Kerr was often praisedearly on in her careernot exactly a good thing since for thefirst decade of her career she was typecast as either devout women orvery proper English ladies. That would change in 1953 with From Here toEternity. In perhaps one of the most famous scenes ever, she rolls inthe surf entwined with Burt Lancaster, with whom her character ishaving an adulterous affair. Her new sensual image was an eye openerfor many, which was a good thing as the roles offered to herfrom then on were much more diverse than the ones previously offered tothe English Rose.
Keanu Reeves The Gift
Reeves had some dramatic efforts under his belt, but was betterknown for his goofy teen roles or as the good guy in sci-fi thrillers.And, truth be told, despite a couple of meaty roles (My Own PrivateIdaho, Speed) nobody really was that enamored of Keanus actingabilities. That changed in 2000 with The Gift. In the supernaturalmurder mystery he played a wholly unsympathetic character, an abusivehusband and violent town thug. Silencing his many critics, Keanu pulledoff the menacing performance superbly.
Charlie Chaplin Monsieur Verdoux
In 1947 Charlie Chaplin starred in the black comedy MonsieurVerdoux, a story of a man who marries, then kills, wealthy widows inorder to support his wife and child. In the wake of WWII and withpersonal scandals tainting Chaplins reputation at that time, thepublic was in no mood to see a film about such a distasteful topic,especially one starring the Little Tramp as a murderer. Not only werethere were boycotts of the movie, critics were unkind as well, so muchso that Chaplin famously opened one press conference with the wordsproceed with the butchering. Subsequent screenings in later yearshave bolstered Chaplins own contention that it was the cleverest andmost brilliant film of my career.
