Typecasting (acting)

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For other meanings, see typecasting.

Typecasting is the process by which an actor is strongly identified with a role, several similar roles or a genre. Central casting often exhibits a pattern of placing the actor in subsequent similar character roles after his or her first success. 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.

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. This is particularly common among leading actors in popular TV series and films, such as William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame, Elijah Wood of The Lord of the Rings, Tom Baker of Doctor Who, Burt Ward and Adam West of Batman and Julie Andrews in for her role in Mary Poppins. It is also a particular problem for character actors.

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 a more complete discussion at child actor.

In rare cases, medical conditions that give a character a distinct appearance cause 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.

Many actors attempt to escape typecasting by choosing 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 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, though time will tell if his attempt is successful.

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

Some actors embrace typecasting, however. Actor/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.

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.

See List of typecast actors for actors who have been typecast.nl:Typecasting sv:Typecasting