Casting Against Type – Best Examples?

I was thinking about this after seeing Tom Cruise's villain in Collateral. There's also the famous example of Henry Fonda in Once Upon a Time in the West.

Arnold Schwartzerwotsit....... Arnie in Junior

Actually Arnie's different in that it's often the situations that are against type, like Kindergarten Cop or Jingle All the Way. Mr Freeze fits the thread too.

Jimmy Stewart did really at stepping out of the "aw shucks" persona with Vertigo and Rear Window.

Robin Williams and Jim Carrey also have pretty good submissions.

I might have said Hanks in Road to Perdition but that still has a lot of the wholesome qualities he build his career around. I'm not too fond of his performances in Cloud Atlas so the jury's out on his villain work.

Matthew McConaughey (however you spell it) when he broke away from romcom.

McConaughey is good but he had displayed that edge before he got stuck in rom-com hell ("a willingness to be creep"). I'm trying to think of someone who really stepped out of his comfort zone and nailed it.

How about Mel Gibson in Ransom?

Oh I know, Tom Cruise in Collateral. It;s one of the few times I forgot who he was.

Ronny Cox was always known for playing good guys... Then he played Dick Jones.

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Charlize Theron in Monster

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Mel Gibson in Hamlet is my favourite.

And then Cohaagen in Total Recall.

"Who gives a s*** what you believe!"

Deliverance is one example of his good guy roles.

Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Seth Rogen in Steve Jobs

Jonah Hill in Moneyball

Not a film, but Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad

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Actually there's Robin Williams in One Hour Photo and Insomnia.