My Favorite Cast Against Type Performances

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5.

Adam Sandler, Punch Drunk Love



Sandler was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his performance in this Paul Thomas Anderson drama playing a troubled young novelty salesman who likes to buy tons of canned pudding and is being blackmailed by a phone sex line.



4.

Tony Curtis, The Boston Stranger



Tony Curtis turned in the performance of his career that should have earned him an Oscar nomination playing famed serial killer Albert De Salvo.



3.

Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems





Sandler hits the list for the third time as a jeweler who is having problems balancing his personal life with his professional one, including some heavy gambling debts. Sandler was again robbed of an Oscar nomination, but he did get some serious Oscar buzz on this one.



2.

Robin Williams, One Hour Photo



The late comic genius was nothing short of bone-chilling in this psychological thriller playing a lonely photo developer who becomes obsessed with one of his regular customers (Connie Nielsen) and her young son. Still find it hard to believe that this was the same guy who starred in Mork and Mindy and Mrs. Doubtfire.



Well, we're finally down to #2...before revealing my #1, I do have a few honorable mentions in this category:


Jason Bateman in The Gift
Natalie Wood in The Cracker Factory
Will Ferrell in Everything Must Go
Elizabeth Montgomery in Amos
Bruce Willis in Death Becomes Her
Sylvester Stallione in Oscar
Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast
Bill Murray in Broken Flowers
Paul Newman in The Hudsucker Proxy


And now...my # 1 favorite performance cast against type:



1.

Mary Tyler Moore, Ordinary People





Regular followers of my threads shouldn't be too surprised by this choice. After six years of playing the wholesome and sexy Laurie Petrie and seven year of playing the wholesome but sexy Mary Richards, the late Mary Tyler Moore shocked moviegoers and earned her only Oscar nomination for her often bone-chilling performance in this 1980 Best Picture Oscar winner. Moore plays a wealthy Chicago matriarch who has never gotten over the death of her eldest son and, even though she's in denial about it, blames her younger son (Oscar winner Timothy Hutton) for what happened. Moore has never been so icy and insensitive onscreen, a performance unlike anything she ever did. And I will say it again...Sissy Spacek was terrific in Coal Miner's Daughter and I understand her winning Best Actress, I still think that award should have gone to Mary Tyler Moore.





Hope someone enjoyed the list.



mattiasflgrtll6's Avatar
The truth is in here
3.

Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems

Sandler hits the list for the third time as a jeweler who is having problems balancing his personal life with his professional one, including some heavy gambling debts. Sandler was again robbed of an Oscar nomination, but he did get some serious Oscar buzz on this one.
Couldn't agree more. I think this is the best performance of his entire career, every second he was onscreen was mesmerizing to watch.
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mattiasflgrtll6's Avatar
The truth is in here
Also want to comment on One Hour Photo. One of my favorite stalker thrillers. Robin Williams had a lot of varied roles over the years, so I'm not really sure if it's against type, but he's definitely brilliant in it. He manages to give his character such vulnerability that you almost feel bad for him, until he reminds you in the next moment that he's completely unhinged.

His role in Insomnia is another excellent one, and I'd classify it more as against type since unlike One Hour Photo he's just straight-up evil throughout. He gave me the major creeps there.



2.

Robin Williams, One Hour Photo



The late conic genius was nothing short of bone-chilling in this psychological thriller playing a lonely photo developer who becomes obsessed with one of his regular customers (Connie Nielsen) and her young son. Still find it hard to believe that this was the same guy who starred in Mork and Mindy and Mrs. Doubtfire.



Well, we're finally down to #2...before revealing my #1, I do have a few honorable mentions in this category:


Jason Bateman in The Gift
Natalie Wood in The Cracker Factory
Will Ferrell in Everything Must Go
Elizabeth Montgomery in Amos
Bruce Willis in Death Becomes Her
Sylvester Stallione in Oscar
Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast
Bill Murray in Broken Flowers
Paul Newman in The Hudsucker Proxy


And now...my # 1 favorite performance cast against type:
Robin Williams did perform several times in more serious roles, besides One Hour Photo one could also mention Insomnia and Dead Poets Society. But yes, it was his comedical roles that made him famous.

Sylvester Stallone, I would chosen Copland over Oscar as his prime role outside of his usual muscle image. Being part deaf myself i might be biased in that judgement.

Over all a great list.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
1.

Mary Tyler Moore, Ordinary People





Regular followers of my threads shouldn't be too surprised by this choice. After six years of playing the wholesome and sexy Laurie Petrie and seven year of playing the wholesome but sexy Mary Richards, the late Mary Tyler Moore shocked moviegoers and earned her only Oscar nomination for her often bone-chilling performance in this 1980 Best Picture Oscar winner. Moore plays a wealthy Chicago matriarch who has never gotten over the death of her eldest son and, even though she's in denial about it, blames her younger son (Oscar winner Timothy Hutton) for what happened. Moore has never been so icy and insensitive onscreen, a performance unlike anything she ever did. And I will say it again...Sissy Spacek was terrific in Coal Miner's Daughter and I understand her winning Best Actress, I still think that award should have gone to Mary Tyler Moore.

Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People is an excellent choice for #1. She was robbed of an Oscar for that performance.
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Also want to comment on One Hour Photo. One of my favorite stalker thrillers. Robin Williams had a lot of varied roles over the years, so I'm not really sure if it's against type, but he's definitely brilliant in it. He manages to give his character such vulnerability that you almost feel bad for him, until he reminds you in the next moment that he's completely unhinged.

His role in Insomnia is another excellent one, and I'd classify it more as against type since unlike One Hour Photo he's just straight-up evil throughout. He gave me the major creeps there.

Ironically, I fell asleep during Insomnia



Robin Williams did perform several times in more serious roles, besides One Hour Photo one could also mention Insomnia and Dead Poets Society. But yes, it was his comedical roles that made him famous.

Sylvester Stallone, I would chosen Copland over Oscar as his prime role outside of his usual muscle image. Being part deaf myself i might be biased in that judgement.

Over all a great list.

I did actually consider Copland for the honorable mentions, but Oscar seemed a more obvious choice because it was a comedy and Sly hasn't done a lot of comedy.