Sometimes actors get typecast. Picture Hugh Grant in the ’90s and 2000s, the number of times he played the romantic lead in a rom-com is endless. Other times, actors show they’re proficient in a genre but want to show they can do more. And then they do. Then there are the performers who have excelled in a particular genre (sometimes two) but almost accidentally found themselves killing it in a genre that was, until then, utterly undiscovered territory. But, that’s the thing. Sometimes someone out of place can make this place the place it needs to be.
20Leslie Nielsen in Airplane! (1980)
Airplane!is arguably themost quotable movie of all time, and quite a few of those soundbites came from the mouth of Leslie Nielsen. The same Leslie Nielsen who, at the time, was more or less a fading star of the sci-fi and drama genres. Of course, it’s because of this (and some lesser parodies that followed) that Nielsen’s name is known today.
What Made It a Hilarious Career Shift?
Airplane!was massive for Nielsen. Yet, it didn’t lead to immediate results. The actor still fooled around in genre pictures (includingCreepshow) throughout much of the rest of the ’80s. But, then, after a supporting role in the supposedly comedicSoul Man(A.K.A.theBlackface movie), he finally got a chance to lead a laugher withThe Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!in 1988. This was the one that really kicked off Nielsen’s comedy career, but there’s no way that would have come to pass without his working with the same directors onAirplane!
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19Michael Keaton in Batman (1989)
Riddled withiconic quotes from Jack Nicholsonandclassic moments that are distinctly Tim Burton, 1989’sBatmanwas a major cultural touchstone. Even if it’s a bit simplistic in comparison to superhero projects that have followed, that’s really not a negative attribute. If anything, it gives Burton’s game-changer more and more nostalgic heft as time goes on.
What Made It Knock Everyone’s Socks Off?
Much like Heath Ledger duringThe Dark Knight’s production, the hiring of the once-solely-comedic Michael Keaton ruffled Batfans' feathers. Yet, he was perfect. Put a talented performer behind the mask, and they can make it work at least a bit, but Keaton also made Bruce Wayne work. It’s just a shame he didn’t get more screen time as either the Bat or the man throughout Burton’s two films.
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18Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting
One of thebest movies to watch when feeling stressed, Gus Van Sant’sGood Will Huntingis beloved to this day. It centers around Matt Damon as the titular Will, a janitor with a flair for math but lacking in direction. A huge part of what made the movie so successful is Robin Williams' heartfelt (and unexpected) performance as the therapist to Damon’s character.
What Made It a Touching Addition to His Filmography?
As Sean Maguire, Williams brings an astronomical amount to a role that could very much have read as plastic. But, it ended up being one of the actor’s most important films, and one of the ultimate displays of his range, not to mention his ever-adept ability to balance comedy and drama. Often in the same scene. In this role, Williams displays how difficult comedic acting really is, and being able to balance humor and heart is all the more impressive.
17Cameron Diaz in Being John Malkovich (1999)
For those who are unable to join Spike Jonze’s wavelength,Being John Malkovichis even worse than dental surgery. But, for those who can, it’s a treat. The same applies to those who saw Cameron Diaz as more than her looks from the get-go. The suitably bonkers plot follows a puppeteer who finds a portal that leads directly to the mind of actor John Malkovich.
What Makes It Her Best Performance?
Diaz portrays Lotte, the animal-obsessed wife of the unemployed puppeteer in question. Like her hubby, she’s unsatisfied in life. But, unlike her hubby, she’s far more willing to be adventurous to satisfy what has been left in the lurch. She is a revelation in this role, eschewing the usual lighter, rom-com roles she is best known for.
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16Robert De Niro in Meet the Parents (2000)
Meet the Parents
One of the year 2000’s most successful and well-liked films,Meet the Parentswas and remains one of those perfect Sunday afternoon movies. Following a man who hopes to propose to his girlfriend, but must get the approval of her father, whom he has never met, it’s a simple premise executed perfectly. It’s unassuming, breezy, fun, inoffensive, and features Ben Stiller in his put-upon element. Oddly enough, it also features Robert De Niro inhiselement…it’s just slightly altered.
What Made It a Surprising Turn to Comedic Territory?
What works about De Niro inMeet the Parentsis the fact he’s not stretching his boundaries too much. He’s just being his usual self in an unusual terrain, and that works. Unlike him acting like the anti-De Niro in something as trashy and pointless asDirty Grandpa. It’s a shame that this delightful foray into comedy led to the aforementioned less than delightful projects, butMeet the Parentsis still a gem.
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15Harrison Ford in What Lies Beneath (2000)
What Lies Beneath
An ambitious but ultimately hollow attempt by Robert Zemeckis to craft a high-budget, star-studded ghost picture,What Lies Beneathis a fine watch. But, it’s hard not to wish for the potential that’s blatantly there to actually be explored in full. In other words, there aren’t many movies that would seemingly benefit from an extra 25 to 30 minutes, butWhat Lies Beneathis one of them.
What Was the Unconventional Casting Choice?
That’d be one of the film’s two leads: Harrison Ford. Yes, Indiana and Han himself is the killer inWhat Lies Beneath. Suffice it to say, he didn’t have a remotely good reason for having become that. This is a rarer entry on this list in which playing against type didn’t really pay off, but it’s not entirely Ford’s fault — he didn’t have much to work with.
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14Sir Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast (2000)
One of the best crime films to come from the aughts, Jonathan Glazer’s (who received much praise during 2024’s Oscars season)Sexy Beastis an expertly-written delight. The narrative follows Ray Winstone’s Gary Dove, a retired career criminal who receives an unwelcome visit from his former boss. That boss would be Don Logan, who is unstable at best and outright bloodthirsty at worst.
What Makes It an Acting Masterclass?
Ben Kingsley typically dominates the movies he’s in, regardless of the size of his performance. ButSexy Beastis on a whole other level. His role in this is actually fairly limited, yet the viewer would be hard-pressed not to remember him first and foremost. Don Logan’s presence looms large, even when Kingsley is not on the screen, and that’s how you know someone has made an impact.
13Adam Sandler in Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Punch-Drunk Love
Paul Thomas Anderson’s belovedPunch-Drunk Loveblew a lot of people’s socks off. Why? Because one of the most revered directors in the industry hired Adam Sandler for the lead role…and theSNLvet wasamazing. He plays a lonely man, Barry, in search of connection, and Sandler manages to embody this perfectly.
What Makes It One of Several Oscar-Worthy Sandler Performances?
This was the first time Sandler really showed his range. Considering it’s not an easy role (a lost 30-something with crushing anxiety who falls for his sister’s co-worker), it’s no small thing that he made a character seem less like that and more of an organic human being. From a present-day post-Uncut Gemsworld, it may be less of a surprise to people that Sandler can really act, but at the time, this was a revelation.
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Adam Sandler’s Best Movies From the 2000s
While Adam Sandler had been steadily honing his brand of charming manchild humor through the ‘90s, it was in the 2000s that he hit full stride.
Road to Perdition
Sam Mendes’Road to Perditiongenerated some talk back in the day, and it still has itsfans at this point in time. A big part of that cultural longevity is not only the inclusion of Tom Hanks but the inclusion of Tom Hanks in a role far different from the remainder of his filmography. Set in 1930s Illinois, Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, whose son witnesses something he wasn’t supposed to see.
What Makes It So Against Type?
Tom Hanks is the everyman. He’s theultimateeveryman. Why? Because he’s a human teddy bear. So, to put a human teddy bear in the shoes of a gangster? That’s brilliant. Watching him and his son set out on an epic journey of revenge is startling. Imagine seeing your lovable uncle turn out to be part of the mob.
11Charlize Theron in Monster (2003)
Before Patty Jenkins was bringing a heroic woman superhero to the big screen withWonder Woman, she was telling the story of a far darker woman. Aileen Wuornos, a sex worker who murdered seven of her clients between the years of 1989 and 1990, was not an easy character to cast. Moreover, given the disparity between Wuornos' looks and those of Charlize Theron’s, the latter wouldn’t have been most film fans' assumption.
What Makes It a Brilliant Against-Type Performance?
In terms of physicality,Monster’s make-up department deserves as much credit as Theron. But there’s also the razor-sharp accuracy with which Theron gives her movements and vocal patterns. Toss in the fact that it’s consistently easy to forget the audience is even watching Theron and this is one of the best examples of a performer disappearing into a performance.
