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Reverse Typecasting: What Happens When An Actor's Current Role Destroys Past Work

March 26th, 2008 12:02pm EDT Post a comment

Typecasting is an actor's worst nightmare. The last thing a professional wants to happen is getting pigeonholed into the same role time after time following a breakthrough performance. Usually this happens at the beginning of a career, such as the case of Bob Denver. Denver was Gilligan for the rest of his career and essentially the rest his life.

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22 Member Comments

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Wed Mar 26 2008 17:02:37 By: rob who had a broken foot (

130)
dude, you talk about yeardley smith and don't talk about 'herman's head'? shame on you.
and not to beat a dead horse from a previous post of yours, but i think the actor that wins this catergory is tom cruise. of course his typecast role is whacky tom cruise. try watching 'top gun' now without thinking of him laughing, dancing, and singing at his birthday party. you can't!

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Wed Mar 26 2008 17:43:57 By: zombiefightsshark (

15)
True story: a girl I went to high school with's older brother dated Yeardly Smith for a couple of months in the late 90s. He broke up with her because he couldn't get over having sex with Lisa Simspon. I imagine she runs into that a lot. Or she runs into the creepy other side of that coin... people who WANT to have sex with Lisa Simpson.

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Wed Mar 26 2008 17:54:12 By: Mike Ryan (

599)
@rob with the broken foot: Well, she was doing Herman's Head at the same time as The Simpsons so it technically did not qualify.
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@zmbiefightsshark: that is a pretty fantastic story. Yeah I would imagine it is either one or the other.

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Wed Mar 26 2008 17:55:21 By: healthstudent (

18)
Now I can't see Lisa Simpson without thinking about having sex with Yeardly Smith. Thanks.

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Wed Mar 26 2008 17:57:35 By: healthstudent (

18)
Oh man, I totally forgot! What about James Gandolfini in The Mexican? He was a gay Tony Soprano!

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Wed Mar 26 2008 17:59:34 By: Mike Ryan (

599)
@healthstudent: Very true and a good point. Though those roles overlapped as well so it did not qualify.

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Wed Mar 26 2008 20:06:34 By: quin browne (

39)
kevin dillon...wow. i always thought he was in 'my bodyguard' and had that as my highlighted moment for him as an actor.
turns out, it was some other dillon. seen one, seen them all, i reckon. kind of like the baldwin's, if you don't count the one in rehab.

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Wed Mar 26 2008 20:41:23 By: Mike Ryan (

599)
@Quin Brown: Funny you mention "My Bodygard" and the Baldwin's in the same comment considering Adam Baldwin was the bodyguard in that movie. Of course he is in no relation to the Baldwin brothers. And he is currently on "Chuck".

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Wed Mar 26 2008 23:11:13 By: Sein (

1)
There was also the Gandolfini appearance in True Romance where he was...ummmm...Tony Soprano in Los Angeles. How about this reverse typecasting...Paris Hilton in really crappy movies after starring in the all-time classic, A Night In Paris?

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Thu Mar 27 2008 00:17:19 By: Mike Ryan (

599)
@Sein: argh! you are right, good call on True Romance.

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Thu Mar 27 2008 12:56:27 By: Mr A Knife (

13)
Sex in the City, really?
I want to question the How I met your mother too, but Ill never question NPH.
So please tell us more of what Samantha does talk about each week while ignoring her history styling short shorts for Mahoney.

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Thu Mar 27 2008 14:21:27 By: quin browne (

39)
mike, i know... i work on those whole six degrees of separation things.
and, 'chuck' is what i call people when i don't call them 'jack'.
is this working for you?

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Thu Mar 27 2008 14:37:16 By: Sinbad (

72)
Johnny Drama!? Ain't nuthin' better than Johnny Drama!...
except maybe the Indy 500

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Thu Mar 27 2008 14:44:43 By: Sinbad (

72)
When the Sopranos first came out, I thought, "Huh, the guy from True Romance who beat up Alabama is going to carry his own show? Yeah right." I guess he did okay.

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Thu Mar 27 2008 14:44:56 By: Petra E (

3)
Gandolfini was in Crimson Tide? Really?? I can't imagine him as a naval anything. Isn't he a bit husky for submarine duty?

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Thu Mar 27 2008 14:47:34 By: Mike Ryan (

599)
@Mr A Knife: You made a wise choice not questioning NPH. I have no comment on Samantha.
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@quin browne: Sure
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@Sinbad: I think only Bunny had a better philosophy than that.
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@Petra E: I never really thought of it that way, but yes he is in Crimson Tide. He actually plays a character on screen quite a bit.

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Thu Mar 27 2008 21:08:59 By: healthstudent (

18)
I don't like having to click the link to read the comments. It's way too much work for someone who's both easily distracted and bored.

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Thu Mar 27 2008 23:48:05 By: DANNAYA101 (

17)
HE SHOULD PUT UP HIS OLD SHOW

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Fri Mar 28 2008 01:35:30 By: Mike Ryan (

599)
@dannaya101: he who?

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Fri Mar 28 2008 13:18:09 By: pop-o-maticjeff (

2)
Watch what you say about Billie Jean. Fare is fare!
Was Kevin Dillon in the movie Wraith?

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Fri Mar 28 2008 14:32:07 By: Mike Ryan (

599)
@pop-o-maticjeff: I don't think so. You might be thinking of Clint Howard, the less famous brother of Ron Howard.

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Wed May 7 2008 12:34:37 By: Bill From Gainesville (

26)
Type cast is Homer Simpson, Even when he is not on the simpson's he is playing homer Simpson, like in that Butterfingers commercial. he makes a movie and you guessed it, He is still Homer Simpson. I just feel like he is an obvious typecast guy

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