Best known for his role in the blockbuster hit Twilight, Taylor Lautner has been known for his attractive, brooding image. His iconic role as Jacob Black continued throughout the saga, helping mold and solidify his image. He was cast as a heartthrob in Valentine’s Day and continued his serious image with his role in Abduction. Viewers would suspect Lautner would stick with these types of roles he seemed to fit into so seamlessly.
They would be surprised when he starred in the film The Ridiculous 6. Gone was the brooding, serious character. In its place was a goofy, dim-witted character completely unlike any of his previous roles. Side by side, Lautner’s characters in Twilight and The Ridiculous 6 are as different as night and day. He certainly shed his image for this role. Maybe we'll see him in more comedic roles in the future!
“Yer a wizard, Harry.” The Harry Potter franchise cast a shadow Daniel Radcliffe has had trouble shaking. First cast in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001 and continuing Harry Potter roles through 2011, audiences found it hard to separate Daniel from Harry. But Radcliffe was determined.
He has starred in multiple horror films, beginning with The Woman in Black. He’s also tried a variety of other genres to leave his young wizard image behind. In perhaps his most peculiar film Swiss Army Man, Radcliffe plays the role of a dead body who befriends a man on a deserted island. If any movie has helped audiences separate its characters, Swiss Army Man is the one to do the trick.
Known for his comedic roles in films like The Waterboy, Happy Gilmore, and The Longest Yard, Adam Sandler is most often cast in funny, slightly stupid roles. In fact, nearly all of his roles are tied to comedy in some way whether it’s a rom-com, a kid’s movie, or a straight-up comedy. Being the funny guy for so long, it’s hard to imagine him as any other character.
However, since his role in Uncut Gems, Sandler has been receiving praise for breaking his comedic streak and playing the part of a fast-talking NYC jeweler risking everything. Some critics say it’s his best work, similar to his work in Punch-Drunk Love. The movie, along with Sandler, was nominated for multiple awards and they both ended up winning several. With this movie, Sandler proved once and for all what a versatile actor he can be.
When you think about Jim Carrey, crazy expressions, slapstick humor, and spot-on impersonations probably come to mind. Carrey is a comedian starring in films like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. While he has broken into more serious roles such as Riddler in Batman Forever and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, each of these roles still holds an element of classic comedic Carrey.
When he assumed the role of Walter Sparrow in The Number 23, audiences were shocked to see this new side of Carrey’s abilities. As his first horror film, viewers weren’t sure what to expect. He proved his versatility though, successfully portraying an obsessive man consumed with similarities between himself, a character in a book, and the number 23. Now we know that when he wants to shed his comedic image, he has the power to do so!
Tom Cruise has long been the action-seeking hero or the dramatic hero. His early career was made up of dramas and action films including Top Gun, Rain Man, and A Few Good Men. Later in his career, his roles seemed to focus solely on action films. He often performed his own stunts in films like Mission: Impossible, The Last Samurai, and Edge of Tomorrow. Quite an accomplished action star!
However, in 2008 he made a completely unrecognizable appearance as Les Grossman in the movie Tropic Thunder. This performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Many viewers did not even know Cruise was in the movie until seeing his name in the credits. For such a well-known actor, it’s hard to believe he could shed his image so well!
Speaking of unrecognizable, Heath Ledger is another actor who assumed a role that completely transformed him. Known for being an attractive, dramatic actor, Ledger is known for films such as 10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot, and A Knight’s Tale. His character in Brokeback Mountain certainly made waves in perhaps changing Ledger’s image.
It was his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, however, that really led him to change the way people viewed him. Besides having a face full of messy clown makeup, Ledger’s acting was so unlike anything fans had ever seen from him that audiences could hardly believe it was him. His performance earned him universal acclaim from fans and critics alike.
Though she’s played multiple serious roles in drama films, Melissa McCarthy’s image is largely one of being a comedian. In movies like Bridesmaids, Identity Thief, and Tammy, we see her comedic skills and slapstick jokes lead to commercially successful comedies. She's hilarious!
However, in 2018, McCarthy portrayed the writer Lee Israel in a biographical film. Can You Ever Forgive me? is laced with dark wit and melancholy. Though McCarthy is able to manage some comedy, even if it is dark, this role is far from any character she has ever played. She earned a nomination for Best Actress at multiple ceremonies.
When you see the name Robin Williams, your mind probably goes straight to the beloved classics like Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, and Hook. He’s also voiced several characters such as Genie in Aladdin and Fender Pinwheeler in Robots. Though they may have serious themes within them, many of his roles are comedic and lovable.
That’s why his role in One Hour Photo is such a stark contrast—there is absolutely nothing lovable about a creeper. Gone are his comedic tendencies and in their place are obsessive habits including copying extra prints of a family’s photos and creating a shrine in his home. Williams gave an excellent and believable performance, effectively shedding his funny image for this role.
Robert De Niro has a history of portraying violent and usually abrasive characters. He starred in movies such as Goodfellas, The Godfather, and Raging Bull. As he has aged, he’s become known for his roles as a cranky old man. Meet the Parents, Everybody’s Fine, and The Irishman all showcase his tough, crotchety ways.
It was his role in Awakenings that highlighted his acting skills in a different way—portraying a catatonic man who survived an epidemic. Given an experimental drug, he “awakens” from his catatonic state. However, it wasn’t meant to last. We watch as facial and body tics begin to manifest and he becomes more agitated as he slowly returns to his original state. De Niro shed his tough-guy image to become someone much more vulnerable.
Tom Hanks is known for both his comedic and dramatic roles. He is one of the most popular and recognizable actors worldwide. Because of this, you would think his image etched in stone would not allow him to break into a different kind of role. With movies like Sleepless in Seattle, Forrest Gump, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and voicing characters like Woody from Toy Story, one could hardly imagine him as something as brute as say…a mob enforcer.
A mob enforcer is exactly the role he plays in Road to Perdition. Following Hanks’ character and his son, we watch as they seek vengeance on a mobster who murdered their family. This dark, somber film highlights Hanks’ versatility in acting. Far from a one-trick pony, Hanks is able to leave his image behind to pursue any type of character.
Steve Carell is another actor known for his humor. One of America’s most versatile comics, Carell is known for his roles in the shows The Office and Space Force, and movies such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Dinner for Schmucks, and Date Night. He’s also voiced several roles including Gru in Despicable Me and the mayor in Horton Hears a Who!
Foxcatcher provides next to no humor. In this disturbing true-crime saga, Carell gives a “career-changing” performance as John Eleuthère du Pont—an American multimillionaire, philanthropist, and wrestling enthusiast. Not only does his acting shed his usual comedic tones, but Carell’s looks also underwent huge changes as well, making him nearly unrecognizable.
Known as the “unprecedented queen of science fiction movies”, Sigourney Weaver has secured quite the image. Known for her strong female protagonist roles in films such as Aliens, Ghostbusters, and Gorillas in the Mist, Weaver has an on-screen image that is hard to shake.
However, in the 1995 sci-fi film Galaxy Quest, she was able to play a different role. For this parody of sci-fi films, Weaver traded in the hard exterior for a more comedic role as a communications officer. She donned a blonde wig and wore an enhanced bosom to play her character in order to capture the humor of sci-fi production.
Another example of an actor becoming unrecognizable would be Cameron Diaz. Known for comedic roles and girl-next-door charisma, Diaz has starred in movies such as The Mask, Sex Tape, Bad Teacher, and Knight and Day. She also voiced the character Princess Fiona in each Shrek movie. She started out her career as a model and is well-known for her dazzling smile.
In Being John Malkovich, Diaz becomes a different person. Her make-up artist was given the challenge of making her look “homely”. It’s hard to imagine Diaz as anything less than radiant. When she took the role she did not know that “people weren’t going to recognize me”. Amazingly, Diaz’s character is altered enough for audiences to have trouble identifying her.
Jonah Hill is known for his comedic roles in films such as Superbad, Knocked Up, 21 Jump Street, and The Wolf of Wall Street. He’s also voiced multiple characters in movies like The Lego Movie and How to Train Your Dragon. Known for being a funny guy, he’s usually cast in comedic roles.
He shed that comedic image in the movie True Story. He assumes the role of a journalist whose identity was being used by a man whose wife and three children have been murdered. We follow Hill’s character as he visits the identity thief in jail, absorbed by the manipulative way he tells his side of the story. This somber role is a far cry from Hill’s laughter-inducing roles and helped audiences see him in a new way.
Wow—Owen Wilson has had an exceptionally large amount of roles playing a goofy, fun-loving guy. Known for movies like Zoolander, Starsky & Hutch, and Wedding Crashers, Wilson’s characters are usually not taking themselves too seriously. He’s also voiced characters such as Lightning McQueen and Marmaduke.
Forget his take-it-easy image—No Escape places audiences on the edge of their seats for nearly the entire length of the film. Wilson’s character, Jack Dwyer, finds himself along with his family in the middle of a coup d'état in a foreign country. He must keep his family alive and escape the country as rebels hunt them down. Yet another great example of a movie role that helped an actor shed his image.
