10 Actors Who Just Played Against Type (And KILLED It)
3. Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer
Despite being one of the most talented actors of his generation, there's little denying that Robert Downey Jr. has basically cornered the market on the "quick-witted motormouth charmer" archetype over the last two decades, as gained him major mainstream attention per his portrayal of Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After Downey took his leave of the MCU following Avengers: Endgame, though, many hoped that it'd result in the actor returning to more serious-minded dramatic fare, as was finally realised with his sublime performance in last year's multi-Oscar-winning epic biopic, Oppenheimer.
As AEC Chairman Lewis Strauss, Downey stripped away basically every fiber of his popular persona to portray a considerable more severe, calculated, and decidedly less-affable character than he's typically offered.
According to Downey himself in a New York Times interview, Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan encouraged him to "work those other muscles" as an actor, and the result proved effective enough to win him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, while reminding everyone of just how damn versatile he can actually be.