10 Actors Who Were Cast Against Type And Totally Nailed It

8. Alien - James Franco (Spring Breakers)

spring_breakers2 James Franco has played villainous types before, but even when he does commit to the darker roles, it's still hard not to see him as the handsome leading man type. That's to say, he played Harry Osbourne, a sort of semi-villain in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, only to earn back our affections co-starring in some comedy flicks alongside Seth Rogen and Danny McBride. Recently, though, he decided to go super un-James Franco with his role in the "let's make these former Disney girls look really promiscuous" movie Spring Breakers. As drug dealer maniac "Alien," he totally nails the weird persona required to embody a character of such, uh, bizarre sensibilities. Could've been cringe, ya'll, but it straight-up worked. Just like that sentence.
 
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