5. Will Smith
Considering Will Smith's acting career started with The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, it's hardly surprising that the actor was continually cast in roles that continued the wise-cracking attitude of his performance in it. In his earlier years, Smith was the quintessential 'guy with an attitude' making his film career rather linear in the performances he gave. Men In Black, Bad Boys and Independence Day all cast Smith in the role of a figure of authority that talked smack to the bad guys. While Men In Black paired Smith with the suitably ashen-faced Tommy Lee Jones as a perfect counter to Smith's blasé attitude, Smith's samey roles could only take him so far.
The Typecast-Breaking Roles: Smith had a pretty big reawakening as an actor after his early roles. Ali, The Pursuit of Happiness and Seven Pounds all did away with the star's action roots and cast him in roles more befitting of the actor that we know today. All of the above mentioned films gave us a Will Smith that was able to play emotionally involving characters that had personalities beyond being able to swear incessantly and give wise-cracking retorts.
