10 Typecast Actors Who Will Always Be "That Guy/Girl"

If you can think of a movie with a mature Adam Sandler performance, you've done better than us.

Normally being typecast is portrayed in a negative light, with the implication being that an actor or actress is not talented enough to truly transform themselves, instead choosing to stick with comfortable, familiar roles. And while chameleon actors like Christian Bale are certainly a ton of fun to watch, there will always be a place for huge stars who have cultivated a specific screen image for themselves and stay with it. There's a level of comfort there for audiences -- when you go to see an Arnold Schwarzenegger film, you know exactly what you're going to get, for better or worse. Was John Wayne an actor who could disappear into each and every role that he played, making you forget that you were even watching him? Of course not. He was a movie star, and he had a certain persona -- you can see John Wayne in every character he portrayed, and they all shared certain characteristics with each other. Many of the actors on this list are in the same mould, although perhaps not quite as legendary as the Duke. No matter what they do, they will likely always be known for playing a very specific type of character.

10. Michael Cera - The Awkward Teen

michaelcera One day, perhaps, Michael Cera's face will stop looking like a teenager, and maybe then he'll be able to find other types of roles that suit him. But right now, he's 26, and can't seem to escape being constantly cast as the painfully awkward high school or college student. Just part of the curse of having a perpetual baby face, we suppose. People used to talk about getting Cera and Jesse Eisenberg confused, but while Eisenberg has taken roles that allow him to graduate from high school and challenge himself as an actor, Cera seems...stuck. Maybe the real difference between the two actors was that Eisenberg could play the awkward teenager, but there was also a strange sort of charisma (his detractors might say arrogance) that gave his characters depth. At the end of the day, maybe all Michael Cera really has going for him is the halting, fumbling delivery of that very specific shtick. It's sort of cute when you're a teenager, because what teenage guy doesn't struggle to find the right thing to say around girls, but when you're approaching thirty, it makes people kind of wonder if there's something wrong with you.
Contributor
Contributor

Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.