12 Actors Who Broke Typecasting In The Most Epic Way

3. Bruce Willis - Death Becomes Her

His Type

Initially, Bruce Willis' type was romantic comedy lead, but Die Hard changed all that overnight and he became the go-to action comedy lead with Die Hard 2, The Last Boy Scout and Hudson Hawk coming in quick succession.

He also played slightly darker roles in The Bonfire Of The Vanities, Billy Bathgate and Mortal Thoughts, but the fact they failed to really dent his image proved the strength of the immediate typecasting.

How He Broke It

For Death Becomes Her, Willis abandoned both his action lead cool and his flirtations with dark characters to play slapstick loser Dr. Ernest Menville. He barely even looks the same, thanks to ageing make-up, a sickly, alcoholic pallor and general loser shtick.

It's a completely transformative role that is as far removed from John McClane's achingly hip sense of removal and snark and watching him exaggeratedly play alongside Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn's hawty zombies is just as delightful as it is surprising.