20 Times Actors Bet Against Hollywood (And WON)

When director Bennett Miller was prepping Foxcatcher, which tells the story of the murder of wrestler Dave Schultz by unstable millionaire John Du Pont, Miller went down a decidedly unconventional route when casting the villain of the piece. He brought on-board none other than Steve Carell, one of the most loveable and hilarious comedy stars around, to play this creepy killer. 

Miller believed that Carell's comedy roots would help him to capture Du Pont's awkward eccentricities and though many probably assumed this would end up being a gimmicky piece of against-type casting, it turned out that Miller was right on the money when casting Carell. 

Carell was simply fantastic and gives a sublimely creepy performance that'll have viewers squirming in their seats. Additionally, the fact that such a well-loved actor is playing such a nasty character makes it all even more unsettling, so this casting decision really did pay off in every way imaginable. 

So brilliant was Carell's work that he received a well-earned Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and he's done several other well-received dramatic roles since, most notably in The Big Short and Beautiful Boy.