If he fell in love with the works of Shakespeare, could Arnold Schwarzenegger ever play Hamlet? Or is he forever destined to play action heroes?
While certain actors such as Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep always have been accepted in a wide array of roles, other actors are considered a certain “type.”
While Farrah Fawcett has tried to be taken as a serious dramatic actress, she’ll always be a Charlie’s Angel to many. And the few times action star Sylvester Stallone has tried to do comedy, he has been KO’d.
Harrison Ford, meanwhile, might have been spending the next 20 years at “Star Wars” conventions if he hadn’t shed his space jockey Hans Solo image by scoring box-office success in the romantic thriller “Witness.”
Over the years, numerous actors have tried to break type by appearing in films that radically changed their image. Some have succeeded and others have failed. What follows are a few of the more interesting films in which actors went against type:
“The Hill” (1965): Released in the same year as “Thunderball,” Sean Connery proved he could be more than a sexy spy in this powerful and gritty film about a British military prison camp in the African desert. Connery plays the latest addition to the desert camp, where punishments include running up and down a sand hill all day. The role allowed Connery to go onto a rich and varied career after the Bond films, so much so that he returned to play Bond in “Never Say Never Again.” Directed by Sidney Lumet, the film also stars Harry Andrews and Ossie Davis.
“Macon County Line” (1974): Known globally as Jethro from TV’s “The Beverly Hillbillies,” Max Baer Jr. appeared as an evil Southern sheriff in this well-received thriller based loosely on a true story about three northerners set up for a murder in a small town. Despite the success of the film, Baer, who also wrote and produced the movie, found he could make more money behind the camera than in front of it, and moved out of the public eye.
“Heroes” (1977): From the mid-1970s to early 1980s, Henry Winkler was known around the world as Fonzie, the greaser with the heart of gold from the TV series “Happy Days.” Winkler tried to parlay that popularity into a big-screen career and starred in this coarse drama about a deranged Vietnam vet who is trying to reassemble his platoon buddies in the states. Although Winkler received strong reviews for his role, the film never caught on with Fonzie fans. After a couple more films, including Michael Keaton’s breakout “Night Shift,” Winkler focused his career mostly behind the cameras as a producer and director. “Heroes” also stars Sally Field as Winkler’s love interest and Harrison Ford as his platoon buddy.
“Trading Places” (1983): After being cast as a spunky slasher victim in “Halloween,” “The Fog” and “Terror Train,” Jamie Lee Curtis broke the mold by appearing as a spunky-and briefly nude-hooker in this Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd comedy. The movie, directed by John Landis, focuses on what happens when a Philadelphia street hustler (Murphy) and snooty broker (Aykroyd) change places. After the film, Curtis went on to both serious dramas (“Dominick and Eugene”) and serious comedies (“A Fish Called Wanda”).
“Nothing in Common” (1986): After light comedies such as “Bachelor Party” and “Splash,” Tom Hanks wisely took a role with a little more drama to it in this film about a yuppie advertising agency executive who has to care for his dying father (Jackie Gleason). While the film didn’t break any Hollywood records, Hanks’ risk paid off and he went on to roles that lead from the semi-serious “Sleepless in Seattle” to the very serious “Philadelphia” to the current hit “Forrest Gump.”
“Clean and Sober” (1988): Michael Keaton was also known as a zany comedian after such successful films as “Night Shift,” “Mr. Mom” and “Gung Ho.” With this tough drama, Keaton completely changed his image, starring as an arrogant alcohol- and drug-addict who checks into a rehab center to stay out of sight but eventually dries out. The recognition Keaton received for this role led to his being cast as the brooding Bruce Wayne in 1989’s smash “Batman” and the sequel “Batman Returns.”
“Deceived” (1991): After more than a decade of simple comedies-“Foul Play,” “Private Benjamin,” “Overboard”-one time “Laugh In” girl Goldie Hawn tried to play it straight in this Hitchcock-flavored suspense thriller, but with little luck.
In fact, her straight performance did little to help a subsequent film, the drama “CrissCross,” and Hawn went back to comedy the next year with Robert Zemeckis’ “Death Becomes Her.”
