Tom Cruise. It's not the roles he plays as they can be quite different but every time I see him in a film (which isn't for long as I can't stand him), I think "oh that's TC acting". He just doesn't convey the character he plays - he's just Tom Cruise
Cursed fish man in Pirates of the Carribean, ancient vampire overlord in various Underworld films, stoner rabbit in The Magic Roundabout, flamboyant dj in The Boat that Rocked, two headed giant in Jack the Giant slayer, rat thug in Flushed Away...
I can't help but think that if you dropped any of those characters into About Time someone would, literally, notice.
Someones taking this thread a bit too seriously. Obviously every single person named in this thread DOES play different roles in every film. Is he your dad ?
Tom Cruise. It's not the roles he plays as they can be quite different but every time I see him in a film (which isn't for long as I can't stand him), I think "oh that's TC acting". He just doesn't convey the character he plays - he's just Tom Cruise
I used to think that until I saw Interview With the Vampire. He was superb in that.
steven segal is a fine actor of impeccable characterisation ,his range is sweeping and majestic ,, full of subtle nuances and ,,,,,, and ,,,,,, and ,,,,, sorry i cant keep this up any longer ,,,, laughing too much
The OP asked for actors, not lumps of seasoned timber.
Orlando Bloom and Sam Worthington are two of the biggest charisma vacuums in Hollywood.
But IMO, I think it works both ways. There are also actors who are extremely charismatic but can only act within their own personalities eg. Cary Grant and George Clooney. Or even the likes of Samuel L Jackson and Morgan Freeman. You wouldn't call them great actors with range, but they are good at what they do.
John Wayne I can see, although it's not a criticism. He's brilliant in Red River, The Searchers, True Grit, etc. I'd add Clint Eastwood...and I love a lot of his stuff. I guess if you've got a very strong persona, it feels like they're playing variations on the same sort of role. well...they are! That's cool if you play it well.
Gervais, yeah....think he'd be the first to admit it!
John Wayne I can see, although it's not a criticism. He's brilliant in Red River, The Searchers, True Grit, etc. I'd add Clint Eastwood...and I love a lot of his stuff. I guess if you've got a very strong persona, it feels like they're playing variations on the same sort of role. well...they are! That's cool if you play it well.
Gervais, yeah....think he'd be the first to admit it!
your right , not all actors get any creative freedom ,
once they become a bankable star in a particular genre ,,,,,,,,,,, they become exactly that , a cash cow
Orlando Bloom and Sam Worthington are two of the biggest charisma vacuums in Hollywood.
But IMO, I think it works both ways. There are also actors who are extremely charismatic but can only act within their own personalities eg. Cary Grant and George Clooney. Or even the likes of Samuel L Jackson and Morgan Freeman. You wouldn't call them great actors with range, but they are good at what they do.
Yeah. I can't remember who said this, it could have been Barry Norman, but he said that was basically the difference between an actor and a movie star. A movie star might not be the greatest actor in the world, but the audience want to see them. Their charisma is key.
It's interesting how a lot of top bill actors seem to be one character actors.
And the more transformative actors seem to often be supporting actors.
For example Phillip Seymour Hoffman usually played supporting roles. All of his Oscar nominations apart from Capote were for supporting roles. And he was a truly versatile actor.
For the past couple of decades John Travolta ha played every villain the same. See: The Taking Of Pelham 123, The Punisher, Swordfish, Face/Off, Broken Arrow etc...
Danny Dyer
Michael "one face expression" Caine Emma Thompson
Audrey Hepburn
Jennifer Aniston
Jim Carrey
Adam Sandler
Barbra Streisand
Jim Broadbent
Judy Garland (big fan though but she did do this a lot but did do very different roles in her later career)
No way, she's one the Britains best actresses IMO.
Yeah. I can't remember who said this, it could have been Barry Norman, but he said that was basically the difference between an actor and a movie star. A movie star might not be the greatest actor in the world, but the audience want to see them. Their charisma is key.
Very much so. Also there are a number of smaller character actors (and not just A list movie stars) who find a niche in playing the same thing over and over again in different films.
See, I think this is another case of being cast in similar roles - he was brilliant as Stephen Hawking, and quite different in August Osage County, so I think the versatility is there.
Comments
Someones taking this thread a bit too seriously. Obviously every single person named in this thread DOES play different roles in every film. Is he your dad ?
Are you serious? He hardly immersed himself into the role of Batman and just played himself as always.
I used to think that until I saw Interview With the Vampire. He was superb in that.
The OP asked for actors, not lumps of seasoned timber.
Willis is versatile, Twelve Monkeys he was top class, great film.
Colin Firth has to be the most blatent one, same dithering character every film ive seen him in.
But IMO, I think it works both ways. There are also actors who are extremely charismatic but can only act within their own personalities eg. Cary Grant and George Clooney. Or even the likes of Samuel L Jackson and Morgan Freeman. You wouldn't call them great actors with range, but they are good at what they do.
Gervais, yeah....think he'd be the first to admit it!
your right , not all actors get any creative freedom ,
once they become a bankable star in a particular genre ,,,,,,,,,,, they become exactly that , a cash cow
jackie chan isn't doing hamlet anytime soon
yeah I must say, seeing him in king of the marvin gardens then watching him as the Joker in Batman, it was like watching the exact same character
Now we are just being stupid.
'Easy Rider'
'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'
'The Shining'
'Chinatown'
'Batman'
'The Pledge'
'The Passenger'
'Reds'
'The Departed'
Yeah, same every time!?!
You might also consider Willis in 'The Sixth Sense', 'Unbreakable',
'Surrogates', 'Looper', 'Pulp Fiction', 'Moonrise Kingdom', 'The Jackal'.....
Yeah. I can't remember who said this, it could have been Barry Norman, but he said that was basically the difference between an actor and a movie star. A movie star might not be the greatest actor in the world, but the audience want to see them. Their charisma is key.
And the more transformative actors seem to often be supporting actors.
For example Phillip Seymour Hoffman usually played supporting roles. All of his Oscar nominations apart from Capote were for supporting roles. And he was a truly versatile actor.
No way, she's one the Britains best actresses IMO.
Very much so. Also there are a number of smaller character actors (and not just A list movie stars) who find a niche in playing the same thing over and over again in different films.
See, I think this is another case of being cast in similar roles - he was brilliant as Stephen Hawking, and quite different in August Osage County, so I think the versatility is there.