Some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood have made a name for themselves appearing in comedy or action roles, but it’s high time they do more in the dramatic space. Actors showcase incredible skill as they work across a variety of mediums and genres, but it’s easy to fall into a routine and be typecast despite having the range to do more. Whether an actor breaks into the industry in a comedy show, or with a career in a more physical space like wrestling, it’s easy for casting directors to place them in one type of role.
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However, time and time again, Hollywood has proven that actors are capable of stretching and sometimes the best person for a role isn’t the person who played that same type of character a dozen times. Actors who have experience in one space are often able to adapt and transfer their skills into other roles, and the results are frequently surprising. And whether these actors have had a chance to dip their toes beyond the sphere of their usual role, or if they have yet to break away from a typecast, these are some of the actors that need more chances to shine in a dramatic role.
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10 Dave Bautista
Dave Bautista began his career as a wrestler, which meant that he was an obvious choice to play large, muscular, and imposing figures. This led to Bautista frequently being cast as a villain, or action hero. Over his career, he has played notable characters like Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, Sapper Morton in Blade Runner 2049, and Beast Rabban in Dune.
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However, Bautista is capable of so much more emotion and nuance in his work. There have been glimpses that appear briefly as his muscle-bound meatheads reveal a touch of emotion in films like Army of the Dead where he grieves about his relationship with his estranged daughter in addition to being a mercenary, and recently he landed a voice-only role in the English-speaking version of the animated film, The Boy and the Heron. Pair this with Bautista’s recent drastic weight loss, and it’s clear the actor is ready to take on roles that are detached from his image as a macho action star.
9 Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is one of the greatest comedic talents in living memory, and the actor has been making people laugh for more than four decades thanks to his performances in predominantly comedy-focused movies. However, when he played the lead in films like The Truman Show, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it appeared to be a major departure from his more typical characters. These roles required deep and complex emotional performances, and Carrey knocked it out of the park.
Since then, he has blended his work between comedy and more dramatic films, but it appears that his preference is still comedy. Recently, he announced his retirement from acting, stating that he would only return if a role really stood out as important, and with that, he has now returned to reprise his role as Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. While his value as a comedy actor is impossible to overstate, his talent for drama is undeniable, and it would be a crying shame if he never tackled another heavy, emotional film in the future.
8 Jack Black
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Jack Black is another comedy genius who is also a gifted musician. He has applied both of these talents to his work, and made outstanding films that can be enjoyed by all generations, from the School of Rock for younger viewers, to Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny for more mature audiences. These films are hilarious and should be celebrated, but it does feel like Jack Black is holding back on delivering more sensitive and varied characters as he relies on the physical comedy and self-deprecating humor.
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Jack Black is one of Hollywood’s most talented comedians with a filmography full of underappreciated classics and lesser-known hidden gems.
Black is an incredibly talented individual, and there are moments of emotion that shine through in films like School of Rock when he grows to genuinely care about his students and risks losing his chance to work with them, and Shallow Hal, where he plays a man who genuinely struggles with opening up and connecting with others on a deeper level. However, both of these films and many others where Black appears are more focused on the comedy than exploring that emotion. Given the opportunity, Black could really shine in a drama.
7 Anna Kendrick
Like Black, Anna Kendrick is an incredibly talented actress who has a talent for comedy and music. Her singing voice made her the star of the hit film series, Pitch Perfect, and she continues to appear in roles that utilize her musical talents such as the Trolls movies. However, as one of the youngest actors on this list, it feels as though Kendrick has just scratched the surface of her talents, and she still has much more to offer in terms of versatility and drama.
There is no denying that she has had an exceptional career already, with around 70 credits to her name over the span of 22 years, but Kendrick has yet to explore a wide range of genres. Recently, she has stepped into the world of action with movies like Mr. Right, but she still resides in her comfort zone with comedy and light-hearted films. Kendrick has the potential to dig deep and explore more drama forward roles, which could take her career to the next level.
6 Tom Cruise
There’s no denying that Tom Cruise is one of the biggest Hollywood stars of all time, and while his career has resulted in dozens of instant classics, most of his work is firmly rooted in action-heavy films. Whether it’s a futuristic sci-fi movie like Minority Report, or an intense espionage franchise like Mission Impossible, Cruise is most at home when he’s playing the action hero. Unlike some of the other names on this list, however, Cruise has also been able to work in a lot of emotion with his work.
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Films like Top Gun: Maverick explore complex themes of grief and passionate romance. Jerry Maguire looks at a man’s struggle with staying true to his beliefs and being successful. However, the emotion is less impactful when these stories glaze over it with action and comedy. That isn’t to say action movies and rom-coms can’t be great, but a drama movie leans into that emotion and is unafraid to stick with it on a deeper level, and one that Cruise is more than capable of achieving.
5 Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is one of the most interesting characters in Hollywood, with a vast catalog of eclectic projects. Throughout his career, he has picked up an impressive number of stories, genres, and accolades, even winning an Oscar for his leading role in Leaving Las Vegas. However, he has also revealed an incredible talent for adaptability and versatility, which sees him slot into roles in action, comedy, and horror with an exceptional degree of competency.
This skill can only speak to how capable and well positioned Cage would be to tackle more dramatic roles in a serious vain. He has appeared in these types of films before, with Adaptation and Pig standing out as some of his most career defining performances, but he could stand to lean further into this space. Whether or not it’s unfair, drama is typically the arena in film that sees actors perform at the highest level, and as a result, it tends to be the kind of movies that attract Academy Awards. Cage has proven his talents, but maybe his future roles could better reflect that depth of skill.
4 Isla Fisher
Isla Fisher is another exceptional actress who appears to slot right in to action, fantasy, comedy, and even horror, but she has yet to make waves in drama as a genre. Evidently, she is versatile, but it seems odd that she hasn’t had more opportunities to deliver emotionally complex roles. Her characters are frequently strong, smart, and capable, but their depth remains fairly consistent in only going so far.
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Fisher has the range to deliver more complex roles and dive deeper, but it remains to be seen if she will be able to get these opportunities. Perhaps a career that has focused more on comedy roles has led to the actress being branded as a comic actress, but given a chance to do more, Fisher would likely excel. Hopefully, her talents can be acknowledged and lead to the actress exploring more complex and involved roles in the future.
3 Steve Carell
Another actor who has proven that laughter and pain are two sides of the same coin, and the people who perform one are often exceptionally adept at delivering both. Steve Carell’s career kicked off with roles in movies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and his starring role in The 40 Year-Old Virgin, but he became a household name after appearing as Michael Scott in the comedy series, The Office. But arguably, some of his greatest performances have been in the years following, as Carell began tackling dramatic roles.
He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Foxcatcher, where he transformed into a haunted and self-destructive millionaire in 2014. Then, a few years later, in 2018, he appeared opposite Timothée Chalamet in Beautiful Boy as a loving father who desperately tries to help their son overcome addiction. Carell continues to appear in comedy roles, but his talent for playing emotional characters is astonishing. His exceptional versatility deserves more recognition, and as he continues to tackle more varied roles, it seems inevitable that he will get it.
2 Owen Wilson
For years, Owen Wilson became the face of a meme as he became known as the “Wow” guy. Many of his characters appeared to follow a similar template, with his shoulder-length hair lending to his caricature as an unserious, free-spirited figure. This worked well in a comedy setting, and earned him a reputation as he excelled in films like Zoolander, Wedding Crashers, and The Royal Tenenbaums. However, it did place Wilson into a narrow box in terms of roles. Wilson was frequently cast in supporting roles, or as part of a larger ensemble cast, but rarely had the spotlight on himself.
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Owen Wilson has worked with some of the best people in film, and his unique brand of comic timing and everyman relatability has made him a star.
However, as some of his most recent work evidences, he is capable of playing a very different type of character. Mobius in the MCU’s Loki TV series may be a multiverse hopping agent of the TVA, but he’s also one of the most tonally different characters in Wilson’s career. His past is hidden, and he struggles to reconcile with who he is, and the work he finds himself doing. In addition, he is a straight-laced white collar worker, which is a departure from much of Wilson’s earlier work. This role in particular appears promising when considering Wilson’s viability as a dramatic actor.
1 Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks has done outstanding work in comedy roles, both on the big screen and on TV. However, like Wilson, she has yet to have an opportunity to take the spotlight and tackle a more prominent role. Her talent for comedy clearly makes her an excellent addition to most projects, but it has left her as a supporting character rather than a leading lady in many cases. Over the course of her career, Banks has appeared in The Hunger Games, Scrubs, Modern Family, Pitch Perfect, The Boys, The Lego Movie and so much more, but typically in a very limited capacity.
Banks has the talent to take things further, and when she appears in other films, her presence adds a lot. As seen with many other comedy actors, there is typically a greater capacity to excel in dramatic roles, and Banks certainly appears to have the comedy side under wraps. Like the other actors listed here, Banks would be a great choice to cast in dramatic roles.
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