every so often it's time for a change
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we're
counting down our picks for the top 10
actors who broke typecasting it's simple
we kill the Batman
for this list we're looking at the
performances that changed the way we
perceived an actor who had previously
been mostly cast in certain types of
roles it's an entirely different kind of
flying altogether it's an entirely
different kind of fly number 10 Adam
Sandler punch-drunk love I'm just
calling you up standing in my hotel room
mistre during the 90s after years on SNL
and a bevy of popular funny films Adam
Sandler was one of the most renowned
comedy figures in the world just tap it
in just tap it in give it a little tap
II for an oftentimes immature and
hilarious actor the announcement that he
was gonna give drama a shot seemed to
come out of nowhere why are you wearing
a song I bought one I thought it would
be nice to get dressed for work and I'm
not exactly sure why but under the
guidance of the immensely talented
director Paul Thomas Anderson Sandler
managed to anchor a film with a
performance unlike anything he'd done
before or since okay and I have to get
more pudding for this trip to Hawaii as
I just said that out loud I realized it
sounded a little strange but it's not so
would you like to come with me
he was even nominated for a Best Actor
Golden Globe for its role I have a love
in my life it makes me stronger than
anything you can imagine I would say
bats that mattress man
number nine Leslie Nielsen airplane
you're coming what uh for anyone below a
certain age it's hard to imagine the
late mr. Nielsen as anything but an
obvious choice for any comedy casting
director but that wasn't always the case
running an unstable ship at full ahead
is dangerous I'm sure especially one as
old as this I'm sure I don't have to
remind you of my legal right to have you
relieved of command for about 25 years
between the 1950s and 1970s
Leslie was a steadily employed actor
predominantly in dramatic roles and more
serious films oh my god however but this
one perfectly absurd performance the
perception of this talented actor was
forever altered and the legacy of laughs
was forever cemented surely you can't be
serious
I am serious and don't call me Shirley
number eight Henry Fonda once upon a
time in the west
the patriarch of the highly respected
fonda acting dynasty henry originally
built his career as the heroic every man
always primed to fight for what was
right in the world it's not easy to
raise my hand and send a boy off to die
without talking about it first that's
why it took so many people by surprise
when he tackled this wall as a man
tasked with simply intimidating another
man off the only land with water but
instead opts to slaughter the landowner
and his family the image of the man who
played the lone holdout heroic juror
from 12 Angry Men killing three children
forever altered the way he was seen by
audiences everywhere but actually those
two witness were the entire case for the
prosecution
supposing they're wrong I mean supposing
they're wrong what's the point of having
witnesses at all
number seven Jonah Hill Moneyball this
better work I'm just kidding you an
actor who was more likely to be
nominated for a Teen Choice or MTV Movie
Award than an Oscar before the 2010s
Jonah Hill was best known as the vulgar
and funny Seth from super bad time
College Rules around I'll be like the
Iron Chef a pound in Vice that is until
he was tabbed for this role in the 2011
biographical sports drama so what do you
do
mostly player analysis right now cast as
an economics expert who changes the way
that baseball teams are put together
through his expertise and knowledge
Moneyball depended on Hills untested
ability to be taken seriously
okay so Billy says he'll pay for
encoding himself but when he sells him
for more money next year he's keeping
the profit pulling it off to such a
degree that it earned him an Oscar not
he turned out to be worth the gamble
we've been a huge part of this team
sometimes you have to make decisions
that are best for the team I'm sure you
can understand number six Heath Ledger
The Dark Knight
I'm gonna make this pencil disappear
it's the Joker is arguably one of the
most recognizable and acclaimed villains
in modern pop culture now I'm always
smiling little fighting you
I like that previously brought to the
big screen by Hollywood heavyweight Jack
Nicholson anyone assigned to the
challenging role certainly has big shoes
to fill so when they catch the guy who's
hanging the bleachers in some 90s comedy
a lot of fans were shocked and appalled
even though he'd given respected
performances in films like the Lords of
Dogtown they tense music and Brokeback
Mountain damn horse spooked and the
Mules took off scattered food everywhere
prior to the Dark Knight if you thought
he'd be up to the task
hi so serious I'm performing even the
highest expectations he gave one of the
most legendary performances in film
history and earned a posthumous Oscar to
boot I know the truth there's no going
back
you've changed things forever number
five Jim Carrey the number 23 9 14 14
plus 9 is 23 we married October 13th 10
13 23 when Jim Carrey's first famous
leading role involved a sequence where
he literally talked out of his ass it
set a precedent for the types of roles
he was offered and given thereafter Oh
ace please man please
Jeremy leo afraid I'll make a stake in
the years since then he's attempted to
fight that perception with more and more
dramatic roles including acclaimed
performances in The Truman Show man on
the moon and Eternal Sunshine of the
spotless mind
for someone here still the idea that he
was the guy who starred in outrageous
comedies that took advantage of his
rubber faced antics persisted for many
it took him starring in this
psychological thriller as a man
struggling with dreams of murder to
truly break the mold that he created oh
you need to leave before what before you
kill me
number four Joe Pesci home alone going
on vacation we going in many of Joe
Pesci's most famous film roles he is the
most dangerous and feared person on
screen despite his small stature come on
don't be like that really don't be like
it takes an actor who's capable of
tapping into raw anger and rage that few
of us can understand to be able to pull
off that successfully for the same actor
to be able to make a fool of himself for
the delight and laughter of families
worldwide without missing a beat is
truly impressive open the door what in
the year 1992 give two performances one
playing into his previously constructed
image and one totally against it to
create to lasting pieces of art is
nothing short of amazing
number three Robin Williams one-hour
photo a lot of actors who've been at
their craft for a long time and have
earned the respect of their peers spend
the latter years of their career
coasting on the fame and taking easy
roles that line their wallets I don't
know this was scanned at 200 days so I
don't know maybe this was too much for
them I think we have to go to the next
level
fortunately for art and film fans Robin
Williams was not one of those people
look at me son it's not your fault
choosing to stretch his acting muscles
in dark new waves his performance as a
photo clinic employee with a dangerous
obsession was so organic and real that
we wish he'd given the genre a try much
earlier pretend this is all pretend
doing it done killing me not doing it
number two Tom Cruise collateral
adored by some and reviled by others Tom
Cruise spent most of his career
carefully cultivating a resume of highly
respected performances and a
squeaky-clean image that made many
respective you want answers I think I'm
entitled you want the truth you can't
handle the truth
Cruz has played against that image many
times for example as the villainous yet
charming Lestat in interview with a
vampire come to answer your prayers and
the vulgar and over-the-top les grossman
in Tropic Thunder
but it says Vincent in this neo noir
crime thriller that he truly stands out
as a remorseless contract killer who
makes no attempt to be likable this role
had critics raving and movie goers
seeing him in an all new light now we
got to make the best of it improvise
adapt to the environment darwin [ __ ]
happens eaching whatever man we got a
role with him before we unveil our top
pick here are a few honorable mentions
say my name
Heisenberg
you're goddamn right somehow the bastard
is still alive still staring at me not
even when I grab the saw and finish the
job who are you Joe Cooper Oh Joe Cooper
you scared me to death
number one Tom Hanks Philadelphia hey I
need to go to hospital if there is any
actor in the history of cinema that is a
stronger argument against typecasting
then Tom Hanks we really can't think who
that would be how are you what I need
face I have AIDS previously known as a
leading man in classic comedies it was
this dramatic role that decided his
career path thereafter I am divine
I am Oblivion the first time he earned
an Oscar his performance as a gay man
afflicted with AIDS and the
discrimination he felt as a result not
only changed how he was seen but how the
disease that was ravaging the world was
to be seen as well
I'm ready do you agree with our list
these are hard moves to explain to
people which role do you think most
broken actor out of typecasting form or
perception breaking top 10s published
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