# actors/actresses who are one-trick-ponies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342 "2005-11-30T06:42:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/61 "2005-11-30T21:20:21Z")
Linda Lovelace… Oh ! you asked for **one-trick ponies** not… Never mind ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/62 "2005-11-30T23:47:28Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > What about _The Fast and the Furious_, where she played…oh, wait. Never mind. I can’t believe you’re all overlooking her subtle and nuanced role in _Resident Evil_. Her character went through great extremes, including both _alive_ and _dead_. He he. I had to check imdb to make sure it was her. The mini-bio at the top of her page starts “Known for tough-chick roles…” ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/63 "2005-12-01T03:24:01Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Aren’t you the guy who named Police Academy as funniest movie ever? 😉 Okay, _Eternal Snorefest for the Tasteless Blind_ _was_ funny. But surely not _that_ funny? And didn’t **Czarcasm** specify nominations had to be intentionally funny?? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/64 "2005-12-01T03:29:54Z")
[QUOTE=Fabulous Creature] > [@Little Nemo](#): > > There was a time when I would have agreed completely. But I saw Danza playing a lawyer on a dramatic series and I was amazed. He played this character he was highly intelligent and serious and he was convincing. > [\quote] > > That would be _The Practice_. I remember the episodes in which he guest-starred; I too was surprised by his credibility. He was actually one of the regulars on Family Law. A great lawyer show that nobody wathced but me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/65 "2005-12-01T03:50:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I can’t believe, on a board where “Lost” is as popular as it is, that we haven’t discussed Michelle Rodriguez yet. > > “Blue Crush” - tough Latina chick. > “Lost” - tough Latina chick. > “Girlfight” - tough Latina chick. > That movie with aliens - tough Latina chick. Well I don’t suppose she’d be very convincing as a tough Swedish chick. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/66 "2005-12-01T03:58:17Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Well I don’t suppose she’d be very convincing as a tough Swedish chick. But _with_ a tough Swedish bird. Now that would be interesting. Even if they only had the one trick between them. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/67 "2005-12-01T05:07:40Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Okay, _Eternal Snorefest for the Tasteless Blind_ _was_ funny. But surely not _that_ funny? > > And didn’t **Czarcasm** specify nominations had to be intentionally funny?? I’m not saying Eternal Sunshine was a comedy, I’m just casting doubt on your credibility as a movie reviewer. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/68 "2005-12-01T05:10:01Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > I’m not saying Eternal Sunshine was a comedy, I’m just casting doubt on your credibility as a movie reviewer. 😛 Oh, that is just so passé, dahlink! ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/69 "2005-12-01T05:10:59Z")
It was only mentioned as an aside in one post, but the bigest one-trick pony in my mind is: Rob Schneider. He plays the same idiotic guy in every film. To make matters worse he’s not remotely funny. Honestly, the only time I thought he was funny was the first few times I saw a “making copies” sketch. I particularly like South Park’s take on Rob Schnieder “Rob Schneider has been an Animal…then he was a Girl…now he’s…a Stapler (or carrot, etc).” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/70 "2005-12-01T05:49:40Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > Rob Schneider. I was about to take issue with this, then I noticed that you didn’t say “Roy Scheider.” ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/71 "2005-12-01T05:55:15Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > It was only mentioned as an aside in one post, but the bigest one-trick pony in my mind is: > > Rob Schneider. > > He plays the same idiotic guy in every film. To make matters worse he’s not remotely funny. Honestly, the only time I thought he was funny was the first few times I saw a “making copies” sketch. I particularly like South Park’s take on Rob Schnieder “Rob Schneider has been an Animal…then he was a Girl…now he’s…a Stapler (or carrot, etc).” I think you need to reread the OP. It specifically limits the poll to include _actors_. I’m surprised it hasn’t been mentioned yet, but it seems the champion of this thread has got to be **Keanu Reeves**. I’m sure there’ll be a few people who argue for him, and he’s simply been in _so many_ movies that there’s a little variation there, but he is a one-trick pony. Even Schwarzenegger had a wider variety of roles. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/72 "2005-12-01T05:56:02Z")
> [@](#): > > They may not have great range, but most of them CAN give solid, subtle performances when directors ask them to. A good director can coax some subtlety out of Joe Pesci (who has given some great performances)- but some directors just seem to tell him “Do your Cousin Vinny routine.” I’ve said before that Quentin Tarantino doesn’t get enough respect for his ability to direct actors. Sure, he’s get good performances from people like Harvey Keitel and Robert DeNiro - but these people can already act. But Tarantino also gets great performances from people like Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, David Carradine, Pam Grier, Michael Keaton, George Eads, Sonny Chiba - people who are not otherwise regarded as great actors. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/73 "2005-12-01T13:02:23Z")
> [@AugestWest](#): > > The King of Comedy. Funny you should say that. . .I think that’s a role that Jim Carrey would have nailed. The thing about Carrey is that beneath his outrageousness is a little insecurity and vulnerability, which De Niro lacked in that movie. What’s captivating about De Niro is that beneath _his_ outrageousness, there’s a little dumbness. It works perfectly in Raging Bull, Midnight Run and Taxi Driver. It works oddly (but not poorly) in movies like Goodfellas where he has positions of power, but is still kind of simple. In King of Comedy, there was a disconnect between him being a dullard and also having these wild machinations. I think that the character Carrey made for “Cable Guy” would have been almost spot-on for Rupert Pupkin (or whatever his name was). Believably crazy, but also disconnected from reality and childlike. Another nomination for this thread: **Morgan Freeman**. Isn’t he ALWAYS the world-weary sage who has seen it all, whether as a detective in _Seven_ or a prisoner in _Shawshank_ or as a narrator for marching penguins? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/74 "2005-12-01T14:42:11Z")
Sean Hayes was amazing and totally convincing as Jerry Lewis in the made-for-TV movie. Eddie Murphy plays Eddie Murphy in every thing he has ever done. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/75 "2005-12-01T15:09:53Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Sammy Jackson. One of my all-time favorite actors but – let’s get real – he plays damn near the same exact do-not-piss-off-this-man-he’s-a-total-badass character in every single movie role since Pulp Fiction. You should check out [Sphere](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120184/). The movie couldn’t compare to the book, but Samuel L. Jackson put out a good performance as brilliant mathematician Dr. Harry Adams. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/76 "2005-12-01T16:26:31Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Eddie Murphy plays Eddie Murphy in every thing he has ever done. Eddie Murphy isn’t even Eddie Murphy within the same movie. Ever seen Bowfinger? Nutty Professor? Coming to America? His greatest talent is creating different characters. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/77 "2005-12-01T16:51:57Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Eddie Murphy isn’t even Eddie Murphy within the same movie. > > Ever seen Bowfinger? Nutty Professor? Coming to America? > > His greatest talent is creating different characters. All of whom are instantly recognizable as Eddie Murphy doing his one-trick schtick. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/78 "2005-12-01T18:49:58Z")
Jack Klugman. His characters are as different as night, and… later, that same night. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/79 "2005-12-01T19:26:17Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > All of whom are instantly recognizable as Eddie Murphy doing his one-trick schtick. So his “one trick” is to be several characters? What actor in the world could possibly be excluded from this thread based on that? Is Papa Klump really the same character as Axel Foley? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342/80 "2005-12-01T19:51:07Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > So his “one trick” is to be several characters? What actor in the world could possibly be excluded from this thread based on that? > > Is Papa Klump really the same character as Axel Foley? Hopefully, however you guys end your discussion we can all agree that Mike Myers should be executed immediately. Hint to Mike: A Scottish accent isn’t inherently hilarious. Then again, neither is Old Jewish Aunt accent… -Joe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-who-are-one-trick-ponies/333342.md?page=5)