Jimmy Cagney earned an Oscar nomination for parlaying his breakthrough tough-guy gangster role from The Public Enemy into an iconic performance in Angels With Dirty Faces — and then did an about-face to win an Oscar as a patriotic song-and-dance man in Yankee Doodle Dandy.
If I wanted to start an argument, I’d say that he out-Edward-G-Robinson-ed Robinson, and that he then out-Gene-Kelly-ed Kelly.
I really really want to see the movie in the OP now!
Leslie Nielsen found himself a new place in comedies halfway thru his 60 year career.
You want to see Cruise play against type, watch him as bald, fat-suited, unhinged Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder. Collateral is also considered one of Tom Cruise’s least “Tom Cruisy” films.
@Grrr - I think playing a bit of a lunatic has become Woody Harrelson’s “type” at this point.
I agree Baron did a fine job in Hugo.
I mentioned this in another thread, but John Belushi, in Neighbors ‘81. The reviewers generally panned the movie, but what do they know! I liked it.
Belushi and Aykroyd swiched roles shortly before shooting commenced, so they played against type. It made what would have been just another predictable bombastic Belushi film (which I’d grown tired of), into a much funnier (IMHO) comedy, with Belushi playing the meek, put-upon character, and Aykroyd playing the over-the-top nut. They both did a good job.
Yes to both. His Les Grossman routine was hilarious.
I freaking love that movie.
I’m a fan of Neighbors, too. If you read the book, you would know that Aykroyd was perfect casting for Captain Vic – he looks exactly like the way the character is described in the novel. When I heard it was being cast, I expected him to play the role.
Yep, my favorite movie of all time. I like him better as a serious actor (The Majestic, Truman Show).
Arnold was good in Kindergarten Cop, a comedy.
I was watching American Hustle the other day, Most people are used to seeing Christian Bale as some version of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho or Batman/Bruce Wayne (arguable the same character). In this film, he’s more of a sleezy, fat, paunchy, middle-aged con artist with a heart condition.
I don’t know if it counts as playing against type but Bill Burr surprised me in Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian.
Steve Colbert gave an impressive dramatic performance as a forger/murderer on Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Well, since you brought up Breaking Bad - Bryan Cranston. Pretty much just known as a comic actor from Malcolm in the Middle & a memorable guest spot on Seinfeld before being cast as Walter White.
I enjoyed his creepy smile, with the curling lips under the Van Dyke.
Agreed.
How about Leonardo DiCaprio in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? In comparison to De Niro in Awakenings, IMO, DiCaprio used a wider range of tics, he did so more naturally and, overall, he did more with less. Maybe the two characters/performances aren’t really comparable.
Well how about DiCaprio in Django Unchained?
Playing a sadistic plantation / slave owner with aplomb, even improvising around cutting his hand open in an accident.
IMO it’s a shame he didn’t get a best supporting character nomination, instead it went to…Christoph Waltz doing Christoph Waltz.
Few remember, but David Schwimmer was very impressive as a vigilante in NYPD Blue before joining Friends.
Better yet, playing an actor playing a villain in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? Twice!
Dick Powell played many singing juvenile roles in early 1930s musicals, and did a great job. But he switched and played hard-boiled gumshoe Philip Marlowe in Farewell My Lovely, and was even better at that, IMO.
I like to think Cruise was playing his true self under the prosthetics.
It’s been a long time since I saw that movie, but my impression was that it was an Adam Sandler character in a non-Adam Sandler movie. (Which is not a criticism, nor an implication that it wasn’t good acting; but it’s why the movie worked so well with Sandler in it.)
Perhaps similarly, the serious actors in Airplane! (including but not limited to Leslie Nielsen) weren’t so much playing against type as they were playing to type in a different sort of movie.