Actors Branching Out From Their Usual Schtick/Genre

[ifuweregay93]

What are some of your favorite cases of actors branching out from what they are usually viewed in/pigeon-held to doing?

I just saw Nathan Lane in "The Iceman Cometh" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago (one of the best productions of ANY show I have ever seen, all around), knowing very little of the show before-hand, having only known that the show was supposed to be a "dramatic piece and not very humorous", yet as I sit in the show, there were still some moments of a little more darker humor before he came on stage, and when he finally did, he seemed to be playing Nathan Lane, and I couldn't really understand why people on this board kept saying they didn't think he could pull off the role when he first started doing it, as it just seemed to be like any other character he had played before. But by the 4th act, during Hickey's monologue, I remember thinking "Holy ****, NOW I see what they were talking about!" And he pulled it off amazingly, in a very forceful fashion, that even I, who knew nothing about the show prior, was thrown off by. I guess when you're stuck doing the same thing so many times, people seem to forget how much range an actor has. (And this is coming from someone who has enjoyed everything he's done, don't get me wrong. It was just refreshing to see him branch out a little bit).

What are some of your experiences with something like that?

[justoldbill]

Shelley Berman (a Goodman Theatre alumnus, by the way) giving a very good and very touching portrayal of Noah in the tour of TWO BY TWO. I was amazed and I'm convinced that, side by side, Danny Kaye wouldn't have stood a chance.

[darquegk]

When Martin Short does straight drama, it's very convincing and memorable. His TV work on Damages and Law and Order (or was it CSI?) is very good, and VERY different than his usual vaudeville-meets-cringe-comedy schtick.

[Jon]

Actually, Lane is exactly the type O'Neill describes for Hickey. Certainly closer than Jason Robards, the most famous interpereer of the role.

Harry Groener, best known as a song and dance man, got rave reviews for THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE at Chicago Shakespeare last year.

[willep]

"When Martin Short does straight drama, it's very convincing and memorable. His TV work on Damages and Law and Order (or was it CSI?) is very good, and VERY different than his usual vaudeville-meets-cringe-comedy schtick."

And similarly, I love when Robin Williams does straight dramas. I loved his performance in Bengal Tiger.

[dramamama611]

There was the time Sutton Foster was in....oh, nevermind.

[sophie72]

Martin Short on Law and Order SVU still gives me the creeps-absolutely phenomenal performance and so unexpected!

[Playbilly]

Law and Order and L & O SVU have given many actors a great venue to stretch. Sandy Duncan, Lucie Arnaz, Carol Burnett, Bill Irwin, Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Paul Mark Gloslaar (sp)....list goes on.

[darquegk]

It's only logical, when one thinks about it, that Martin Short could do dark REALLY well... look at his comedy. His typical characters (with the possible exception of Ed Grimley) are either more than a little twisted, broken or damaged, Clifford the homicidal ten-year-old being teh most obvious case.

[henrikegerman]

Bill Murray in Lost in Translation and, from all appearances, Hyde Park on Hudson
Scarlett Johannson in A View From the Bridge
Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (as a high functioning non-neurotic, Keaton gave one of the most beautiful performances ever on film)
Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense
Isabelle Huppert in Eight Women (who knew she was the French Carol Burnett?)
Debbie Reynolds in Mother

and, of course, Liv Ullman in Lost Horizon (JOKING!)

[dreaming]

From all appearances, Bill Murray could be winning that Academy Award for Hyde Park-it looks like a role and a performance that could win.

I think Charlize Theron in Monster is a good example-and she was brilliant. (I wish she'd get another project that is worthy of her talents as an actress-she's very talented.)

Does TV count? Carol Burnett on Law and Order: SVU a few seasons back would fit that I think. She was vicious in that role (why she didn't pick up the Emmy or Golden Globe I'll never know). She was terrific.

[Kad]

I don't think Charlize Theron has a usual schtick. She's actually an incredibly versatile actress and takes all sorts of roles. Have you seen Young Adult? She absolutely deserved an Oscar nod.

[yankeefan7]

Tom Crise playing a "hitman" in the movie "Collateral" which is totally opposite of the persona of characters he usually plays in movies. I would also say seeing Tom Wopat many years ago playing the lead in "City Of Angels" when all I knew about him was being in TV show "Dukes of Hazzard".

[aaronb]

Really? A psychopathic hitman is exactly what I think of when I think of Tom Cruise. But maybe that's just him and not his roles.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

^ No, that's not Tom Cruise. That's his cult. (Sue me for that one, Miscavige. No, go ahead. I'll tell everybody the one about my colleague who your people approached in the late Seventies during a period when his career was hot with about six figures to come in at the top of the Scientology scale, about as "clear" as one can possibly get, and promote the religion. Stupid sci-fi B.S.)

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Some friends and I were having a laugh a few years back imagining certain actors playing against type in various roles. It pretty much came down to Jackie Hoffman or Harvey Fierstein playing anything outside the comfort zone we created for them.

Shortly after that I saw Jackie go on as Velma Von Tussle. Wow! She was funny, her voice was great, and yes, she was surprisingly sexy. Loved her! Here's an audio clip: http://youtu.be/uD61QbxjnRU

And later I saw Harvey in Fiddler on the Roof. I thought his Tevye had a heart missing from the comic portrayals by a long line of Tevyes I've seen over the years. (Sorry - couldn't find any links on the site that cannot be named.) I'm wondering now how he would do in any of the other roles we laughed about that day; Ok - I still don't see him getting cast as the next Cervantes in Man of La Mancha.

The worst branching-out attempts I've seen were from the same show. Both Andrea Martin and (especially) Rosie O'Donnell playing opposite Harvey in Fiddler reminded me of every over-the-top Jewish mother stereotype I've seen on sitcoms since Nancy Walker gave birth to Rhoda Morgenstern. Their interpretations of Golde lacked that "something" that separates a memorable performance from a caricature.

Makes me wonder how Jackie would do as Golde.

[theaterkid1015]

Mary Testa, Queen of the Mist

[EponineAmneris]

Nathan Lane in THE ICEMAN COMETH and BUTLEY are prime examples of this.

[NoName3]

Robert Preston in The Music Man and Angela Lansbury in Anyone Can Whistle

[AC126748]

Bill Irwin in THE GOAT and WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

[figaroindy]

Just saw Bill Irwin at Broadway Ballyhoo last Thursday, doing his baggy-pants clown routines...certainly a difference from "Woolf!"

[perfectlymarvelous]

Nathan Lane in THE ICEMAN COMETH and BUTLEY are prime examples of this.

Didn't that production of Butley not get the greatest reviews? I do think Nathan Lane is a capable dramatic actor but I saw Butley in London last year with Dominic West in the title role and I can't imagine Lane playing it at all, it seems to be a total 180 from what he normally does and not in a good way, in a miscast kind of way.

[flahooley2]

For whatever it's worth, Simon Gray had very much wanted Lane to play Butley someday, after they had worked together on The Common Pursuit (Long Wharf, LA, and New York). In Boston it had received very favorable reviews in the Times (Bruce Weber) and Variety. Brantley was very dismissive when it came to NY, but there were also many good notices as well, and the play did recoup in its' limited run. Gray discusses it at length, and even compares Lane and Alan Bates, in his wonderful diary, Positively The Last Cigarette. He and Lane were great friends, and it is a very funny and touching memoir.