This article explores the trend of casting actors against type in film and television, highlighting successful examples like John Krasinski in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and Jason Bateman in Ozark. It discusses how these casting choices can revitalize actors' careers and offer audiences fresh perspectives.
Casting actors against type has been responsible for some of the best film and TV show performances of all time, from Tom Cruise in Michael Mann's Collateral to David Hyde Pierce in The Good Wife. Many actors can find themselves forever cast in a narrowly-defined role and, when something different comes along, seize the opportunity to prove their versatility. For many audiences, the mere novelty of seeing this change of direction alone can attract them to new shows.
Seeing actors step out of their comfort zone and into characters at odds with how their fans know them often opens an entire new chapter in their career. \In a Golden Age of prestigious, cinematic TV series, various networks have given viewers some brilliant match-ups between actors and characters. While some of these were to be expected, others brought stars to new career heights in what seemed to many to be completely bizarre casting choices -- only to be happy to be proven wrong. \One standout example is John Krasinski. When the American remake of British sitcom The Office began, it cast Krasinski in the role of Jim Halpert, a wholesome and optimistic office employee. For much of the show's time on air, audiences obsessed over the will they/won't they dynamic he had with Jenna Fischer's Pam, which served as the heart of the series. However, when Amazon Video adapted the stories of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, they had a different view of the actor. \In this action-thriller series, Krasinski portrays Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that threatens to uproot the world and its status quo. While Jack Ryan is, like Jim, a good man, the genre switch from sitcom to action-thriller gave Krasinski a great change of pace. From doting on Pam at Dunder Mifflin to fighting terrorists around the world, the actor proved himself versatile, and gave audiences the best iteration of Clancy's heroic CIA analyst since Harrison Ford left the role in 1994. \Another impressive example is Jason Bateman. First garnering attention for his role as Michael Bluth in Arrested Development, Bateman became one of the best 'straight man' comedy actors of the 2000s. From Hancock and Horrible Bosses to Identity Thief and Paul, he perfected the part of a relatable, down-to-Earth character immersed in absurd situations. In Ozark, he played Marty Byrde, a criminal money launderer who moves his family down to Missouri to try and make amends with his cartel employers. As one of the best crime shows of the 2010s, Ozark saw great against-type performances from other stars, such as Laura Linney. However, Bateman's change from audience surrogate in comedy movies and shows to a criminal fighting to keep himself and his family alive gave viewers a gripping story -- and a refreshing change for the star
ACTING CASTING VERSATILITY TELEVISION FILM AGAINST-TYPE
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