Typecasting

[Hated Milk Machine]

I saw Pineapple Express in the theater last night, and a trailer for Michael Cera's new movie came up. It looks like he's playing another nervous teenager like his characters in Superbad and Arrested Development. And I felt a pang of: "Really, Michael Cera? Going back to that well?"

Of course he's not the only one doing it: Seth Rogen is the affable immature guy, Will Ferrell plays the pompous naked guy, etc. etc.

I'm a fan of all three of these guys, I just wish they would break out of their comfort zones more. How funny would it be to see Michael Cera as a high school bully? Or a ladies man?

I'd be interested to hear what some of the smarter folks on this board have to say on this topic.

[Harry B]

I think Will Ferrel has stretched out of his comfort zone quite bit actually. He was restrained in Stranger Than Fiction and Step Brothers was him being much cruder than we've come to expect. There was another example but I forgot it. I hope this has been helpful.

[Hated Milk Machine]

I think Will Ferrel has stretched out of his comfort zone quite bit actually. He was restrained in Stranger Than Fiction and Step Brothers was him being much cruder than we've come to expect. There was another example but I forgot it. I hope this has been helpful.

Yea, I know. I think it's cool that he's done those roles even if they didn't work for some people.

I'm not sure how much of the typecasting comes from the actors themselves (writing for their own comfort zones) or how much comes from cynical mustache-twirling hollywood executives (ferrell in a wig! cha-ching!), I just feel like it has a homogenizing effect on comedy.

In general, I think comedy movies are on the upswing, but its grating to see the same 10 people in every comedy movie playing the same 10 roles. I just wish it were a little more diverse.

[darrylduffy]

I saw Pineapple Express in the theater last night, and a trailer for Michael Cera's new movie came up. It looks like he's playing another nervous teenager like his characters in Superbad and Arrested Development. And I felt a pang of: "Really, Michael Cera? Going back to that well?"

speaking of trailers before Pineapple Express, the "Role Models" trailer made me think the same sort of thing about Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin) unfortunately. Hoping I'm wrong.

[MrDys]

speaking of trailers before Pineapple Express, the "Role Models" trailer made me think the same sort of thing about Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin) unfortunately. Hoping I'm wrong.

Considering this will be his second film, I think the dude could be cut a break.

[dan telfer]

Actively fighting typecasting can make a celebrity go insane, or become poor, very quickly.

I think an audience has a certain responsibility to not get impatient with their favorite stars. Sometimes actors just aren't being offered projects that show off their other sides, and all the while they are trying to launch their own projects that never take off.

I used to be really bored with Will Farrell in his SNL days. When I saw Elf I thought, huh, this is pretty funny! Not bad for that guy I don't really like that much! Then I saw Stranger Than Fiction and really loved it. So what if he did Semi-Pro? It was a dumb serio-comedy movie without enough comedy, but that shouldn't make me forget how much fun it would be to pick up a DVD of another of his movies, or keep my fingers crossed for next time.

That said, my IMDB profile isn't even thick enough to qualify as skeletal, so I don't really know what I'm talking about outside of having watched the E! True Hollywood Story on Heath Ledger.

[smartbunny]

I would like to point out that Jonah Hill has opened the door for many other young pudgy curly-haired actors, judging by trailers for several upcoming films I saw.

Also, I like Jonah Hill.

[Fentmore]

Just talking of major roles here, not voices, cameos, or even tiny bit parts.

I'd like to trumpet Will Ferrell as well saying as much as I love most his comedies, he's other work flips my trigger as well. I really enjoyed his performances in Stranger than Fiction, Melinda and Melinda and Winter Passing as far as his "non-goofy" fare goes. I really like him as a performer, comedic or otherwise (but as with every actor, he has his stinkers). I've been a fan ever since, this in '95, when he told his son to "be a buddy and get off the shed".

Michael Cera hasn't possibly done enough yet to warrant a conversation on wether he's pigeon holed or not. He's only 20. I understand what you're talking about, but... he's very young yet.

Seth Rogen was a kid during Feaks and Undeclared pretty much (playing kids), but after that he's only been near or top billing in four movies playing the "affable immature guy". He really hasn't had a chance yet to branch out but at the same time, I get the impression he's comfortable where he is and I don't mind that right now, not at all. Brasky explained his appeal in a good way on the Pineapple thread and I wouldn't mind seeing him continue on as he has.

Let's look to some of our past comedic heroes (mostly 80s/ early 90s stuff).

Eddie Murphy was the "same" character in 48 Hrs, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Golden Child, Distinguished Gentlemen. Smart alecky, overly verbose and confidant guy who was good at what he did. Slight detours from that act with Boomerang, Coming to America, and Harlem Nights. That's '82 -'94, 12 years of similarity and I enjoyed and/or loved all those movies.

John Candy was an affable sort in Stripes, Splash, Brewster's Millions, Summer Rental, Armed and Dangerous, Spaceballs, Planes Trains, Great Outdoors, Harry Crumb, Uncle Buck, and Delirious. He had a little more variety sprinkled throughout than Murphy did but for the most part, played a version of himself, and I liked them. That's '81-'91, ten years of movies.

Steve Martin started started playing a bit over-the-top in Jerk, Dead Men (the coin stuff with his hands was amazing!), Man with Two brains, All of Me and then began to refine and tone down his performances in Three Amigos, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Roxanne, Planes Trains, and My Blue Heaven. Those are '79-'90, but Martin did begin to mix up his comedy with some great (and really not so great drama) throughout that. But with this point, although he had done other things (most of which I thorougly enjoy), all of these "back to the well" movies are fantastic and its the joy of seeing Steve perform in those movies.

Chevy Chase has played the same guy in Caddyshack, the Vacations, Fletches, Spies, Three Amigos, Funny Farm and Memoirs of an Invisible Man. That's '80-'92, twelve years of playing the same guy in different movies. Those movies are so fun to watch and most are bona-fide classics. Did you ever get sick of him in those movies? Hell, no. You were a fan of his persona and you enjoyed watching him work within different environments. Chevy Chase, especially fits the idea you are referring to when it comes to staying inside one's own comfort zones. You could argue that that was his downfall late in his career, but look at the body of twleve years of memorable work being the same person.

Bill Murray played similar types in Meatballs, Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Scrooged, etc from '79-'89, ten years.

You enjoy a performer for a particular reason and wanting them to branch out is a natural thing for a fan to want to see, you get tired of the same old thing or the schtick becomes stale. However, I have no problem with this. I enjoy goofy Will Ferrell in Anchorman and Talladega (haven't seen Brothers yet) and wouldn't mind seeing that persona mined elsewhere. Put the character in another setting, I'll bite, so long as its funny. Important point. The well a performer continues to go back to is fine so long as the quality of the projects keeps it funny, dramatic, suspensful, whatever that well might be.

Another point concerning comfort zones. Guess what I don't want to see? Did you guess a World War II epic from ZAZ? Then you would be right. I don't want to see a horror movie from David Zucker or a comedy from Paul Thomas Anderson. I want to see what they do best. If they can stretch beyond that, cool but it isn't necessary. Its okay to have a niche, if, as an audience member, you're looking for variety in, say your comedy, then seek out something else other then Ferrell, et al. If you've grown tired of Cate Blanchett in amazing performance after amazing performance, then take a Daniel Day Lewis for a spin. If David Lynch films are growing old, try a Cronenburg on for size. I'm sure you all can come up with better metaphors, but my point is this:

If you like it/them/their work, watch it and enjoy. If it becomes old after awhile because it doesn't seem as fresh as you'd like, you have a hell of alot more options out there to satiate that particular need and at the same time getting the variety you wanted in the first place. Plus if it doesn't bother you so much that an artist stays within their comfort zones, then sometimes you can be surprised by how much you enjoy all their work (see comedians above) because you can rely on them to do it well. It's like going home again.

[KevinLee]

Trailer for Michael Cera's new movie came up. It looks like he's playing another nervous teenager like his characters in Superbad and Arrested Development. And I felt a pang of: "Really, Michael Cera? Going back to that well?"

Was it a trailer for "Youth in Revolt"? Because I read an interview with Cera. He seemed like he was really excited about the novel ,while the movie was in preproduction (giving the book to friends as gifts, upset when people wouldn't like it) He made me want to read the it.

The wikipedia plot summary starts like this: "While his trailer trash parents teeter on the edge of divorce, 14-year-old Nick sets his sights on dream girl Sheeni Saunders, hoping that she'll be the one to take away his virginity."

It's got a good cast:

Michael Cera ...
Justin Long ...
Steve Buscemi ...
Ray Liotta ...
Fred Willard ...
Zach Galifianakis ...

I think that seeing Michael Cera as a bully would be great if the script was great. But, it would just seem like a sight gag. Physically it doesn't make sense(maybe that irony would add to the humour ).

But casting people in roles that they'd look and act like they'd play is an art in itself. You wouldn't cast someone who looks like a nerd to play a popular kid and you wouldn't cast a house wife to play a drug dealer. Or you would and you'd call them "She's All That" and "WEEDS"

Oh yeah and
Boogie Nights was hilarious. I wouldn't mind a comedy from PTA.

[Hated Milk Machine]

a lot of good words

Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

I do think you make some good points. I don't have a strong enough opinion to take your post on line by line, so I'm just going to make random comments:

1) I think a comedy by Paul Thomas Anderson would be amazing. PTA is a perfect example of a guy who has made a bunch of different movies with very different feels, but still come from one "voice." He is a perfect example of an artist that thinks outside of his own box, and I love that.

2) I think the examples of actors who played the same roles were a little off. Bill Murray played the same character in Ghostbusters and Caddyshack? Those two characters were completely different. Steve Martin was the same guy in The Jerk and Planes, Trains and Automobiles? Would Navin Johnson have ever said "Start by wiping that fucking smile off your face?" There were some point where you were right (Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase), but I disagreed with most of that part.

3) Your point that actors and comedians will make the movies that they want, and we can just see a different comedian if we get tired of one is a different way of approaching comedy, I guess. I tend to appreciate people and artists who try new stuff a lot, so maybe you and I just gauge artistry in comedy differently. But thats cool, I made this thread to see how everyone else feels. So thanks!

[MurdersaurusSex]

I agree wit the good cast comment except for old Liotta. I don't know whats gotten into him lately but damn has he lost it. Smoking aces, Wild hogs,and In the Name of the King. UGH and his face scares me, and not in the good way it used to.

[MurdersaurusSex]

3) Your point that actors and comedians will make the movies that they want, and we can just see a different comedian if we get tired of one is a different way of approaching comedy, I guess. I tend to appreciate people and artists who try new stuff a lot, so maybe you and I just gauge artistry in comedy differently. But thats cool, I made this thread to see how everyone else feels. So thanks!

I agree, you can be successful at something by doing the same thing over and over but eventually it gets kinda sad. Ultimately comedians are artists and the ones I respect most are the ones that have range and aren't scared to try different things. And thats what I think it often boils down to, fear. Both on the part of the comedian and the studios they don't want to alienate the audience the already have. The sad thing is that in doing the same thing over and over they do loose there audience at least the intelligent part of it. I find myself completely uninterested in Will Farrell because I am tired of the same old schtick. I like him, but I don't respect him. Truly funny people can be funny in ways that aren't always expected. Its sad to see talented people like the ones mentioned in this thread go down this road.

[Jouster]

Was it a trailer for "Youth in Revolt"? Because I read an interview with Cera. He seemed like he was really excited about the novel ,while the movie was in preproduction (giving the book to friends as gifts, upset when people wouldn't like it) He made me want to read the it.

The wikipedia plot summary starts like this: "While his trailer trash parents teeter on the edge of divorce, 14-year-old Nick sets his sights on dream girl Sheeni Saunders, hoping that she'll be the one to take away his virginity."

I'm sure the OP meant Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I haven't seen a trailer for Youth in Revolt anywhere yet. I'm a little wary about Cera in YiR - I'm a big fan of the book and the character is unlike anything he's played so far.

[Mutant Despot]

How would you like to see Michael Cera as a manga-styled fighting Canadian slacker?

[Hated Milk Machine]

I'm sure the OP meant Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I haven't seen a trailer for Youth in Revolt anywhere yet. I'm a little wary about Cera in YiR - I'm a big fan of the book and the character is unlike anything he's played so far.

You are correct, thank you. I couldn't remember the name.

[Fentmore]

1. I agree, PTA would be a very unique voice if applied to comedy, just not the first thing that pops in my head when he comes up. Don't misunderstand, I love my favorite artists to branch out and try new things, I just meant its okay if they don't either, because I can always leave the party if I get bored.

2. I figured this would come up, so let me say, yes you're right. Chevy/Eddie are far better examples than the others. But with the character comparisons (of course they were very different characters) with Murray or Martin, etc, I was making more of a general observation that you were watching Bill Murray on screen playing Carl and Peter Venkmen, he didn't really disappear in those roles. For example, Ace Ventura isn't the same as Fletcher Reede (Liar, Liar) but it is still Carrey doing Carrey schtick. That's how I was approaching that.

3. I don't necessarily approach comedy that way, I was just basically saying you (or I) can't do anything about these guys' career paths and if it ends up not being something you want to see, well time to concentrate elsewhere. A perfect example is when IMDB first started out (or maybe when I was just finding it - mid to late nineties), I would drool over the possibility of the Zucker, Abrahms, Zucker team doing more movies, they would all be listed there under their names as "in development" (this is before High School High, but after Naked Gun 3) but most if not all of them never came to pass. I was (am) such a huge fan of their work that I couldn't wait to get more. I needed more. But as time went on, disappointment after disapointment, I had to relegate myself to the fact that more great parodies from these minds just weren't coming. Some were okay, mostly they sucked.

If ZAZ would have been plugging away at parodies the last 14 years and they were consistently good, I wouldn't have been happier. I wouldn't have cared if they didn't deviate from their strong sensibilities. That's what I meant as far as an artist finding a niche and it being okay to stick with it. Has South Park gotten old the past 12 years? They've had ups and downs to be sure, but I look forward to new episodes today as much as I did back in college. They've tried branching out, and to moderate success, but even they decided "screw it, this platform (South Park) works best for us to present our ideas and comedy in a way no other medium can compare" and they find ways to keep it fresh and original. That's okay.

I very much like my artists to try new things, because who knows, maybe they'll find things that they are even stronger at or those experiences can flesh out their talents more, broadening their horizons making them better. But its also fine if they want to stick to what they know, and I can always walk away when it annoys me (Scary Movie 3 you were the nail in the ZAZ coffin... and then those Epic/Date/Spartan Movie assholes started desecrating the grave).

And, MurdersaurusSex, if you're a woman, remind me to never piss you off.

[MikeMic]

For most of my life, I thought the term was "tightcasting". It's nice to be able to participate in this conversation with little to no confusion.

[disl]

2. I figured this would come up, so let me say, yes you're right. Chevy/Eddie are far better examples than the others. But with the character comparisons (of course they were very different characters) with Murray or Martin, etc, I was making more of a general observation that you were watching Bill Murray on screen playing Carl and Peter Venkmen, he didn't really disappear in those roles. For example, Ace Ventura isn't the same as Fletcher Reede (Liar, Liar) but it is still Carrey doing Carrey schtick. That's how I was approaching that.

at what point during "caddyshack" do you say to yourself, "that carl spackler is one heck of a charmer"? i agree that bill murray basically plays himself during "ghostbusters" or "groundhog day," but i don't see how you think the same thing during "caddyshack." if you want to go that far, you may as well say he played himself in "garfield."

[TomHicks]

I think this thread needs to fast-forward to discussing when the comedic actors get afraid of typecasting and want serious roles -- it always hits me as kind of sad. I still haven't seen Razor's Edge with Murray, but it seems an inevitable evolution in Hollywood: Williams, Carrey, Hanks, Martin*. At the time, Razor's Edge was talked about as a misfired vanity project.

Pennies From Heaven is a very good movie.

[KeithTalent]

Punch-Drunk Love is pretty hilarious