Like any other artists, actors are always looking to expand their horizons. Usually, this is by branching out into new genres, mostly in hopes of staving off potential typecasting, which can prove a death knell for even the most promising of careers. While their courage is certainly worth applauding, this sometimes leads to weird performances that stand out in entirely the wrong way.
The simple truth is; some actors simply aren’t believable in certain roles. The reasons why are varied and often complex, but the end result is almost always the same: said actor sticks out like a sore thumb as they try valiantly to make the role work.
As our first look at actors cast in the wrong genre was so much fun, we’ve compiled another list for your reading pleasure. Here are seven more actors that found themselves cast in the wrong genre.
7. Jack Black – King Kong (2005)
Jack Black is undoubtedly one of the finest comic actors of our time. Blending slapstick with his unique brand of lovable and decidedly vocal comedy, Black has proved himself time and again to be something of a golden goose for Hollywood, as evidenced by his roles in movies like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Tropic Thunder and Nacho Libre.
He’s even proved his talent in slightly more dramatic roles too, in movies like Bernie and The Holiday, so why is it that Black was so out of place in 2005’s King Kong? The answer is painfully simple: Black was cast as Carl Denham, a role written to evoke something that the actor simply doesn’t embody.
Denham is a 1930s filmmaker who sets out to capture Kong on film, only to become obsessed with the giant ape and eventually capture him. Denham is written to be a throwback to the wide-eyed greed of Old Hollywood, and his subtle descent into madness as he obsesses over Kong is integral to the character. The actor’s light-hearted nature didn’t mesh with Denham’s greed and, even though he was excellent in the role, it was abundantly clear that fantasy drama really isn’t the genre for Black.