Does Being Typecast Hurt Your Career? Ask These Actors

Being typecast can be incredibly stifling for an actor’s career. When a particular role catapults an actor into fame, audiences often expect to see them stay with that type of role. Some actors don’t mind being typecast, as those roles are raking in the big bucks for them. But sometimes seeing that same character in numerous movies wears the magic thin. Here are 20 actors who’ve found themselves pigeonholed into certain roles. #6 is so upset with the industry’s expectations of him that he’s taking a career break to change the persona that has made him millions.

The Rom-Com Queen

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Jennifer Aniston skyrocketed to fame as the lovable Rachel Green on Friends,but the massive success of the character came with a price. Despite being a talented A-lister, (she won a Golden Globe for her role in Cake) she can’t escape being typecast as a romantic comedy actress.

According to Aniston, “It’s really hard to be cast in [a dramatic film like Cake]…you’re someone who is battling a persona. Sometimes it’s hard to disappear from it in a role. I’ve been lucky to go back and forth from independents to the big movies and I feel it’s important to have the balance of the two.”