Typecasting (film)

The term typecasting is used - mainly in the film industry, but also in theater - for certain actors who do not exclusively, but always take on similar roles . Typecasting is particularly common when depicting villains . But hero characters are also often subject to typecasting. Committing to a certain type can become a dead end for actors if the audience always wants to see them in the same roles, making it difficult for them to expand their acting spectrum.

Examples

• Bela Lugosi , Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee in horror films
• Erich von Stroheim as a German officer and spy
• Fay Wray as a victim of King Kong and many other horror characters ( see also: Scream-Queen )
• John Wayne as a western hero
• Theda Bara and Marlene Dietrich as vamps
• Michael Madsen as the laconic villain in Reservoir Dogs , Getaway and other films.
• Claude-Oliver Rudolph , subscribed to crook roles due to his distinctive facial features

literature

• Ulrike Boldt: Casting for film, television and stage. The guide to success . Henschelverlag Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-894875985