Genre Typecasting of Actors

Typecasting: the process by which a particular actor becomes associated with either a specific character, their characters have similar traits or their characters come from the same type of social/ethnic group. 

Problems created by typecasting is that an actor/actress may become so strongly associated with playing a particular character, that it makes it difficult for them to find work in playing a different character.

Directors may however, choose to cast an actor 'against type', which would be a role that would be unusual for that actor/actress to play because their previous castings have been very different to this role. Directors chose to cast against type to create a comedic/dramatic effect.

Examples of directors casting against type is where Robert de Niro was cast as the lead role in 'The King of Comedy', where he plays an aspiring comic, Rupert Pupkin. This goes againsts his commonly known typecast of the 'tough guy'.

De Niro as Rupert Pupkin in The King of Comedy (1982)

         De Niro as Johnny Boy in 'Mean Streets' (1973)