Journal 5

Option # 3 Answer:

Typecasting, in the film industry, refers to when a star is only cast into roles that are similiar to the types of character roles that he/she has played in the past. This happens because actors start to develop a star persona after playing the same type of role a few times, and if they do not escape from that, then they might never be able to really be seen in any other types of roles. This will make them not likely to be cast for different types of roles, or if they are cast for them, they may not be believable because their star persona does not match the character. Many actors try to resist this because most actors want to remain flexible and want to challenge themselves as actors to try to play all different types of roles (Belton 98).

I personally think that typecasting can be harmful AND beneficial to an actor. There are good and bad aspects to it. If an actor is typecast to a certain type of role, they are almost always guaranteed to make money and get roles all the time. Another benefit of typecasting is that the actor being typecasting will be a master at that role, because that is the only role that they will ever have to learn how to do. Another positive of typecasting would be the way that the public remembers an actor. If an actor plays only one type of role forever, then they will be remembered constantly for as long as those type of roles are available. This can basically make them more of a star just because they are being remembered for the typical type that they play, for example: Sylvester Stallone will always be a star, because he will always be Rocky. Arnold Swartzenegger is always going to be a star as the terminator, but he will never really be able to be taken seriously in bigger and better roles.

Although i believe that all of those things are good about typecasting, i really believe an actor who is not typecast will have a more fulfilling career as an actor. I believe that most true actors do not want to take the easy way out and only take whatever roles are thrown at them, and never want to try anything new. I think that most actors want to grow in their profession and challenge their acting abilities to become more respected actors. Although this is a harder challenge, I believe that most people who are not typecasted will last longer and also be more respected as actors. They will get the opportunity to do any type of movie they want. Also, they will probably be known more for their versatility and great acting than just for a typical persona. They will be able to show their true selves instead of just being seen and remembered not as their real self, but as the type of character persona that people have invisoned them as. Some stars that have done very well not using typecasting and always staying flexible are Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Jack Nicholson, etc. These actors have been able to try all different types of roles, and have obviously been ultimately more respected as masters of the art over people who have been typecast, like Schwartzenegger.