Important questions actors should ask themselves are: What is my type? What are the parts for which I would readily be cast? Am I the girl next door? An action hero? A leading lady? A law enforcement officer? Can I play a villain?
In the studio days, there was a list of actors that would always play the same parts: the doctors, the inspectors, the bad guys, the lawyers, and the workers. To understand how it works and to get a little bit of history, a great documentary to watch is “Casting By.”
Does typecasting exist today? The reality is yes. An actor that portrays an FBI agent on a popular TV show might play another variation of that character in a movie. You will see an actor play a criminal in guest-starring role only to see her play another one on a different show. There is always a perception of what you can play.
It’s crucial that an actor knows the roles they would be cast in and would excel at, and knows the parts that they would not readily be cast in, but that they know deep down they can play. Actors can break the glass ceiling—we see it all the time. I, for one, am more interested in seeing casting that is off-kilter than right on the nose. I like casting against type. Every professional
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