Actors who can only play one part

[Brokenchair1]

By that I don't mean that they are bad actors but that they are so attached with one character that they always seem to become a caricature of themselves.

So for example yesterday DD and I watched Christopher Robin the movie. As soon as Mark Gatiss came on, despite playing a serious character, all I could see/hear was "Yes Mrs Levinson".

Now watching Night at the museum. Ricky Gervais always sounds like David Brent.

Can anyone think of any other actors that you struggle to see in other roles?

Colin Firth just plays the same character to varying degrees of poshness

No he doesn't. He's nothing like a Darcy in The English Patient, for instance. (Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones was a joke, you know.)

@AntigoneLost I used to think the same about Matt Smith but I thought he was great in The Crown.

To PP who said Tim Mcinnerny. Yes! He is one of those that whoever he plays you just see his Blackadder character.

@Brokenchair1

To PP who said Tim Mcinnerny. Yes! He is one of those that whoever he plays you just see his Blackadder character.

I got over that binge-watching Spooks.

I’ve never much cared for Hugh Grant, but I have to disagree with *@Ihavebrillohair - he was excellent as a very different character from the ‘bumbling posh boy in the film about the Jeremy Thorpe scandal - I forget the title. Still posh in that part, but a world away from ‘bumbling’!

Oh no I love Olivia Coleman! Her evil stepmother in fleabag is the best ever..she’s definitely got range!

I'm assuming the pp who said Jason Bateman hasn't seen Ozark?

All the Friends actors will always just be them. Same for alot of long term sitcom actors. With the exception of Debra from Everybody loves Raymond's when became Frankie in The Middle. She nailed it.

@Aswad

As absolutely insanely beautiful as he is, Brad Pitt can only play ‘crazy’ well (12 monkeys, Fight Club). Everything else he’s just a bit meh

Have you seen him in Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In America? I'm really not a Brad Pitt fan usually but he was excellent in this.

I'm assuming the pp who said Jason Bateman hasn't seen Ozark?

And he played a supernatural serial killer in The Outsider. I haven't seen Arrested Development but I'm guessing his character is quite different in that? Unless he's a murderer in that too then I stand corrected

@AfterSchoolWorry @tobee I think you are both right - the sad thing is we know Pacino can act from early stuff like The Godfather but at some point - 80s? 90s? - he decided to start shouting and hasn't really stopped since.

@patternnews

Sean Bean and Dennis Waterman - exactly the same cheeky thug character in everything, but one's got a Yorkshire accent, one's Cockney.

Sean Bean a "cheeky thug character"? 😂 Have you actually seen anything he's been in?

Might be worth watching his performances in Broken, Accused, North Country - and good grief, even the big budget ones like Games of Thrones and Lord of the Rings - before writing him off as a one-note actor.

As a challenge to this thread, I'd like to present Hugh Laurie.

That anyone can go from Bertie Wooster and Prince George to Richard Roper in The Night Manager via Greg House - that's range.

A year ago I would have said Hugh Grant = posh bumbling fool. Then I watched The Gentleman and it's completely changed my mind.

For me, actors whose roles all blur together are Julia Roberts, Shemar Moore (still love him though) and Alyson Hannigan. Also, Russell Brand can only play himself and cannot act at all.

On the other hand, I know Alan Rickman played lots of roles but in my head he is Snape no matter what film we're watching.
Also struggled with Nicholas Lyndhurst when he joined New Tricks because Rodney couldn't be a copper(!), Neil Morrissey in Line of Duty because he's Tony from Men Behaving Badly and I only see the marvel actors as their superhero characters (with the exception of Jeremy Renner).

For me Hugh Grant broke the stereotype when he played Jeremy Thorpe in A Very English Scandal. Brilliant.
The flip side is I can’t equate Ben Whishaw as both Paddington and a rent boy!
David Jason is brilliant in everything he does imo.

My test of acting skill is that you forget who the actor is because you are immersed in the character. Maggie Smith is brilliant at different characters but Judi Dench is always Judi Dench. I like her, I just can’t get past who she really is.

Peter Capaldi will always have a whiff of Malcom Tucker to me.

Was very odd watching him as Dr Who and I kept expecting him to break out into some inappropriate swearing.

Tim mcinnery aka Darling can also do a very creepy baddy. I can’t remember what in though.

Glenda Jackson was always Glenda Jackson doing serious acting to me. When ever I hear her on the radio I say ‘I’m Glen-da jack-son’ out loud in the sing-song voice she always uses. She does about every fifth word unnaturally high pitched. I may have spent too long thinking about Glenda Jackson.

Keith Barron, definition of a ham actor, same whatever he was in.
Olivia Colman, you know it's OC. The Crown is not the same with her at the helm.
Donald Sinden, another ham.
Suranne Jones, I just see her Corrie character.
Nicola Walker, although I find her mesmerising to watch.

Judi Dench is always Judi Dench

I can't see that. Compare, for instance, Elizabeth I and Iris Murdoch.

James Nesbitt, as mentioned up thread.
Hermione Norris. Many it's a Cold Feet thing

Adam Sandler.
Jim Carrey.
Nicolaj Kopernikus - he killed Nanna Birk Larsen in the Killing. Thats all I see.
On a previous actors who are the same in everything someone said judi dench, and that poster has now ruined judi dench for me.

I disagree with hugh grant. Yes he plays englishmen but they are usually different englishmen and he was SO GOOD in Paddington 2.

I’ve just thought of another one whose mannerisms are the same in almost everything he does: Eddie Redmayne.

@IHaveBrilloHair

Hugh Grant as the bumbling posh guy

After 25 years as bumbling posh guy, Grant is becoming a character actor albeit stil mostly a posh character. See latest Paddington movie. But have you seen him The Gentlemen? I didn't recognise him!

@LyndaSnellsSniff

I’ve just thought of another one whose mannerisms are the same in almost everything he does: Eddie Redmayne.

I wouldn't have said that about The Theory of Everything.

Although he used to have range, Liam Neeson seems to have recently created a one dimensional "Liam Neeson generic character"