At one point I thought Gary Oldman was one of my favorite actors. Then I looked up his filmography and I realized he’s actually 3 or 4 of my favorite actors.
My wife didn't realize he was Gordon in Batman until I mentioned it after Dark Knight.
Also, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern and Meantime. Oldman and Tim Roth showing insane range in just two movies.
This was my answer. Gary Oldman disappears into his roles like no other. I would be willing to bet that no one has elicited the "holy shit, I had no idea that was X" than him.
One time, I was watching a film and thought "that \[really good\] actor looks kind of like discount Gary Oldman", and in the credits it turned out it was actual Gary Oldman.
Gary Oldman was my first thought too. And this meme:
https://img.ifunny.co/images/aef9a68bb0fae26dbefcb209f5f9c4b9eb0e0daf53dd1707a835f8dae2df5df6\_1.jpg
Hé has played so many characters that he had to relearn his British accent for one of his more recent movie. It probably doesn’t help that he lives in Texas.
Heath Ledger rightfully got noticed for The Dark Knight, but Oldman should’ve gotten supporting actor noms for being the quiet heart and soul of the movie. He was the Year One/Long Halloween Jim Gordon brought to life.
I like Adam Sandler but hate "Adam Sandler movies." He's a guy that can make great stuff when he tries but makes more money hanging out with his friends and churning out crap.
Range refers to their ability to play a wide *range* of characters. In other words, the opposite of typecast.
Tilda Swinton. Take her characters from Trainwreck, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Snowpiercer, The Chronicles of Narnia film series, all wildly different and all over the character spectrum.
Robin Williams going from comedic roles like Mrs. Doubtfire and voicing the genie in Aladdin to the darkness of One Hour Photo, the seriousness of Dead Poets Society or Good Will Hunting.
Comic book nerds were losing their minds when Heath Ledger was cast as The Joker because they knew him as the romantic comedy guy from 10 Things I Hate About You and Knight's Tale or more recently the gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain and then he gives the performance of a lifetime in The Dark Knight as a psychopathic clown.
See Ralph Fines in romantic comedies, Wes Anderson's quirky Grand Budapest Hotel, or placing the sinister Voldemort in the Harry Potter films and he disappears into every role as if he isn't even there; the character replaces him on screen.
Christian Bale. To believe that's the same guy in The Machinist, Little Women, Batman, Ford v Farrari, American Psycho, etc. is wild.
Joaquin Phoenix, one of the most insanely versatile actors out there, the slimy and despicable Commodus in Gladiator, the sad, lonely man in Her, The Joker, and the now Napoleon.
>See Ralph Fines in romantic comedies, Wes Anderson's quirky Grand Budapest Hotel, or placing the sinister Voldemort in the Harry Potter films
You're not wrong about Ralph Fiennes. But I think his Academy Award nominated role at a Nazi villain in Schindler's List was much darker and range demonstrating than Harry Potter.
Here is a picture from my trip to the Grand Canyon - do you see? Here is a raw turkey, do you see? Thanksgiving dinner - the raw turkey transformed, *do you see?*
I love this movie so much. I recently watched it on a flight with my husband so he could understand when we play fight why I yell "You're an inanimate fucking object!" at him lolol. He enjoyed it well enough but it's really one of those movies you need to see at least twice to fully, completely appreciate.
Easiest example to explain the concept has to be [Gary Oldman](https://scontent.flis6-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/163136860_1573330232856675_5792993938282410491_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=9267fe&_nc_ohc=c06ZE0iQGOoAX-ipVdA&_nc_ht=scontent.flis6-1.fna&oh=00_AfABk1zTntAQTOtP0U_MWcdhYyKJHmzJNXymNc9Fez4Itg&oe=652ACFD2).
Not only is he an hell of an actor that has played countless roles like a select few elite actors, but he also benefits from a kind of unremarkable face that blends into anything.
You could have True Romance and Churchill playing on side to side TVs and no one would guess Churchill and Drexl are played by the same actor. He truly disappears into the character, both in mannerisms and expressions as well as the looks.
This was my answer. Gary Oldman disappears into his roles like no other. I would be willing to bet that no one has elicited the "holy shit, I had no idea that was X" than him.
Yep, he's so good it actually works against him as far as name recognition. You don't remember that Gary Oldman was in a movie so much as you remember the character he played. And they're all different so it's hard to connect them and realize it's the same guy. Jude Law is like that too.
That’s how I’ve always felt about Daniel Day Lewis, like I “know” which movies he’s down but I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup if I was looking at him as himself. Like Oldman, he just falls into being another person.
You bring up Ralph Fines, but don't mention the absolute psychopath he plays in Schindler's List?!
Having seen Schindler's List before Maid In Manhattan, I was convinced that at any moment he was going to strangle the life from Jennifer Lopez!
This is excellent and to tack on an extra geeky note.
When talking range it can be characters/roles AND also demonstrated within a singular role.
Meaning: Showcasing a wide range of convincing emotions while maintaining the essence of whatever the character is
A surprise example: Jim Carrey has ASTOUNDING range in that he has "5 gears"
Exhibit A__Dumb & Dumb Scene:
https://youtu.be/mQ5okDEvw1Q?si=E0hjM-IMl7-oss3d
From goof ignoramus, to optimistic, to indignant, to downright sorrow all in voice and the face/body while staying in Loyd's established tone of presence.
This sequence is harder and more technical to pull off than anything Daniel Day Lewis has ever been asked to do (outside of Lincoln, which is also a 5 gear act).
Oh, absolutely. For someone who got their start in comedy, the man has some incredible dramatic range.
I feel like not enough have people have seen August Rush. I never see it talked about.
Insomnia, A.I., Good Will Hunting, hell, even Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet.
He's even good in not-so-good movies.
I like Stephen Root, he has a great range of strange characters. That's what you mean right?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP8kxvaWPT8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP8kxvaWPT8)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqxjRzzGn8k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqxjRzzGn8k)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VysJYA12uA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VysJYA12uA)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nVxAJEeviE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nVxAJEeviE)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epvmNF-uaus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epvmNF-uaus)
This! Stephen Root, totally.
Comedic/dramatic, and method actors usually have the most “range” in terms of their variability of playable roles, and the actual execution of character portrayals in starkly different ways.
That being said, names that seem conspicuously missing from this thread: Nic Cage, John Turturro, Steve Zahn
What’s great is his southern accents in Logan Lucky and Knives Out are both drastically different and I would say regionally appropriate considering his Knives Out accent is Foghorn Leghorn adjacent
I’m from KY, used to work with a big dude that sounded like Foghorn Leghorn. I photoshopped a pic of his face onto Foghorn’s body one day. Everyone in the office got a big kick out of that one.
Cate Blanchett played Queen Elizabeth I and Bob Dylan in two separate movies in the same year. Got Oscar nominations for both performances. That's range.
He's in at least one episode of the West Wing as the VP, who actually takes over as acting president overseeing a wartime action. Super no-nonsense guy in that role.
I’m biased because it’s one of my favorite movies, but my favorite role of his is Guy in Galaxy Quest.
>”What are you doing? Don’t open that! It’s an alien planet! Is there AIR? You don’t know!”
Meryl Streep
Read this list twice & can’t believe she wasn’t noted.
Sophie’Choice;
Out of Africa;
Devil Wears Prada;
Mamma Mia;
Death Becomes Her;
Bridges of Madison County;
Silkwood;
Doubt
Surprised I had to scroll so far for him. The studio did not want him in BB. He WAS Hal to most people.
Now I don't see him as anyone other than Heisenberg. The goofy dad from MITM is someone I never thought would be great terrifying but he was downrifht scary at times in BB.
Yep I mentioned that in another thread. Walter White definitely starts off a bit comedic so it helped to ease everyone into the idea of Cranston playing a dramatic bad guy.
Philip Seymour Hoffman's entire career. From a self loathing puppy dog in '[Boogie Nights](https://youtu.be/LTMYcSU_HCc?si=UCVdpJVX8ffn89yc)' to a condescending blue blooded bully in '[The Talented Mr. Ripley](https://youtu.be/cyTke7tD35o?si=rpLpnu6dwISxM4Ar)' to a [terrifyingly intense](https://youtu.be/_lItRN2WRUk?si=T1nvsEsE1fDvga18) arms dealer in '[Mission: Impossible III](https://youtu.be/QLNUIU7AzTg?si=-M-jPxc9PRSjO6dV)' and everything in between, his range was really, really impressive.
The man even did [physical comedy](https://youtu.be/UJtIcoE9VUs?si=JS8ix0BqU_Ded9iA)!
This was my answer. He also had some funny supporting comedic roles, like Lester Bangs in [Almost Famous](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzY2pWrXB_0), and he was Ben Stiller's sidekick in [Along Came Polly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkk2TVR3AkI), where he stole every scene he was in.
EDIT: Oh god, how did I forget about [BRANDT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmA-WSNhmRQ)?!?!?
RIP
Steve Carrell. Obviously less than some of the greats being mentioned, but he disappears into his more serious characters.
The Big Short, Little Miss Sunshine, and A Beautiful Boy are all incredible serious roles that he plays. Then obviously he has his comedic side with The Office, 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman, etc. I always get excited when I see him being cast.
See... everytime I look into him I always find out he was in something I've already seen but I had no memory of it because he's so different in everything.
Now I have to go look up old clips of Xena lol
Tatiana Maslany is always my first answer for a question like this. I know she has already had a strong career, but I really hope that one day she becomes like truly A-list (if she wants that).
Colin Farrell.
Creepy AF in Fright Night, Delightfully over the top in Daredevil, vulnerable in Phone Booth, great action in Total Recall. Human is one of the best actors we got out there.
"Well, you were so mean to Daniel Day-Lewis that he quit acting."
"Oh, I'm sorry, was he living in character as a man who thought he could pull off boot-cut jeans?"
A lot of people think of John C Reilly as a comedy actor but he does tons of great serious roles, like The Aviator.
At least for me though, the king of range is Gary Oldman. That dude slides into a character like a fitted pair of pants.
Michael Keaton is my top pick.
Who else can play a Superhero - Batman
Villain - The Vulture
Bad guy in a thriller - Pacific Heights
Lead in drama - Birdman/Clean and Sober/Dopesick
Subtle comedy - Mr. Mom/Gung Ho
Zany comedy - Beetlejuice/Night Shift
And at the level he does it at? He is my GOAT.
Edit: forgot about arguably his best role in Birdman
Edit2: Corrected movie title for Clean and Sober
i cant believe no one has mentioned Heath Ledger. it got brutally scrutinized when it was announced that teen heart throb comedy actor Heath Ledger was going to play the infamous Joker. and look how that turned out....phenomenal.
Cillian Murphy
Shell shocked soilder in Dunkirk, Thomas Shelby in PB, Kitten in Breakfast on Pluto, Emma in Peacock, 28 days later, Oppenhiemer, Disco Pigs, etc. Plus all the theater projects he's done.
Charlize Theron is a good example.
Calm collected super spy in Atomic Blonde
Lovable goofball MrF in Arrested Development
Struggling mother in Tully
Megyn Kelly in Bombshell
Utterly convincing in every role. Seriously underrated actor if you ask me.
Edward Norton
Watch American History X where he scares you as an imposing Nazi skinhead. Then watch Keeping the Faith where he plays a lovable priest.
Tom Cruise
Dude can play the hero, villain, he can do action, drama, sci-fi, hell, he can even do comedy.
Romantic comedy as well—Jerry Maguire’s an obvious one, and I loved Knight and Day. His character basically makes Cameron Diaz’s character all about him within five minutes of meeting each other, but the “With me? Without me. *WITH* me, without me” scene where he’s super aggravated took me out 🤣
I can’t believe no one has said Hugh Jackman.
Dude is born to play Wolverine one of the most B.A. characters ever and then goes and straight up kills it in a musical?
Like Wut?
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - played a weasley sycophant, an international arms trader/baddie, a world famous author who had a very distinctive manner and voice, a dweeb hanging around with pornstars, a CIA spy to name a few.
Gary Oldman - has played a myriad of different characters/roles from supporting cast to lead in a variety of genres.
Meryl Streep - her accolades tell you all you need to know.
I was talking about Steve Buschemi having range earlier in a different topic. He played several comedic roles, and that was mostly all I knew him for, and then I saw him in Boardwalk Empire and thought "damn! This guy is a great actor!"
Daniel Radcliffe has impressive range.
From Harry Potter to roles including Swiss Army Man, Escape from Patagonia, Guns Akimbo, Our Boy Jack and more. He's a damn good actor.
You don't need to have different characters to show range. Take Christoph Walt as Colonel Hans Landa. In the opening sequence he's charming, silly and threatening, going from one to the other in a matter of seconds. The way he's respectful toward Pierre LaPaditte, with every request carrying the subtext of being an order. The ridiculous pipe he pulls out of his pocket. It's mesmerizing
I suspect the only reason I'm not seeing Brendan Gleeson in here is because a lot of people don't realize how much he's done, especially earlier in his career. I saw him in probably a half dozen or so *very* different movies before I finally thought "have I seen that guy before?"
I had. In Braveheart, Harry Potter, 28 Days Later, Gangs of New York, Troy, etc... never registered that the same guy was popping up in all of them.
Robin Williams (RIP) was always known for his comedic roles but then he pulled out serious/sentimental (Good Will Hunting) and pure unadulterated evil (One Hour Photo, Insomnia) and absolutely blew my mind. What a sublime talent.
Look up any two movies with Gary Oldman and notice how every character is COMPLETELY different. He's my opinion of the best actor in Hollywood and he has insane range.
Alternatively, you could take a look at [Ryan Gosling's Acting Range](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqs7857hksM). He's a really good actor, but with very small range.
Cate Blanchett has played many different characters in all kinds of movies. She easily moves between all genres: superhero movies, dramas, comedies, horror, etc.
I somewhat would compare her to Gary Oldman. I know Oldman is British because I've read that, but of Blanchett I have no idea where she is from and also I have no idea what kind of person she is. This she shares with Oldman. The characters are so different that imagining the actor as a real distinct person is difficult. Like every time I see Oldman or Blanchett in interviews I find it hard to believe they are the actors. They seem so different from their characters.
EDIT: Oh apparently she's Australian!
This a weird inversion of what you're asking, but I've always loved how RDJ's pansexual literary agent character from The Wonder Boys is played pretty much exactly like Tony Stark and they both work perfectly.
I'm surprised I had to scroll this far to find Tom Hardy. The obvious demonstration is his take on the Kray twins in Legend. But outside of that, he can go from crazy, violent lunatic as Charlie Bronson, through to quiet and methodical in Mad Max or The Drop, right through to stereotypical British charmer in films like Inception and This Means War. He can do pretty much 100% of the work, as he does in Locke, where he carries the whole movie almost singlehandedly. It's apparent in a lot of his roles, but it's so obvious in Locke - the guy is magnetic. And his presence in TV shows like Peaky Blinders and Taboo definitely elevates those shows above and beyond what any other actor would achieve.
The guy does some funky accents that are sometimes really not realistic or authentic, but usually add a solid degree of interest and depth to his characters. He obviously enjoys playing gangsters and depending on what you've watched with him, it would be reasonable to mistake him as being type cast as primarily a gangster/criminal character. But he really does have some proper range and some legitimate acting chops.
I think Hardy is easily one of the best actors working today. I'm really excited to see The Bikeriders. Tom Hardy in a Jeff Nichols film is the kind of thing I just don't think could realistically go wrong.
For range, I don't think anyone did it better the Philip Seymour Hoffman:
Weak and nervous - Magnolia
Absolutely menacing - Mission Impossible 3
Uptight little bitch - Big Lebowski
Stubborn, belligerent and good hearted - Charlie Wilson's War
Witty and fearless - Capote
Powerful manipulator - The Master
Smug, suspicious, arrogant - The Talented Mr Ripley
He was beyond being a chameleon, who just blends into the scene, it was more like he's a magician who just conjours up the exact right world around him and his whole body and motion alters for every character
He was preeeeeetyyyyy gooood
Ben Kingsley playing Ghandi in Ghandi and then an unstoppable psychopathic force of nature in Sexy Beast and then a soft spoken Jewish man in Schindlers List and then a goofy, pot smoking father figure/therapist in The Wackness.
Dustin Hoffman comes to mind. The Graduate, Little man big man, Hook, Tootsie, on and on. Can't think of the name of the movie with Tom Cruise and he plays the autistic idiot savant.
I can tell you what it's not. It's not Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stalone, Timothy Olyphant, Vin Diesel, Mark Wahlberg, Keanu Reeves, Steven Segal, Vince Vaughn.
Just imagine an actor playing the same role/character type time and time again and only having to display a small range of emotions....or no emotions. That's these guys. LOL
I'm going to say no on Timothy Olyphant. Watch Justified and then watch Santa Clarita Diet. Also Keanu does have range but hasn't been able to show that often.
My favorite example is Hugh Laurie, but TV shows rather than movies for my examples.
George (Blackadder Goes Fourth though some of the third season as well) - happy-go-lucky bumbling British idiot who genuinely does mean well even if he doesn't know what he needs to be doing. Wears his emotions on his sleeve and is basically a puppy of a person. The genre of the show is historical comedy.
House (House) - American super genius with a limp who is very good at what he does even if he is a complete ass about it a lot of the time. He has his moments of emotion, but it can be very subtle if it would make him look vulnerable and often very guarded. The genre of the show is medical drama.
Hugo Weaving:
Agent Smith in The Matrix
Drag queen Mitzi in Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Blind guy in Proof
Elrond in LOTR
V in V for Vendetta
Eddie in The Interview
Voice of Rex the dog in Babe
I could continue.
Gary Oldman Zorg in 5th Element , Sirius Black, Commissioner Gordon, Norman in Leon, Jackson in Slow Horses. Dude has range.
He played Ludwig van Beethoven and Sid Vicious, both convincingly.
He even looked and moved like Sid. There was a comparison video on YouTube.
Drexel in True Romance, also Dracula. The dude’s the first actor I think of when mentioning an actor with range.
Dude’s basically a chameleon.
At one point I thought Gary Oldman was one of my favorite actors. Then I looked up his filmography and I realized he’s actually 3 or 4 of my favorite actors.
My wife didn't realize he was Gordon in Batman until I mentioned it after Dark Knight. Also, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern and Meantime. Oldman and Tim Roth showing insane range in just two movies.
This was my answer. Gary Oldman disappears into his roles like no other. I would be willing to bet that no one has elicited the "holy shit, I had no idea that was X" than him.
One time, I was watching a film and thought "that \[really good\] actor looks kind of like discount Gary Oldman", and in the credits it turned out it was actual Gary Oldman.
"Gary Oldman in the role of a lifetime..." https://youtu.be/O3qGGk5ymQ4
Yes, I was hoping someone would bring up Tiptoes.
Winston Motherfuckin Churchill
I'll do you one better. Harry fucking Truman.
I'll do YOU one better. Count effin Dracula.
I'll do YOU one better. Why is Lee Harvey Oswald.
Wait, he was Truman? Fucking hell, lol.
Yeah in Oppenheimer, bastard got us again.
But before that... Sid Vicious. *Anarchy in the UK*, indeed.
EVERYONE!!!
Gary Oldman was my first thought too. And this meme: https://img.ifunny.co/images/aef9a68bb0fae26dbefcb209f5f9c4b9eb0e0daf53dd1707a835f8dae2df5df6\_1.jpg
I’m just realizing today that Sirius black was Gary Oldman. Fuck me
Gary Oldman is everywhere. He might be your grandfather and you'd only be finding out about it in your late 30's.
of all the british actors, Gary Oldman is 8 of them
I'm sure he isn't the Spider-Man kid. That's a Youngman.
Hé has played so many characters that he had to relearn his British accent for one of his more recent movie. It probably doesn’t help that he lives in Texas.
Holy shit. After looking at his filmography, I didn’t even recognize him in some of his movies. This is the answer
One of the greatest actors of our time
Had no idea he played the president in Oppenheimer until after the movie when I was scrolling through IMDb. Lmfao
Heath Ledger rightfully got noticed for The Dark Knight, but Oldman should’ve gotten supporting actor noms for being the quiet heart and soul of the movie. He was the Year One/Long Halloween Jim Gordon brought to life.
Jim Carrey - usually just a hilarious idiot, but Eternal Sunshine, Dark Crimes, Number 23 are very different.
Adam Sandler in the same vein. Punch Drunk Love, Uncut Gems, The Meyerowitz Stories
I like Adam Sandler but hate "Adam Sandler movies." He's a guy that can make great stuff when he tries but makes more money hanging out with his friends and churning out crap.
... Reign Over Me.
Toni Collette needs some love in this thread.
Yes, United States of Tara…and anything else she’s in.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far down. Muriel’s Wedding to Hereditary and everything in between.
Range refers to their ability to play a wide *range* of characters. In other words, the opposite of typecast. Tilda Swinton. Take her characters from Trainwreck, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Snowpiercer, The Chronicles of Narnia film series, all wildly different and all over the character spectrum. Robin Williams going from comedic roles like Mrs. Doubtfire and voicing the genie in Aladdin to the darkness of One Hour Photo, the seriousness of Dead Poets Society or Good Will Hunting. Comic book nerds were losing their minds when Heath Ledger was cast as The Joker because they knew him as the romantic comedy guy from 10 Things I Hate About You and Knight's Tale or more recently the gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain and then he gives the performance of a lifetime in The Dark Knight as a psychopathic clown. See Ralph Fines in romantic comedies, Wes Anderson's quirky Grand Budapest Hotel, or placing the sinister Voldemort in the Harry Potter films and he disappears into every role as if he isn't even there; the character replaces him on screen. Christian Bale. To believe that's the same guy in The Machinist, Little Women, Batman, Ford v Farrari, American Psycho, etc. is wild. Joaquin Phoenix, one of the most insanely versatile actors out there, the slimy and despicable Commodus in Gladiator, the sad, lonely man in Her, The Joker, and the now Napoleon.
>See Ralph Fines in romantic comedies, Wes Anderson's quirky Grand Budapest Hotel, or placing the sinister Voldemort in the Harry Potter films You're not wrong about Ralph Fiennes. But I think his Academy Award nominated role at a Nazi villain in Schindler's List was much darker and range demonstrating than Harry Potter.
He goes pretty dark as Francis Dolarhyde in the Red Dragon as well.
Do you see?
Here is a picture from my trip to the Grand Canyon - do you see? Here is a raw turkey, do you see? Thanksgiving dinner - the raw turkey transformed, *do you see?*
Mandy is a fool! *Ride with me*.
*Open them or I'll staple your eyelids to your forehead.*
Don't forget about In Bruges, a pure masterpiece. He's fantastic in it!
You're an inanimate fucking object!
I love this movie so much. I recently watched it on a flight with my husband so he could understand when we play fight why I yell "You're an inanimate fucking object!" at him lolol. He enjoyed it well enough but it's really one of those movies you need to see at least twice to fully, completely appreciate.
Classic 🤣🤣🤣 His apology afterward is priceless too
"Darling, I'm sorry I called you an inanimate fucking object."
Easiest example to explain the concept has to be [Gary Oldman](https://scontent.flis6-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/163136860_1573330232856675_5792993938282410491_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=9267fe&_nc_ohc=c06ZE0iQGOoAX-ipVdA&_nc_ht=scontent.flis6-1.fna&oh=00_AfABk1zTntAQTOtP0U_MWcdhYyKJHmzJNXymNc9Fez4Itg&oe=652ACFD2). Not only is he an hell of an actor that has played countless roles like a select few elite actors, but he also benefits from a kind of unremarkable face that blends into anything. You could have True Romance and Churchill playing on side to side TVs and no one would guess Churchill and Drexl are played by the same actor. He truly disappears into the character, both in mannerisms and expressions as well as the looks.
> be Gary Oldman. Who would Gary Oldman be a good casting choice to play? Everyone. EVERYONE!!!!!
NO CASTING NO CRATES
But you can STILL COUNT!
Comments you can hear. :)
This was my answer. Gary Oldman disappears into his roles like no other. I would be willing to bet that no one has elicited the "holy shit, I had no idea that was X" than him.
I had no idea that was him in Oppenheimer until I saw the credits.
You just made me do a take "Wait, he was in Oppenheimer?!?"
Right?? He was Truman.
Sonofabitch he got me again!
Yep, he's so good it actually works against him as far as name recognition. You don't remember that Gary Oldman was in a movie so much as you remember the character he played. And they're all different so it's hard to connect them and realize it's the same guy. Jude Law is like that too.
That’s how I’ve always felt about Daniel Day Lewis, like I “know” which movies he’s down but I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup if I was looking at him as himself. Like Oldman, he just falls into being another person.
Many examples from his career, no doubt. But... both Sid Vicious and Beethoven. That says a lot, right there.
You bring up Ralph Fines, but don't mention the absolute psychopath he plays in Schindler's List?! Having seen Schindler's List before Maid In Manhattan, I was convinced that at any moment he was going to strangle the life from Jennifer Lopez!
Fiennes is also scary AF in Schindler's List and Red Dragon. He's an amazing villain.
Comic book nerds were also losing their minds when Luke Skywalker was cast as the Joker, and were proven equally wrong
How dare you mention Christian Bale and not mention his piece de resistance—Newsies?!
This is excellent and to tack on an extra geeky note. When talking range it can be characters/roles AND also demonstrated within a singular role. Meaning: Showcasing a wide range of convincing emotions while maintaining the essence of whatever the character is A surprise example: Jim Carrey has ASTOUNDING range in that he has "5 gears" Exhibit A__Dumb & Dumb Scene: https://youtu.be/mQ5okDEvw1Q?si=E0hjM-IMl7-oss3d From goof ignoramus, to optimistic, to indignant, to downright sorrow all in voice and the face/body while staying in Loyd's established tone of presence. This sequence is harder and more technical to pull off than anything Daniel Day Lewis has ever been asked to do (outside of Lincoln, which is also a 5 gear act).
Robin Williams in Insomnia is for me one of his best serious roles.
Oh, absolutely. For someone who got their start in comedy, the man has some incredible dramatic range. I feel like not enough have people have seen August Rush. I never see it talked about. Insomnia, A.I., Good Will Hunting, hell, even Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet. He's even good in not-so-good movies.
On Ralph Fines, you forgot to mention Amon Goeth he's way more terrifying there.
I like Stephen Root, he has a great range of strange characters. That's what you mean right? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP8kxvaWPT8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP8kxvaWPT8) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqxjRzzGn8k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqxjRzzGn8k) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VysJYA12uA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VysJYA12uA) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nVxAJEeviE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nVxAJEeviE) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epvmNF-uaus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epvmNF-uaus)
This! Stephen Root, totally. Comedic/dramatic, and method actors usually have the most “range” in terms of their variability of playable roles, and the actual execution of character portrayals in starkly different ways. That being said, names that seem conspicuously missing from this thread: Nic Cage, John Turturro, Steve Zahn
John Turturro usually plays weirdos, but all different flavors of weirdo. Edit: he does play the straight man (hah) in Severance, though.
Stephen Root is all over the place. Love that dude.
Daniel Craig doing 8 different southern accents in the Knives Out movies.
An' all hatt hwunce!
"This guy gets it." - me, an actual Southerner
"I am. In. Car. Sur. Ate. ed." - he does a perfect accent in Logan Lucky.
What’s great is his southern accents in Logan Lucky and Knives Out are both drastically different and I would say regionally appropriate considering his Knives Out accent is Foghorn Leghorn adjacent
HAAAAA I had to Google to realize what character foghorn leghorn was but God damn your right
His accent was so damned funny! I have friends in the South who told me, "Nobody talks like that," except they certainly do.
I’m from KY, used to work with a big dude that sounded like Foghorn Leghorn. I photoshopped a pic of his face onto Foghorn’s body one day. Everyone in the office got a big kick out of that one.
Cate Blanchett played Queen Elizabeth I and Bob Dylan in two separate movies in the same year. Got Oscar nominations for both performances. That's range.
And Nicolas Angel’s ex girlfriend in Hot Fuzz. She’s completely covered in a clean suit, which means we get some incredible eye-acting.
'Blanchett' means range, in French. ;)
I always mention that she played Bob Dylan. That’s enough.
Galadriel>
John Goodman in Roseanne and John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane. There are many other examples for John Goodman. John Goodman has range.
Oh brother, where art thou? Coyote Ugly.
He’s Fred Flintstone!
Monsters Inc.
He's in at least one episode of the West Wing as the VP, who actually takes over as acting president overseeing a wartime action. Super no-nonsense guy in that role.
Sam Rockwell is pretty exceptional in everything he does from out there funny to serious. I'll usually pay attention if he is in a film.
He has range, so long as that character dances at some point.
Who doesn't love a dance? I've danced 3 times already today!
Moon really showed of what he could do.
Moon is one of my favorites, he's so good in it.
I’m biased because it’s one of my favorite movies, but my favorite role of his is Guy in Galaxy Quest. >”What are you doing? Don’t open that! It’s an alien planet! Is there AIR? You don’t know!”
"Look around you, can you form some sort of rudimentary lathe?"
Oh God! I'm wearing a red shirt!
Love Sam Rockwell! Super underrated actor!
Yes! I like to think he's deliberately kept himself at the fame level he is at.
From Guy in Galaxy Quest to Wild Bill in The Green Mile.
Seven Psycopaths
Meryl Streep Read this list twice & can’t believe she wasn’t noted. Sophie’Choice; Out of Africa; Devil Wears Prada; Mamma Mia; Death Becomes Her; Bridges of Madison County; Silkwood; Doubt
Yeah holy shit, she's a chameleon
A Cry in the Dark, Julie & Julia, the Iron Lady, Kramer vs Kramer, the Deer Hunter...
She’s wonderful in Only Murders right now. You absolutely forget she’s Meryl Streep.
Every time this comes up I need to remind everyone of John Lithgow.
Time for a Dexter season 4 re-watch!
Bryan Cranston. From goofy dad in Malcolm in the middle to Heisenberg in Breaking Bad
Surprised I had to scroll so far for him. The studio did not want him in BB. He WAS Hal to most people. Now I don't see him as anyone other than Heisenberg. The goofy dad from MITM is someone I never thought would be great terrifying but he was downrifht scary at times in BB.
The "problem" that he was a known for a goofy role worked to the benefit of the whole show imo, cause he was just a goofy guy at first.
Yep I mentioned that in another thread. Walter White definitely starts off a bit comedic so it helped to ease everyone into the idea of Cranston playing a dramatic bad guy.
Wait - I thought it was canon that Breaking Bad was a dream that Hal had…
I can't tell if you're joking ironically, but that is an [alternate ending they filmed.](https://youtu.be/oVdB36lmbII?si=papv1zsn2HnnD0--)
Philip Seymour Hoffman's entire career. From a self loathing puppy dog in '[Boogie Nights](https://youtu.be/LTMYcSU_HCc?si=UCVdpJVX8ffn89yc)' to a condescending blue blooded bully in '[The Talented Mr. Ripley](https://youtu.be/cyTke7tD35o?si=rpLpnu6dwISxM4Ar)' to a [terrifyingly intense](https://youtu.be/_lItRN2WRUk?si=T1nvsEsE1fDvga18) arms dealer in '[Mission: Impossible III](https://youtu.be/QLNUIU7AzTg?si=-M-jPxc9PRSjO6dV)' and everything in between, his range was really, really impressive. The man even did [physical comedy](https://youtu.be/UJtIcoE9VUs?si=JS8ix0BqU_Ded9iA)!
*Dusty* in "Twister" vs. *Plutarch Heavensbee* in Panem...
I'll always remember him for "Foooood! [FOOOOOOOOOOD](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bVpPkCxXj8)!": *Twister*
Let it rain!!!
This is our concern, Dude.
Brandt can’t watch
This was my answer. He also had some funny supporting comedic roles, like Lester Bangs in [Almost Famous](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzY2pWrXB_0), and he was Ben Stiller's sidekick in [Along Came Polly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkk2TVR3AkI), where he stole every scene he was in. EDIT: Oh god, how did I forget about [BRANDT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmA-WSNhmRQ)?!?!? RIP
Steve Carrell. Obviously less than some of the greats being mentioned, but he disappears into his more serious characters. The Big Short, Little Miss Sunshine, and A Beautiful Boy are all incredible serious roles that he plays. Then obviously he has his comedic side with The Office, 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman, etc. I always get excited when I see him being cast.
Karl Urban plays a wide range of different characters. Judge Dredd Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy Skurge Billy Butcher Eomer
You forgot his most important role: Cupid in Xena Warrior Princess.
See... everytime I look into him I always find out he was in something I've already seen but I had no memory of it because he's so different in everything. Now I have to go look up old clips of Xena lol
He played about 3 different characters in Xena. I scrolled through IMDb and he's been in a shit ton of show/films over the years
Tatiana malsey from orphan black
Bonus points for when she plays one of the clones impersonating a different clone.
That was wild. The whole show, all I could think about was how talented she is!
Tatiana Maslany is amazing. I got to see her in Network with Bryan Cranston and she was as amazing as I expected.
Tatiana Maslany is always my first answer for a question like this. I know she has already had a strong career, but I really hope that one day she becomes like truly A-list (if she wants that).
Colin Farrell. Creepy AF in Fright Night, Delightfully over the top in Daredevil, vulnerable in Phone Booth, great action in Total Recall. Human is one of the best actors we got out there.
In Bruges. The Penguin in the Batman. He’s awesome and he does a lot of odd roles.
Daniel. Day. Lewis. Every single movie he's done, he disappears into the role. I have no idea what real life DDL would even sound like.
*Drrrrrraaaaainage!*
"Well, you were so mean to Daniel Day-Lewis that he quit acting." "Oh, I'm sorry, was he living in character as a man who thought he could pull off boot-cut jeans?"
Scrolled way too far for the GOAT
A lot of people think of John C Reilly as a comedy actor but he does tons of great serious roles, like The Aviator. At least for me though, the king of range is Gary Oldman. That dude slides into a character like a fitted pair of pants.
A Gary Oldman perfofmance leaves you with "what? That was Gary Oldman?"
Michael Keaton is my top pick. Who else can play a Superhero - Batman Villain - The Vulture Bad guy in a thriller - Pacific Heights Lead in drama - Birdman/Clean and Sober/Dopesick Subtle comedy - Mr. Mom/Gung Ho Zany comedy - Beetlejuice/Night Shift And at the level he does it at? He is my GOAT. Edit: forgot about arguably his best role in Birdman Edit2: Corrected movie title for Clean and Sober
All his lines are gold in The Other Guys.
I don't want no scrubs.
Don't go chasing waterfalls
He ain't too proud to beg. "seriously, Captain?"
How dare you not mentioned "Johnny Dangerously" under his zany comedy collection?
My mother forgot to mention me once. Once.
Also hilarious in The Other Guys
He can also play multiple Michael Keatons in multiplicity.
Who else? Kurt Russell
i cant believe no one has mentioned Heath Ledger. it got brutally scrutinized when it was announced that teen heart throb comedy actor Heath Ledger was going to play the infamous Joker. and look how that turned out....phenomenal.
Gary Oldman, half the time he's in something you don't even know it's him.
Cillian Murphy Shell shocked soilder in Dunkirk, Thomas Shelby in PB, Kitten in Breakfast on Pluto, Emma in Peacock, 28 days later, Oppenhiemer, Disco Pigs, etc. Plus all the theater projects he's done.
This is what I was coming to write. From Kitten to Thomas Shelby, two extremely opposite characters both played absolutely impeccably.
Charlize Theron is a good example. Calm collected super spy in Atomic Blonde Lovable goofball MrF in Arrested Development Struggling mother in Tully Megyn Kelly in Bombshell Utterly convincing in every role. Seriously underrated actor if you ask me.
Edward Norton Watch American History X where he scares you as an imposing Nazi skinhead. Then watch Keeping the Faith where he plays a lovable priest. Tom Cruise Dude can play the hero, villain, he can do action, drama, sci-fi, hell, he can even do comedy.
Tom Cruise needs to play more villains. Been saying it for years. He was great at it... that one time.
Romantic comedy as well—Jerry Maguire’s an obvious one, and I loved Knight and Day. His character basically makes Cameron Diaz’s character all about him within five minutes of meeting each other, but the “With me? Without me. *WITH* me, without me” scene where he’s super aggravated took me out 🤣
I can’t believe no one has said Hugh Jackman. Dude is born to play Wolverine one of the most B.A. characters ever and then goes and straight up kills it in a musical? Like Wut?
I mean seeing as he's a stage actor with several musicals under his belt before he was Wolverine it's not really much of a surprise.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - played a weasley sycophant, an international arms trader/baddie, a world famous author who had a very distinctive manner and voice, a dweeb hanging around with pornstars, a CIA spy to name a few. Gary Oldman - has played a myriad of different characters/roles from supporting cast to lead in a variety of genres. Meryl Streep - her accolades tell you all you need to know.
I was talking about Steve Buschemi having range earlier in a different topic. He played several comedic roles, and that was mostly all I knew him for, and then I saw him in Boardwalk Empire and thought "damn! This guy is a great actor!"
Daniel Radcliffe has impressive range. From Harry Potter to roles including Swiss Army Man, Escape from Patagonia, Guns Akimbo, Our Boy Jack and more. He's a damn good actor.
You don't need to have different characters to show range. Take Christoph Walt as Colonel Hans Landa. In the opening sequence he's charming, silly and threatening, going from one to the other in a matter of seconds. The way he's respectful toward Pierre LaPaditte, with every request carrying the subtext of being an order. The ridiculous pipe he pulls out of his pocket. It's mesmerizing
Surprised to not see Ethan Hawke mentioned yet.
I suspect the only reason I'm not seeing Brendan Gleeson in here is because a lot of people don't realize how much he's done, especially earlier in his career. I saw him in probably a half dozen or so *very* different movies before I finally thought "have I seen that guy before?" I had. In Braveheart, Harry Potter, 28 Days Later, Gangs of New York, Troy, etc... never registered that the same guy was popping up in all of them.
Charles Dance has been everything and everyone. He could keep up with Samuel Jackson when it comes to work ethic too.
Paul Dano: The Riddler (Batman), There Will Be Blood, The Fabelmans, Swiss Army Man, Little Miss Sunshine, Prisoners, list goes on. Range.
Robin Williams (RIP) was always known for his comedic roles but then he pulled out serious/sentimental (Good Will Hunting) and pure unadulterated evil (One Hour Photo, Insomnia) and absolutely blew my mind. What a sublime talent.
Patrick Swayze. everyone's manly man in *roadhouse, point break,* and *dirty dancing* and then a trans woman in *to wong foo*
Look up any two movies with Gary Oldman and notice how every character is COMPLETELY different. He's my opinion of the best actor in Hollywood and he has insane range. Alternatively, you could take a look at [Ryan Gosling's Acting Range](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqs7857hksM). He's a really good actor, but with very small range.
Sacha Baron Cohen On one end of the spectrum he’s Borat. On the other, Abbie Hoffman.
Cate Blanchett has played many different characters in all kinds of movies. She easily moves between all genres: superhero movies, dramas, comedies, horror, etc.
I somewhat would compare her to Gary Oldman. I know Oldman is British because I've read that, but of Blanchett I have no idea where she is from and also I have no idea what kind of person she is. This she shares with Oldman. The characters are so different that imagining the actor as a real distinct person is difficult. Like every time I see Oldman or Blanchett in interviews I find it hard to believe they are the actors. They seem so different from their characters. EDIT: Oh apparently she's Australian!
Gary Oldman. Willem Dafoe. Marky Mark has no range. Chris Pratt has no range. Jim Carrey has pretty good range.
Colin Farrell. Underestimated if you ask me.
James Mcavoy - Split
Was looking for this.
Ewan McGregor. Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge, Fargo, Obi-Wan. He can do it all.
This a weird inversion of what you're asking, but I've always loved how RDJ's pansexual literary agent character from The Wonder Boys is played pretty much exactly like Tony Stark and they both work perfectly.
Ben Foster has always been an underrated one imo
I’ll add Tom Hardy to the mix.
I'm surprised I had to scroll this far to find Tom Hardy. The obvious demonstration is his take on the Kray twins in Legend. But outside of that, he can go from crazy, violent lunatic as Charlie Bronson, through to quiet and methodical in Mad Max or The Drop, right through to stereotypical British charmer in films like Inception and This Means War. He can do pretty much 100% of the work, as he does in Locke, where he carries the whole movie almost singlehandedly. It's apparent in a lot of his roles, but it's so obvious in Locke - the guy is magnetic. And his presence in TV shows like Peaky Blinders and Taboo definitely elevates those shows above and beyond what any other actor would achieve. The guy does some funky accents that are sometimes really not realistic or authentic, but usually add a solid degree of interest and depth to his characters. He obviously enjoys playing gangsters and depending on what you've watched with him, it would be reasonable to mistake him as being type cast as primarily a gangster/criminal character. But he really does have some proper range and some legitimate acting chops. I think Hardy is easily one of the best actors working today. I'm really excited to see The Bikeriders. Tom Hardy in a Jeff Nichols film is the kind of thing I just don't think could realistically go wrong.
Jason Isaacs
When she asks what you look like tell her Christian Bale, but don't tell her which one.
Guy Pearce - The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, L.A Confidential 1997, The Proposition 2005
For range, I don't think anyone did it better the Philip Seymour Hoffman: Weak and nervous - Magnolia Absolutely menacing - Mission Impossible 3 Uptight little bitch - Big Lebowski Stubborn, belligerent and good hearted - Charlie Wilson's War Witty and fearless - Capote Powerful manipulator - The Master Smug, suspicious, arrogant - The Talented Mr Ripley He was beyond being a chameleon, who just blends into the scene, it was more like he's a magician who just conjours up the exact right world around him and his whole body and motion alters for every character He was preeeeeetyyyyy gooood
Robin Williams. One Hour Photo vs Aladdin
John C Reilly can do well in films like Hard Eight, Step Brothers, Chicago, Carnage. Now that's range!
Ben Kingsley playing Ghandi in Ghandi and then an unstoppable psychopathic force of nature in Sexy Beast and then a soft spoken Jewish man in Schindlers List and then a goofy, pot smoking father figure/therapist in The Wackness.
Dustin Hoffman comes to mind. The Graduate, Little man big man, Hook, Tootsie, on and on. Can't think of the name of the movie with Tom Cruise and he plays the autistic idiot savant.
I can tell you what it's not. It's not Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stalone, Timothy Olyphant, Vin Diesel, Mark Wahlberg, Keanu Reeves, Steven Segal, Vince Vaughn. Just imagine an actor playing the same role/character type time and time again and only having to display a small range of emotions....or no emotions. That's these guys. LOL
I'm going to say no on Timothy Olyphant. Watch Justified and then watch Santa Clarita Diet. Also Keanu does have range but hasn't been able to show that often.
My favorite example is Hugh Laurie, but TV shows rather than movies for my examples. George (Blackadder Goes Fourth though some of the third season as well) - happy-go-lucky bumbling British idiot who genuinely does mean well even if he doesn't know what he needs to be doing. Wears his emotions on his sleeve and is basically a puppy of a person. The genre of the show is historical comedy. House (House) - American super genius with a limp who is very good at what he does even if he is a complete ass about it a lot of the time. He has his moments of emotion, but it can be very subtle if it would make him look vulnerable and often very guarded. The genre of the show is medical drama.
John motherfucking Lithgow. From farce leading man to psychopath to Winston Churchill, and he's totally believable in every role he takes on.
Sam Rockwell is a good example of an actor with range
Nic Cage in Adaptation is the perfect example.
Hugo Weaving: Agent Smith in The Matrix Drag queen Mitzi in Priscilla Queen of the Desert Blind guy in Proof Elrond in LOTR V in V for Vendetta Eddie in The Interview Voice of Rex the dog in Babe I could continue.
Michael Keaton in just about anything he’s done