In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups.^{[citation needed]} There have been instances in which an actor has been so strongly identified with a role as to make it difficult for him or her to find work playing other characters. Some actors attempt to escape typecasting by choosing roles that are opposite the types of roles that they are known for; alternatively, a director may choose to cast an actor in a role that would be unusual for them to create a dramatic (or sometimes comedic) effect, such as John Wayne, who was usually cast in leading hero-type roles. Typecasting also occurs in other performing arts. An opera singer who has a great deal of success in one role, such as Denyce Graves as Carmen, may become typecast in that role.

Actor selection[link]

The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (June 2011)

Actors are selected for their roles either by a casting director, typically found in small productions, or, in larger productions such as motion pictures, through casting agencies. Extras and stand-ins are often drawn from the company Central Casting, a company so influential since its 1925 start, that some people refer to all cast as coming from "central casting". The concept of "central" casting was also widespread during the studio-dominated era (from the 1920s through the 1940s) when each studio had a larger number of actors on contract who were assigned to whatever films were being made at the time by that studio. Such centralized casting was made more efficient by placing an actor in subsequent similar character roles after his or her first success, especially if an actor was particularly well-received in that role by the audience or by critics.

Typecasting happens to actors of both great and modest ability: an actor may become typecast either because of a strong identification with a particular role or because he or she lacks the versatility or talent to move on to other roles.^{[citation needed]} Some actors welcome the steady work that typecasting brings, but in general it is seen as undesirable for actors in leading roles.^{[citation needed]}

With character actors[link]

An actor is sometimes so strongly identified with a role as to make it difficult for him or her to find work playing other characters. It is especially common among leading actors in popular TV series and films.

[edit] Star Trek

An example is the cast of the original Star Trek:

[They] lost control of their destinies the minute they stepped on the bridge of the make-believe Enterprise in 1966.^[1]

and

For most of the actors in the original "Star Trek" series, Starfleet has never been far off the professional horizons.^[2]

During Star Trek's original run from 1966 to 1969, William Shatner was the highest paid cast member at $5,000 per episode ($36,000 today), with Leonard Nimoy and the other actors paid much less.^{[4]:166-167,297} The press predicted that Nimoy would be a star after the show ended,^[5] however, and James Doohan expected that appearing on an NBC series would help his post-Star Trek career.^[3] The show so typecast the actors, however—as early as March 1970, Nichelle Nichols complained of Star Trek having "defined [her] so narrowly as an actress"^[6]—that only Shatner and Nimoy continued working steadily during the 1970s, and even their work received little attention unless it was Star Trek-related. The others' income came mostly from personal appearances at Star Trek conventions attended by Trekkies; by 1978 DeForest Kelley, for example, earned up to $50,000 ($178,000 today) annually.^[1] In 1979 the first of six films starring the cast appeared; Kelley earned $1 million for the final film, Star Trek VI (1991).^[4]:297 Being identified so closely with one role^[2] left the show's cast with mixed emotions; Shatner called it "awesome and irksome", and Walter Koenig called it "bittersweet" but admitted that there was "a certain immortality in being associated with Star Trek".^[1]

The Next Generation actors also become typecast. Patrick Stewart's most prominent non-Star Trek film or television role, for example, is Professor X—like Jean-Luc Picard, a science fiction "grand, deep-voiced, bald English guy"—and he has stated "I don't have a film career. I have a franchise career."^[8] Jonathan Frakes has stated that "it’s better to be type-cast than not to be cast at all."^[9] The Next Generation had one of the largest budgets of its time, however,^[10] and its cast became very wealthy during its filming.^[11][8]

Other examples[link]

Clayton Moore and George Reeves, who played The Lone Ranger and Superman, respectively, in the Golden Age of Television, were also victims of typecasting. Reeves' typecasting was so pervasive that an urban legend grew around his role in From Here to Eternity, which claimed that his major role was practically removed from the film after test audiences shouted "There's Superman!" whenever he appeared. (In reality, there were no test screenings, and no scenes from Reeves' minor role were cut from the final version. The article on Hollywoodland, a fictionalized account of Reeves' death, discusses this issue.)

Additionally, examples of typecasting are prominent in other prime-time TV series, such as M*A*S*H and Little House on the Prairie. Adam West as Batman in the 1966 show of the same name is another prominent example.

Historical characters[link]

Soviet actor Mikheil Gelovani depicted Joseph Stalin in twelve films made during the leader's lifetime - among them The Great Dawn (1938), Lenin in 1918 (1939), The Vow (1946), The Fall of Berlin (1950) and The Unforgettable Year 1919 (1952) - which reflected his cult of personality; those films were either banned or had the scenes featuring Stalin removed after the 1956 Secret Speech. Following Stalin's death, Gelovani was denied new roles, since he was identified with the dead premier.^[12] According to the The Guinness Book of Movie Facts and Feats, Gelovani had probably portrayed the same historical figure more than any other actor.^[13] Die Zeit columnist Andreas Kilb wrote that he ended his life "a pitiful Kagemusha" of Stalin's image.^[14]

Playing against type[link]

Some actors attempt to escape typecasting by choosing roles that are opposite the types of roles that they are known for; alternatively, a director may choose to cast an actor in a role that would be unusual for them to create a dramatic effect. This is called "playing against type" or "casting against type".

Examples of actors playing against type[link]

• Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, thanks to his role as The Terminator, has been frequently typecast in action films as a brute force tough guy, whether good or bad, who has an incredible physique and a knack for evading death. However, in the comedy Twins, he plays the gentle giant behemoth Austrian twin of the much shorter, portly Danny DeVito.
• Bill Murray also was cast against character, as in his role in Lost In Translation he plays a more serious-dramatic role compared to his popular comedic parts.
• Tom Cruise plays an arrogant, fat, bald, and selfish corporation manager in Tropic Thunder to create a comedic juxtaposition to his normal screen presence.
• Robin Williams' performances in Insomnia and One Hour Photo in which he abandoned the charming and lovable persona he projected for most of his career in favour of playing dangerous, troubled individuals.
• Elijah Wood (Frodo in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy) as Kevin, a cannibalistic serial killer in the movie Sin City.
• Emma Roberts, best known for her credits in good-natured roles in family films such as Hotel for Dogs, Aquamarine and Nancy Drew as well as the Nickelodeon TV series Unfabulous, plays Jill Roberts, the psychotic serial killing cousin of Neve Campbell's character in the Wes Craven horror film Scream 4.
• Harrison Ford, usually known for his leading roles as the hero in action films plays a murderer in What Lies Beneath.
• Kevin Costner, well established as a leading man in romance, comedy and action films, plays against type as a serial killer in Mr. Brooks and the psychopathic antagonist in 3000 Miles to Graceland.
• Henry Fonda as the villain in Once Upon a Time in the West.

Another method in which actors avoid typecasting is by acting or promoting themselves in a way that is the complete antithesis of their best known role. An example of this is comedian Bob Saget playing wholesome characters in sitcoms, but performing foul-mouthed stand-up routines.

Playing within type[link]

Some actors embrace typecasting. Fans often expect a particular actor to play a "type", and roles which deviate from what is expected can be commercial failures. This beneficial typecasting is particularly common in action movies (e.g., Jackie Chan) and comedies (Adam Sandler) but much less common in drama, although many B-list character actors make careers out of playing a particular dramatic type, and it is often suggested to would-be actors that they audition for roles that fit their type.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010)

See also[link]

• Brat pack
• Brit Pack – 1980s
• Child actor
• Frat Pack – 1990s & 2000s
• Rat Pack – 1950s & 1960s

Look up typecasting in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Typecast or typecasting may mean:

• Typecasting (acting), the process by which an actor is strongly identified with a specific character, role, or trait
• Typecasting (blogging), a form of blogging in which text is composed on a typewriter, then scanned and uploaded to a blog
• Casting of sorts (movable type pieces) for use in printing presses
• Type conversion in computer programming, the act or result of changing an entity of one data type into another
• Typecast (band), Filipino band
• Typecast (horse), American racehorse

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

French stage and early film actress Sarah Bernhardt as Hamlet, ca. early 1880s

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Acting

This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2011)

Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play.

Most early sources in the West that examine the art of acting (Greek: ὑπόκρισις, hypokrisis) discuss it as part of rhetoric.^[1]

Definition and history[link]

One of the first actors is believed to be an ancient Greek called Thespis of Icaria. An apocryphal story says that Thespis stepped out of the dithyrambic chorus and spoke to them as a separate character. Before Thespis, the chorus narrated (for example, "Dionysus did this, Dionysus said that"). When Thespis stepped out from the chorus, he spoke as if he was the character (for example, "I am Dionysus. I did this"). From Thespis' name derives the word thespian.

Acting requires a wide range of skills, including vocal projection, clarity of speech, physical expressivity, emotional facility, a well-developed imagination, and the ability to interpret drama. Acting also often demands an ability to employ dialects, accents and body language, improvisation, observation and emulation, mime, and stage combat. Many actors train at length in special programs or colleges to develop these skills, and today the vast majority of professional actors have undergone extensive training. Even though one actor may have years of training, they always strive for more lessons; the cinematic and theatrical world is always changing and because of this, the actor must stay as up to date as possible. Actors and actresses will often have many instructors and teachers for a full range of training involving, but not limited to, singing, scene-work, monologue techniques, audition techniques and partner work.

Professional actors[link]

Not all people working as actors in film, television or theatre are professionally trained. Conservatories typically offer two- to four-year training on all aspects of acting. Universities will offer three- to four-year programs, where a student is often able to choose to focus on drama, while still learning about other aspects of theatre. Schools will vary in their approach, but in North America the most popular method taught derives from the "system" of Constantin Stanislavski, which was developed and popularised in America by Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, and others. The ambiguously termed method acting came about through iterations of Stanislavski's system by Strasberg. Part of this style of training includes actors memorizing lines to be able to work off-book, a term that means being able to work without a script. Other approaches may include a more physical approach, following the teachings of Jerzy Grotowski and others, or may be based on the training developed by other theatre practitioners including Sanford Meisner. Other classes may include mask work, improvisation, and acting for the camera. Regardless of a school's approach, students should expect intensive training in textual interpretation, voice and movement. Although there are some teachers who will encourage the improvisation as technique in order to free the actor of limitations in rehearsal. Harold Guskin's approach or "taking it off the page" as he calls it is steeped in this philosophy. Applications to drama programs and conservatories are through auditions in the United States. Anybody over the age of 18 can usually apply to drama school.

Training may also start at a very young age. Acting classes and professional schools targeted at the under-18 crowd are offered in many locations. These classes introduce young actors to different aspects of acting and theatre from scene study to the marines

Improvisation[link]

Improv was created by Viola Spolin when working with Neva Boyd at a Hull House in Chicago, Illinois. Improv was created on the realization that adults do not play games. Spolin felt that playing games were good exercises and can benefit in future acting. With improv, people can find true expressive freedom since they don't ever know how the situation is going to turn out. When one continues to operate with an open mind they will have a real sense of spontaneity rather than pre-planning a response. You perform a character of your own making, and with that character and the others working with you, you create a new and spontaneous piece.

References[link]

Sources[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Acting

Look up acting in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Backstage Magazine – Large website and subscription service for actors.
• Hollywood North – Actors database of profiles.

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2011)

Upendra Limaye
Stage, television, screen actor, drama director
Born	(1974-03-08) March 8, 1974 (age 38) Pune, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actor
Spouse	Dr Swati
Children	Bhairavi and Ved
Website
upendralimaye.com

Upendra Limaye is an Indian film actor, who won the National Film Award for his role in the Marathi film Jogwa.^[1][2]

Filmography[link]

Films by Upendra Limaye

References[link]

External links[link]

• Upendra Limaye at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website

Adam West
West at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	William West Anderson (1928-09-19) September 19, 1928 (age 83) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Residence	Ketchum, Idaho
Nationality	American
Education	Lakeside School
Alma mater	Whitman College
Occupation	Actor, voice actor
Years active	1954–present
Known for	Batman, Mayor Adam West
Home town	Walla Walla, Washington
Television	Batman, Family Guy
Spouse	Billie Lou Yeager (m. 1950–1956) «start: (1950)–end+1: (1957)»"Marriage: Billie Lou Yeager to Adam West" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Adam_West) Frisbie Dawson (m. 1957–1962) «start: (1957)–end+1: (1963)»"Marriage: Frisbie Dawson to Adam West" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Adam_West) Marcelle Tagand Lear (m. 1970) «start: (1970)»"Marriage: Marcelle Tagand Lear to Adam West" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Adam_West)
Parents	Otto West Anderson, Audrey V. Speer
Website
http://www.adamwest.com

William West Anderson (born September 19, 1928), better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series on the ABC TV network and the 1966 eponymous feature film. He is currently known for portraying eccentric characters, as well as his voice work on animated series such as The Fairly OddParents and as the fictionalized character of the same name on Family Guy.

Early life[link]

West was born William West Anderson in Seattle, Washington to Otto West Anderson and Audrey V. Speer.^[1] The family moved to Walla Walla after his younger brother John was born.^[2] He attended Walla Walla High School during his freshman and sophomore years, and later enrolled in Lakeside School in Seattle. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and a minor in Psychology from Whitman College^[3] in Walla Walla where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and participated on the speech and debate team.

Career[link]

Early roles[link]

Later, while living in Hawaii, West landed a role as the sidekick on a children's show called El Kini Popo Show, which featured a chimp. West later took over as star of the show.^[4]

In 1959, the actor moved to Hollywood and took the stage name Adam West. In his autobiography Back to the Batcave he explains that he chose 'Adam' simply because he liked the way it looked and sounded with 'West', his mother's maiden name. His close friends and family still call him "Bill".

He appeared in the film The Young Philadelphians with Paul Newman, and guest-starred in a number of television Westerns. He guest starred on Edmond O'Brien's syndicated crime drama Johnny Midnight and soon snagged a supporting role as police Sergeant Steve Nelson in the crime drama, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor. He portrayed Wild Bill Hickok in the episode "Westbound Stage" of the 1960 NBC western series Overland Trail, with William Bendix and Doug McClure. He starred in an episode of the original Outer Limits television series titled "The Invisible Enemy". He made a brief appearance in the film Soldier in the Rain starring Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen and starred as Major Dan McCready, the ill-fated mission commander of 'Mars Gravity Probe 1' in the 1964 film Robinson Crusoe on Mars. In 1965, he starred in the comedy western The Outlaws Is Coming, the last feature film starring The Three Stooges. He played the character Christopher Rolf in the episode of the Rifleman "Stopover" originally aired on April 25, 1961.

Batman[link]

Producer William Dozier cast West as Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman, in the television series Batman, in part after seeing West perform as the James Bond-like spy Captain Q in a Nestlé Quik television ad. West was in competition with Lyle Waggoner for the Batman role.

The popular campy show ran on ABC from 1966 to 1968; a film version was released in 1966. In conjunction with the premiere, Jean Boone of Austin CBS affiliate station KTBC interviewed the film's cast, including West.^[5]

In 1970, West was offered the role of James Bond by Cubby Broccoli for the film Diamonds Are Forever. West declined, later stating in his autobiography that he believed the role should always be played by someone British (despite the fact that an Australian had already played him).

Post-Batman career[link]

West in 1989 at the 41st Primetime Emmy Awards.

After his high-profile role, West, along with Burt Ward and Yvonne Craig (who played crimefighting sidekicks Robin and Batgirl), was severely typecast. West's first post-Caped Crusader role was in the film The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969). His lead performance against type as cynical tough guy Johnny Cain did not erode his Batman image; the movie was a box office disappointment.

For a time, West made a living doing personal appearances as Batman. In 1972, when Ward and Craig reprised their Batman roles for a TV public-service announcement about equal pay for women, West was absent. Instead, Dick Gautier filled in as Batman. One of his more memorable Batman appearances post-series was when he made an appearance in the Memphis, Tennessee based United States Wrestling Association to engage in a war of words with Jerry "The King" Lawler while wearing the cowl and a track suit and even name-dropping Spider-Man, though he is a Marvel Comics hero.^[6]

West subsequently appeared in the theatrical films The Marriage of a Young Stockbrocker (1971), The Curse of the Moon Child (1972), The Specialist (1975), Hardcore (1977), Hooper (as himself; 1978), The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood (1980) and One Dark Night (1983). West also appeared in such television films as The Eyes of Charles Sand (1972), Poor Devil (1973), Nevada Smith (1975), For the Love of It (1980) and I Take These Men (1983).

He did guest shots on the TV shows Love, American Style, The Big Valley, Night Gallery, Alias Smith and Jones, Mannix, Emergency!, Alice, Police Woman, Operation Petticoat, The American Girls, Vega$, Big Shamus Little Shamus, Laverne & Shirley, Bewitched, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, Zorro, King of Queens, and George Lopez. West was also in an episode of Bonanza that supposedly never aired until reruns were shown. West also made several guest appearances as himself on Family Feud.

Return to Batman[link]

West often reprised his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne, first in the short-lived animated series, The New Adventures of Batman, and in other shows such as Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (succeeding Olan Soule in the role). In 1979, West once again put on the Batsuit for the live-action TV special Legends of the Superheroes.^[4] In 1985, DC Comics named West as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Batman series.^[7]

West made an appearance in a 1992 episode of Batman: The Animated Series on Fox, but not as Batman (as the role of Batman was already being played by Kevin Conroy). Instead, he portrayed Simon Trent, a washed-up actor who used to play a superhero in a TV series called The Gray Ghost and who now has difficulty finding work (which was essentially a mirror story of West's own career at the time). West later had a recurring role as the voice of Mayor Grange in the WB animated series The Batman.

The actor vocally reprised his role as Batman for the CGI animated short film Batman: New Times. He co-starred with Mark Hamill, who vocally portrayed The Joker and had originally played the role on Batman: The Animated Series. West also voiced Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne's father, in an episode of the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. In the same series, he played Batman's prototype robot, aptly named "Protobot", or "Proto" for short.

FLOSS Magazine has reported that Adam West has been spotted around the set of The Dark Knight Rises for a cameo appearance.^[8]

1990s – 2000s[link]

West at WonderCon 2009

During the 1990s, West's status as a pop culture icon led to appearances as himself in the film Drop Dead Gorgeous and in several television series, including NewsRadio, Murphy Brown, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, The Ben Stiller Show^[9] and The Drew Carey Show.^[10] In 1991, he starred in the pilot episode of Lookwell, in which he portrayed a has-been TV action hero who falsely believes he can solve crimes in real life. The pilot, written by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel in their pre-Late Night period, aired on NBC that summer but was not picked up as a series.^[11] It was later broadcast on the Trio channel, under the "Brilliant But Cancelled" bloc.^[12]

Noticeably, he played a washed up superhero in the Goosebumps television series episode "Attack of the Mutant". The boy hero is a comic book geek whose favorite superhero, Galloping Gazelle (West's character), is portrayed as fading and on the verge of retirement. Towards the end, the boy is shocked to learn that the Gazelle is real, though he must save the day by himself.

In 1994, West, with Jeff Rovin, wrote his autobiography, Back to the Batcave published by Berkeley Books. He also appeared as a guest in the animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast in an episode titled "Batmantis," where he displayed his book.

In 2003, West and Burt Ward starred in the TV-movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, alongside Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar, and Lee Meriwether. Jack Brewer portrayed West in flashbacks to the production of Batman.

In 2005, West appeared in the CBS show The King of Queens. In the episode, Spence first asks Lou Ferrigno to go to a sci-fi convention. But when Spence meets West (playing himself), he leaves Ferrigno and asks West to come with him.

West appears prominently in the 2006 video for California band STEFY's song "Chelsea" as "Judge Adam West", presiding over the courtroom scene.

In 2007, Adam West portrayed a defense attorney for Benny on the show George Lopez, and starred as "The Boss" in the movie comedy Sexina: Popstar PI.^[13]

Following the release of a Batman game, a host of the show X-Play visited Adam West on the show.

In 2009, West played himself in the episode "Apollo, Apollo" of 30 Rock.

Voice-over work[link]

Having a distinctive voice, West built a career doing voice-over work on a number of animated series (often as himself), including appearances on The Simpsons, Rugrats, The Critic, The Boondocks, Histeria!, Kim Possible, Johnny Bravo and even in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series called Beware the Gray Ghost, where he voiced the Gray Ghost. He also appeared in five episodes of Nickelodeon's cartoon, The Fairly OddParents, as a cat-obsessed version of himself who is famous for playing a superhero called Catman, and who actually believes he is Catman. Catman is a parody of his earlier character as Batman. A later appearance of Adam West in The Fairly OddParents world was a parody of himself, hired to play the role of the Crimson Chin in the movie of the same name. Yet another appearance on the show had him as himself in a Fairy-sponsored video about how to cope with losing ones fairy godparents.

Since 2000, West has made regular appearances on the animated series Family Guy, on which he plays Mayor Adam West, the lunatic mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island. His role has given him a new wave of popularity since Batman^[14], and lead writer Seth MacFarlane claims to have gone out of his way to avoid typecasting West by deliberately not making any references to Batman. Some of his latest voice-over performances were playing the role of Uncle Art in the Disney film Meet the Robinsons, and voicing the young Mermaid Man (along with Burt Ward, who voiced the young Barnacle Boy) in the cartoon show SpongeBob SquarePants.

West also played the voice of General Carrington in the video game XIII, and has voiced other video games like Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, Chicken Little: Ace in Action, Scooby Doo! Unmasked and Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant. For the online game Champions Online, his voice is used in one of the website's videos.

West has also done voice-over work for superhero-themed commercials for the investment firm The LendingTree and TV commercials for Hebrew National hot dogs.

2010s-present[link]

West received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 5, 2012.^[15] His star is located at 6764 Hollywood Blvd in front of the Guinness Museum in Hollywood, California.

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

Other sources[link]

• West, Adam (1994). Back to the Batcave. Berkeley. ISBN 0-425-14370-8. 
• Press kit notes for The Girl Who Knew Too Much

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Adam West

• Adam West Official Website
• Adam West at the Internet Movie Database
• Adam West as Batman
• Adam West interview in Dangerous Ink Magazine
• Adam West gets back in the Batmobile
• Adam West on Twitter
• "Jean Boone – Interview with Cast of Batman, The Movie (1966)" from the Texas Archive of the Moving Image