25 Actors Who Took Big Risks With These TV Or Movie Roles, And It Made People Realize They Had Better Range Than They Thought
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We've asked the BuzzFeed Community which TV and movie performances were so amazing, they made you realize an actor was maybe better than you originally thought, or you found out they could do more than the genre they're known for. Here are some of the most popular responses:
There are obviously BIG spoilers ahead for some TV shows and movies!
1.First, Alexis Bledel as Emily Malek in The Handmaid's Tale
"Big Gilmore Girls fan, but Alexis Bledel in The Handmaid's Tale…girl has range!"
2.Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans in Succession
"I just don't understand how the casting directors for Succession saw Mr. Darcy of all people and thought he would be the right fit for Tom Wambsgans, but he is absolutely marvelous as Tom, and in my opinion, stands out in a show filled with absolutely amazing performances."
3.Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout
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4.Matt LeBlanc as Matt LeBlanc in Episodes
"Don't get me wrong, he was perfect as Joey Tribbiani, always loved him. But I never thought of him as an exceptionally good actor. That all changed after watching him play 'himself' on Episodes. His acting floored me; he deserved all his nominations (and one win!) for that role."
5.Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett in Ordinary People
"After seeing here in saccharin sweet roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and then later in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, it was really refreshing to see her expand into an amazing role in that film. Totally different than anything else we'd seen, and it really showed what she was capable of doing as an actor."
6.Marlon Wayans as Tyrone C. Love in Requiem for a Dream
"I had only known him from Scary Movie and White Chicks before I saw this, so imagine my surprise!"
7.Steve Carell as Frank Ginsberg in Little Miss Sunshine
"I'm so used to seeing him play cocky, rude Michael Scott that I was surprised by his bittersweet role in this movie. He's also phenomenal in The Way Way Back, but that character's basically a less entertaining version of Michael."
8.Bill Hader as Barry Berkman in Barry
"He is absolutely terrifying in Barry!!! Watching him go from Dave in Hot Rod or Stefan on SNL to the terrifying PTSD-ridden Marine and hitman is wild. You forget who you’re watching."
9.Joey King as Gypsy Blanchard in The Act
"Joey King completely changed my opinion of her when I watched The Act. I’d only seen her in the Kissing Booth movies and Slender Man, and I don’t think any actor could have done much to save either. But she was SO good in The Act."
10.Kunal Nayyar as Sandeep Singh in Criminal: United Kingdom
"He put forth such a formidable performance. Kunal played such a creep. It was a 180-degree switch from his role as Raj on The Big Bang Theory!"
11.Ross Lynch as Jeffrey Dahmer in My Friend Dahmer
"There are so many celebrities that have surprised me with their acting after seeing some of their not so serious work. One celebrity that stood out to me was Ross Lynch's role in My Friend Dahmer; he really embodied that role. He really got Jeffrey's mannerisms down. I had watched a documentary before watching the movie, and it was like I watching a movie with Jeffrey in it. It scared the hell out of me how scary he looked. I grew [up] watching him play lighthearted roles where he sang, and it was wild seeing him play an actual famous serial killer. He even looked like him."
12.Kaley Cuoco as Cassie Bowden in The Flight Attendant
"During Kaley's time on The Big Bang Theory, I enjoyed what she was able to bring to the role of Penny, but I just felt like she wasn't given enough opportunities to showcase her range as an actor. So when The Flight Attendant came out, I was able to appreciate how incredible she is. Kaley is so good at comedy AND drama, and I'm glad she found a new show that allowed her to show her range, just like 8 Simple Rules did, especially after John Ritter's death."
13.Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in You
"He was good in Gossip Girl (even if his character sucked), but he really brought it to the next level in You."
14.John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell in Dexter
"Growing up I only knew John Lithgow from 3rd Rock from the Sun. But anytime he plays a villain, I'm always blown away by his performances. In particular, Season 4 of Dexter was my favorite because John Lithgow was creepy, terrifying perfection."
15.Gillian Anderson as Jean Milburn in Sex Education
"She's known for playing very serious and powerful women — Dana Scully, Stella Gibson, Eleanor Roosevelt — but her portrayal of Jean Milburn in Sex Education was funny and so raw in emotion. Completely not the type of character she usually portrays, and she did it flawlessly!"
16.Matthew McConaughey as Det. Rustin "Rust" Cohle in True Detective
"Matthew McConaughey in the first season of True Detective absolutely blew me away. I was always pretty 'meh' on him before that, but he made me a fan. He was incredible."
17.Zendaya as Rue Bennett in Euphoria
"She's come such a long way since her Disney days."
18.John Cena as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker in Peacemaker
"I always saw him as a one-trick pony, kind of like The Rock, but he was able to bring so many layers to that character and play both the humor, the ruthlessness, and the vulnerability."
19.Dave Bautista as Sapper Morton in Blade Runner 2049
"Like John Cena in Peacemaker, Dave Bautista has shown with Blade Runner and other roles that he's a real actor."
20.Jennifer Aniston as Claire Bennett in Cake
"Oh my goodness, she WRECKED me in this film. She has comedy nailed, but this VERY dramatic role was immensely well done by her. I felt all of her pain and completely forgot it was Jen. Crazy respect for her after that."
21.Hamish Linklater as Father Paul Hill in Midnight Mass
"He was just phenomenal. His entire performance blew me away!"
22.Will Ferrell as Harold Crick in Stranger Than Fiction
"Stranger Than Fiction is highly underrated, and it is so good, especially Will. Dark humor, great acting, and a clever plot, IMO."
23.Dakota Johnson as Susanna "Susie" Bannion in Suspiria
"Seeing Dakota's performance in Suspiria blew me away! I didn’t think she could act in Fifty Shades of Grey."
24.Robert Pattinson as Ephraim Winslow in The Lighthouse
25.And finally, Robin Williams as Seymour "Sy" Parrish in One Hour Photo
We can't fit everyone into one post, so which other TV and movie performances were so incredible, it made you realize an actor had better range than you initially thought? Tell us in the comments below!
Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
