In the history of cinema, there have been so many different genres that there are too many to count. Whether it’s a comedy, thriller, horror, romance, drama, action, adventure, fantasy, mystery or any other type of film you would see, actors have many different options when it comes to what kind of movie they want to be. Some actors choose to do one type of film for most of their careers, such as Jason Statham usually being attached to action films or Clint Eastwood being known for his roles in Western films.
Although many actors are placed into a specific genre category by moviegoers, some actors take advantage of as many opportunities as possible and end up starring in movies and shows across all genres. These different opportunities are a chance for an actor to show how much reach they have and prove that they can perform in any type of film. These ten actors are among those who can perform in any genre.
ten Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp starred in Hollywood movies for nearly 40 years, and if all those years have taught us anything, it’s that Depp could star in just about any kind of movie and somehow make it work of another. One of his notable early roles got him started in the horror genre with Freddie. Since then, Depp has been best known for his role as pirate Jack Sparrow in the fantasy Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but Depp has starred in so many other types of movies throughout his career. He immersed himself in romantic comedies with crybaby, war movies with Section, animated films with rango, and even took a psychedelic trip with Fear and loathing in Las Vegas. All in all, Depp continues to show that he could play in just about anything.
9 Matt Damon
Matt Damon had a hugely successful career, starring in blockbuster action films such as Thick headed series or in the oceans heist movies. However, Damon did not limit himself to successful roles and acted in many other genres to show his versatility. Whether it’s science fiction with The Martian, drama with Goodwill hunting, war movies with Save Private Ryan, or even several biographical films with films such as Ford versus Ferrari Or Invictus, Matt Damon has shown time and time again that he’s a talented actor who could also star in just about anything and make it work.
8 Christopher Lee
Before Christopher LeeTragic death in 2015, his career spanned over 60 years, largely starring in villainous roles such as Count Dooku in star wars, Saruman in The Lord of the Rings, or even as one of entertainment’s most iconic villains, Count Dracula in Dracula. Even though Lee is best known for these kinds of roles, that hasn’t stopped him from making guest appearances in several other movie genres. Even the previously mentioned movies belong to different genres ranging from sci-fi to fantasy to horror. Lee also starred in the action-based film james bond series like Francisco Scaramanga in The man with the golden gun. Even though the kind of role Christopher Lee played in all of his films was often a villainous role, he was still able to portray a villain perfectly in all types of films.
7 jim carrey
jim carrey is obviously known for his comedic acting ability with his quick wit and seemingly rubbery face with his wide array of facial expressions. Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty, Dumb and Dumber, along with many other comedy films helped make Carrey a household name. However, while these types of films helped put Carrey in the spotlight, it didn’t stop him from being typecast in these sorts of roles for his entire career. Carrey’s most famous non-comic roles are in dramatic films such as The Truman Show Or Eternal sun of the immaculate spirit, but he also dabbled in thrillers like dark crimes Or The bad batch or even immersed in horror movies with movies like The number 23. All in all, Jim Carrey is one of the finest comedic performers of our time, but he’s also so much more than that.
6 Steve Carell
Another actor who is most closely tied to his comedic roles, Steve Carell is instantly recognizable as Michael Scott in Office or like Andy Stitzer in The 40-year-old Virgin. Carell also starred in various romantic comedies, continuing her streak of comedic roles. However, Carell has done much more than comedy and hasn’t been afraid to dive headfirst into animated films like Over the limit or the Despicable Me films, dramatic films such as foxcatcher Or Handsome boyor even the thriller tv show of 2022 The patient. Sure, you look at Steve Carell and instantly see the goofy but lovable director of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, but Steve Carell has proven throughout his career that he’s capable of acting in just about any genre.
5 John C. Reilly
Yet another actor who is closely linked to his comedic roles, especially with his collaborations with Will Ferrell for films such as Half brothers Or Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, John C. Reilly has starred in many other film genres that the average viewer wouldn’t be aware of. Adventure movies like Kong: Skull Island, westerns such as The Brothers Sisters, dramas like We need to talk about Kevin, animated films with Ralph’s Wrecks, and so much more spectacle than John C. Reilly has so much more scope as an actor than a casual viewer would think. At first glance, he may seem almost a sidekick to Will Ferrell, but John C. Reilly deserves his respect as one of the few actors who can perform in any genre and deliver a memorable performance.
4 Leonardo DiCaprio
Warner Bros.
Acting from an early age with movies like What eats Gilbert Raisin, Leonardo DiCaprio puts everything in the roles he plays. And with such a diverse filmography under his belt, DiCaprio has clearly shown his ability not just as an actor, but also his ability to be put in any genre of movie and make it work. Action, drama, thriller, biopic, romance and western are just a few of the different genres Leo has participated in throughout his career as one of Hollywood’s biggest names. If you want to know DiCaprio’s range as an actor, just compare his role in Titanic to his Oscar-winning performance in The ghost. DiCaprio is truly a chameleon when it comes to acting in any genre of film.
3 Tom Cruise
Nowadays, with the crazy popularity of Top Gun: Maverick and the high-flying waterfalls of Impossible mission frankness, it is easy to envisage Tom Cruise as an actor who plays in action movies. With such successes in recent memory, it’s easy to forget how many other movie genres Tom Cruise has been in. A Few Good Men, Rain Main, Jerry Maguire, Risky Business, And The foreigners are just a few films that showcase Cruise’s ability to star in just about anything. And if any of them can’t convince you of Cruise’s ability, his comedic performance in Thunder in the tropics proves why he’s one of Hollywood’s biggest names who can really star in just about any genre.
2 Edward Norton
One way to find out Edward Norton has the ability to act in just about any genre is to compare his performance in American history x to his performance in the recent Glass onion: a mystery at loggerheads. In American history x, Norton portrays a neo-Nazi trying to change his ways in an intense and dramatic film, while in glass onion, Norton is a dimwitted billionaire who invites a group of friends to a private island for a murder mystery party. These two performances are on opposite ends of the acting spectrum, and Norton has been in just about every genre between them, too. He starred in a superhero movie as Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk, thrillers with Primary fear, romance with the illusionist, and of course multi-faceted films like the iconic Fight club. Norton is an incredibly talented actor who continues to show that he can perform in any genre of film.
1 Christian Bale
While Christian Bale is best known for his role as Bruce Wayne in The black Knight trilogy as well as his seemingly effortless ability to gain and lose insane amounts of weight for any type of role, Bale has starred in films of all types throughout his celebrated career. Drama films, biographical films, war films, mystery films, comedy films, superhero films, animated films, thriller films and many more unique genres make Christian Bale l one of the main actors in Hollywood today. Not only can Bale star in any type of film, but he also knocks it out of the park every time.
