Michael Cera Will Always Be An Awkward Teen

Do you ever wonder why Michael Cera always seems to play the role of a lovable, socially awkward teenager pining for some girl's attention? Or how Zooey Deschanel just has to be the cute, quirky girl who still acts like a little kid (in a totally sane, endearing way, of course)? How about how Johnny Depp continues to choose the most eccentric roles out there that allow him to experiment with his acting abilities? All of these questions can be answered with the simple trend of typecasting.

As I mentioned in a previous post, many actors become linked with a certain role or genre of film, which affects what roles they will hold in the future. Typecasting is exactly that- actors and actresses becoming associated with different roles based on their past archetypes (awkward teenager, slightly slow best friend), their race/culture, or what types of roles they've played in the past (villains vs. heroes).

As stated, Michael Cera is a prime example of typecasting- almost all of his roles feature him as different variations of the same character (Arrested Development, Juno, Superbad, Youth in Revolt...). And while some people may find his character a little overbearing, it seems to be working for him, and he enjoys it. As he said, "It's a real game people end up playing with their image. That's really not whats important to me. It's just not. And I don't know how to play that game or understand why people do." According to Cera, he'll continue to play the same archetype, and really, why wouldn't he?

In terms of race and culture, typecasting is a more controversial issue. Often times, the idea of being fit for a certain role is dangerously misconstrued as stereotyping or borderline racism. Omar Naim, a Lebanese director, best described the implications of this form of typecasting, saying "I know a couple of really excellent Arab American actors, some of whom don't speak Arabic, and all they play are Arabic roles where they're forced to fumble their way through some Arabic." Not only is it damning to the studios of those projects, but it also negatively impacts the cultures that aren't being represented properly.

In conclusion, how much does typecasting affect an actor's success, or lack thereof?

Sources-
Sirs: "Boy Wonder"
Sirs: "But Can You Play a Terrorist?"