Student Blog: The Fun of Breaking the Typecast

Typecasting. We’ve all seen it. Many performers in the acting industry have been exposed to the “typecast”, which, for those who are unfamiliar, is the idea of someone assigned to the same type of role on multiple occasions as seen fit. Some examples could be the “damsel in distress”, the “comedic relief”, “parental figure”, or the “villain”, among many others.

The issue with typecasting is that at some point, when in an environment that uses typecasting, when people play the same role over and over again, it’s hard to take on opportunities to expand beyond that. They start to see themselves as less capable of playing other types of roles, which can really limit people as performers.

With that, something that I think is highly important to address is the importance of stepping out of your typecast. When asked to write about creative risk and stepping out of your comfort zone this month, I wanted to reflect on a couple of experiences I’ve had with breaking the typecast and how they have benefited me as an actor. If someone is reading this who has just been assigned a role or opportunity completely different from what they’re used to, I hope this provides some comfort in knowing that you’re expanding on your skills and capabilities as an actor and learning about yourself in the process.

My Typical Typecast​

I, personally, consider my main typecasts to be “comedic Best Friend” and “child”, which I’m honestly not complaining about! But my experience with theater in general doesn’t go super far, and I’ll admit that I’m still learning about who I am as a performer. I think a part of this has to do with the fact that I was mainly a competitive dancer growing up. Dance was always a priority for me, and theater was something I did on the side. Because of this, I was always put in “Ensemble/Featured Dancer” tracks, so that’s something I’ve always been used to portraying.

When I had named roles or learned repertoire, I still noticed the typecast being used. Typically, I was given the “comedic relief Best Friend” roles for many performances I did, including in dance. (examples: “Hannah in Freaky Friday or Frenchy in Grease!).

I absolutely love playing these kinds of roles, of course, and I’m grateful for all of the opportunities. However, as I’m starting to take theater more seriously in my career, I’ve been dealing with the question of “Is there more to me as a performer? What else can I do?” There's a part of me that pauses when I'm asked what I like to perform, rather than that I'm used to performing, which I'm realizing could go further than I have experienced.

My Experiences with Breaking the Typecast

Recently, I’ve had a couple of experiences where I’ve played roles that have been (what I’ve considered) “out of my typecast.”

The first role I want to talk about is the iconic “Mary Poppins”. For this show, it was just a quick cameo I made in a couple of scenes, but this role made me do so many things I hadn’t done before, including dialect work and playing such a “poised and perfect” character over my more “childish” roles. The more I dug into the character, the more I started to see parts of myself in her that I didn’t think were as prevalent. I started to catch myself already standing in first position when getting in character (that’s the ballet dancer in me), and the strategic and discreet comedic moments were very fun to discover. And when other people told me that they saw me so visibly in the role, it was exciting.

An experience I’m going through currently is for my college’s annual showcase of Original Works known as “Curtain Up!”. I was given the opportunity to sing in a featured song, and the character I’m playing is very “villain-like” and outspoken, which is also not in my usual typecast. Watching myself learn about how to play this character as authentically as possible and step out of my comfort zone through it has taught me a lot, and I’m also realizing how much fun I’m having in playing a role like this! As I begin preparing to perform the role in a month, it bring me excitement to watch how I’ve improved at bringing the character to life over the semester.

The Fun of Breaking the "Typecast"

Breaking the typecast is definitely a scary experience at first. When presented with an opportunity like this, I tend to get the “imposter syndrome” thoughts about not feeling good enough or fit for it. Something that has helped me through this is just trusting the process and doing it scared. For anyone who may be going through this as well, remember that there’s a first time for everything, and that you don’t have to be naturally good at everything. Also, if you were cast in a role that is different than your usual, that means someone saw something in you that even you may not realize you have yet.

In addition, knowing that I’ve never regretted saying yes to an opportunity that allows me to explore has been super reassuring. Even if there’s a bad experience with saying yes to something, it’s important to remember what you learned from it and how that has helped shape you into who you are today.

At the end of the day, breaking the typecast can teach you a lot about yourself as a performer. You may find a role that you didn’t think you’d like, that you ended up loving, or vice versa. It can also help you become more versatile, so you have the skillset to take on more opportunities and do them well.

Plus, getting the opportunity to share many kinds of stories through performing is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Outtro

All of this being said, I encourage anyone reading this to try to step out of their comfort zone this year! If there’s a show or role that you’d love to play, audition for it, even if you’ve never done something like it before. The worst you can get is a “no”, which isn’t the end of the world. But remember that actively putting yourself out there for these opportunities may open doors that you thought were glued shut. I promise, you are capable of everything you work for, and stepping out of your comfort zone for things like this will give you the experience to help shape who you are as a performer. Don’t be afraid to break the typecast.

You got this!! I’m rooting for you!!