In the history of film, there have been so many different types of genre that there's too many to count. Whether it's a comedy, thriller, horror, romance, drama, action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, or any of the other types of movie that you would see, actors have a lot of different options when it comes to the type of movie they want to be in. Some actors choose to do one type of movie 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.
Despite many actors being put in one specific genre-box by moviegoers, some actors take advantage of as many opportunities as they can, and end up starring in movies and shows across all different genres. These various opportunities are a chance for an actor to show just how much range they have and prove that they can perform in any kind of movie. These ten actors are among those that can perform across any genre.
10 Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp has been starring in Hollywood films 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. One of his first notable roles had him start in the horror genre with A Nightmare on Elm Street. Since then, Depp is most known for his role as the swashbuckling pirate Jack Sparrow in the fantasy Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, yet Depp has been in so many other types of films throughout his career. He's delved into romantic comedies with Cry-Baby, war movies with Platoon, animated films with Rango, and has even gone on a psychedelic trip with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Overall, Depp continues to showcase that he could play in just about anything.
9 Matt Damon
Matt Damon has had a wildly successful career, starring in blockbuster action films such as the Bourne series or in the Ocean's heist films. However, Damon has not limited himself to just blockbuster roles, and has acted in numerous other genres to show his versatility. Whether it's science fiction with The Martian, drama with Good Will Hunting, wartime movies with Saving Private Ryan, or even multiple biographical films with films such as Ford v Ferrari or Invictus, Matt Damon has shown time and time again that he is a talented actor that could also star in just about anything and make it work.
8 Christopher Lee
Before Christopher Lee's tragic 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 the most iconic villains in entertainment, Count Dracula in Dracula. Even though Lee is most well-known for these kinds of roles, they did not stop him from making appearances in multiple other genres of film. Even the films previously mentioned are from different genres, ranging from science fiction to fantasy to horror. Lee also starred in the action-based James Bond series as Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun. Even if the kind of role that Christopher Lee played throughout all of his movies was often a villainous role, he was still able to excellently portray a villain across all different kinds of movies.
7 Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is obviously known for his ability as a comedic actor with his quick wit and seemingly rubbery face with his wide range of facial expressions. Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty, Dumb and Dumber, along with so many other comedic films helped make Carrey a household name. However, while these kinds of movies helped bring Carrey into the spotlight, that did not keep him from being typecast into those kinds of roles for his entire career. Carrey's most famous non-comedic roles are dramatic films such as The Truman Show or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but he has also tried his hand at thrillers such as Dark Crimes or The Bad Batch, or even delved into horror movies with films like The Number 23. Overall, Jim Carrey is one of the best comedic performers of our time, but he is also so much more than that.
6 Steve Carell
Another actor who is most closely related with his comedic roles, Steve Carell is instantly recognizable as Michael Scott in The Office or as Andy Stitzer in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Carell has also been in various romantic comedies, continuing his streak of comedic roles. Carell has been in so much more than just comedy, however, and has not been afraid to dive headfirst into animated films like Over the Hedge or the Despicable Me movies, dramatic films such as Foxcatcher or Beautiful Boy, or even the 2022 thriller television show The Patient. Sure, you look at Steve Carell and instantly see the bumbling yet lovable manager of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, but Steve Carell has proved throughout his career that he is capable of acting in just about any genre.
5 John C. Reilly
Yet another actor that is closely related to his comedic roles, especially with his collaborations with Will Ferrell for films such as Step-Brothers or Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, John C. Reilly has starred in so many more genres of film that the average moviegoer would not be aware of. Adventure films like Kong: Skull Island, westerns such as The Sisters Brothers, dramas like We Need to Talk About Kevin, animated films with Wreck-It Ralph, and so much more show that John C. Reilly has so much more range as an actor than a casual viewer would realize. On the surface, he may seem almost like a sidekick to Will Ferrell, but John C. Reilly deserves his respect as one of the few actors that could perform across any genre and still put up a performance to remember.
4 Leonardo DiCaprio
Acting since a young age with films like What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Leonardo DiCaprio puts everything into the roles he plays. And with such a diverse filmography under his belt, DiCaprio has clearly shown his capability not only as an actor, but also his capability to be put in any genre of film and make it work. Action, drama, thriller, biopic, romance, and western are all just a few of the different genres that Leo has been a part of 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 Academy Award-winning performance in The Revenant. DiCaprio truly is a chameleon when it comes to acting in any genre of movie.
3 Tom Cruise
Nowadays, with the insane popularity of Top Gun: Maverick and the high-flying stunts of the Mission: Impossible franchise, it's easy to consider Tom Cruise as an actor that just stars in action films. With such smash hits in recent memory, it's easy to forget how many other genres of film that Tom Cruise has been in. A Few Good Men, Rain Main, Jerry Maguire, Risky Business, and The Outsiders are just a few films that showcase Cruise's ability to star in just about anything. And if any of those can't convince you of Cruise's ability, his comedic performance in Tropic Thunder proves why he is one of Hollywood's biggest names that truly can act in just about any genre.
2 Edward Norton
One way to know that Edward Norton has the ability to act across just about any genre is compare his performance in American History X to his performance in the recently released Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. In American History X, Norton portrays a Neo-Nazi trying to change his ways in an intense and dramatic film, whereas in Glass Onion, Norton is an idiotic billionaire who invites a bunch of friends to a private island for a murder mystery party. These two performances are on the opposite ends of the acting spectrum, and Norton has been in just about every genre between them as well. He's played in a superhero movie as Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk, thrillers with Primal Fear, romance with The Illusionist, and of course multi-faceted films such as the iconic Fight Club. Norton is an incredibly talented actor that continues to show that he can perform in any kind of movie genre.
1 Christian Bale
While Christian Bale is most known for his role as Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight trilogy as well as his seemingly effortless ability to gain and lose insane amounts of weight for any kind of role, Bale has starred in films of all different types throughout his famed career. Drama films, biographical films, war films, mystery films, comedy films, superhero films, animated films, thriller films, and so many more unique genres solidify Christian Bale as one of the premier actors in Hollywood today. Not only can Bale act in any kind of movie, but he just knocks it out of the park every single time as well.