Do you ever find yourself watching an Adam Sandler movie (which absolutely has its own genre) and wonder to yourself, is that who Adam Sandler really is? The oversized shirts, the cargo shorts, the goofy voice, and relaxed energy from Sandler might make you question if he's really acting, rather than just showing up to the set and leading the scene in the way he wants it. You watch Grown Ups and just know that Sandler invited his friends out to the lake house and brought a camera crew to film the week.
If you're wondering if there's a word for what type of actor Sandler is. He is a typecast actor, which is an actor/actress who often play the same role over and over again, or who acts so much like their character, that you might wonder if they really act like that in real life. The viewer associates that stereotype or specific trope to that actor, especially if they continue to be cast in further projects relating to past characters, says 24/7 Wall St. Sometimes, it's difficult to disassociate actors from their characters when this happens, their personalities mixing, and it's just turning out to be one blob of a person when you're watching something. Is this Sandler's character, or is it Sandler himself?
Connection to a Character Type
Something that's really great about Sandler's movies, though, is the ability to connect with them. He appears to be very casual in the films he appears in, and that's very appealing when you want a movie about five childhood friends who are reconnecting as adults. Especially fans of that actor, when you're going to see an Adam Sandler movie, it's pretty obvious that you're going for big laughs and fart jokes. There's no pressure to be something that they're not, and with an actor like Sandler, we don't really expect fluff or more than what it appears to be. In this case, typecast acting really comes in favor of Adam Sandler. However, things seem to take a turn when we get more serious performances from a rather silly actor person like Sandler.
When Uncut Gems came out, people were floored with how well Sandler did in a serious role like that. Uncut Gems is about a chronic gambler, Howard Ratner, and his insatiable need to bet money as well as borrow it from rather dangerous people. Sandler stated that if he didn't win an Oscar Award for that performance (he didn't obtain one, although he rightfully deserved it) that he would make a bad movie on purpose, says LMC, just as a consequence! Well, we're still waiting for that one. Many of his fans agreed that he should have gotten recognition for the performance as Ratner, but it turns out the Academy didn't see it that way. Perhaps they couldn't see through his previous performances as goofy characters to take him seriously?
Shock Value of Breaking From Typecast Roles
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In Stranger Things Four we're introduced to the character Argyle, who's played by Eduardo Franco. Argyle is your typical run-of-the-mill stoner who proudly slings pizza before he gets mixed up in the supernatural drama that surrounds him on the show. This isn't the first time Franco has starred in something made by Netflix. In fact, he could be considered an alum, as he has been featured in The Package, American Vandal, and now, Stranger Things. Viewers have made the connection that in several of his roles, he plays the trope of "stoner side character" over and over again, and it helps that he has rather long hair, so it's almost hard to forget who he is and more importantly, who he plays.
When Franco started to do press interviews for the newest season of Stranger Things, fans took to Twitter, delighted and somewhat shocked that he seemed to be just like Argyle. Franco speaks in the same reverbed way that his character does, a bit dazed out, and easy going in every interview he did with the rest of the cast. Then, people started to notice that he seems to play the same character in each role he takes, and not just in the Netflix shows/movies he's in. In Olivia Wilde's debut directorial film Booksmart, Franco played Theo, who is a stoner!
The role of Theo, as Franco mentions, was actually written in for him after he auditioned for a different character. Wilde liked him so much she called him back and said that she was writing the Theo character in, just for him to play, but why do you think she had to do that? It's immensely flattering for someone to write a brand-new character for you, but also, did Wilde typecast him into a similar role he always plays?
As it looks right now, being a typecast actor seems to be working for Eduardo Franco, since he's getting so much recognition from viewers and fans alike. They're starting to know him as a specific trope and sure, that's not a bad thing, but what happens if they start to treat him like Adam Sandler, and not take him as serious? If Franco steps into a serious character role, one that's not surrounded by a halo of smoke and an easy grin, will he be accepted and respected as someone different? Or will the trope stick with him and a potential future Oscar nomination slip from his grasp?