Typecasting: The Star Trek Curse

[2takesfrakes]

Many actors having been cast as main characters in STAR TREK have complained, over the years, that their careers were stifled because of being typecast later, as a result of the show. This has always sounded a bit like 'Sour Grapes' to me. Not every Trek star can be of Sir Patrick Stewart's caliber -- and most weren't. What is your opinion on the typecasting effect that STAR TREK's allegedly had on its stars' careers ... and the associated causative links.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I was never one to follow the lives and careers of actors just because they were in Star Trek, but I've always been of a mind to give the TOS cast more understanding in this department because of the situation they found themselves in...dealing with the higher recognition factor and typecasting when the show became a phenomenon in syndication, while they were no longer able to benefit from having the work (until the films came along). The casts of the spinoff series, though, had every opportunity to know what they were getting into.

 

[Horizons96]

Many actors having been cast as main characters in STAR TREK have complained, over the years, that their careers were stifled because of being typecast later, as a result of the show. This has always sounded a bit like 'Sour Grapes' to me

Absolutely. Sure, they may have missed out on more varied opportunities as actors, but the flipside is that they usually wouldn't have been blessed with the ability to regularly make money well into retirement just for appearing at cons and signing their name on photos. I've noticed some actors have, throughout their careers, oscillated between milking it for all its worth and distancing themselves from anything Trek when it suited them.

 

[Emperor Norton]

On TOS I think it was certainly true. That was a paradox situation. The series was so successful that they were forever linked to those characters. Except the show was successful only years after it went off the air, so they did not actually get to stay in those roles and enjoy active success, nor use a successful series as a springboard for other projects.

On the other series (plural), I don't think typecasting was as big of a problem. And I've held the opinion that for any of the claims that they could not get roles because they were thought of as a Star Trek character, the fact is they were not going to be A-list leading men or women anyway. Fine actors, but Star Trek is more often than not people who are otherwise character actors taking on leading roles. Without Star Trek, they would have been character actors and supporting roles all the same as they are with Star Trek on their resume.

 

[2takesfrakes]

It does seem as though STAR TREK casts a lot of actors who are uncertain of their ability and clout and are just counting on a 7 year run with a lifetime of Trek Conventions to rely on ... telling boring stories, being axed ridiculous questions and signing autographs on embarrassing photographs, that were hoped to be long forgotten by even the hardcore fan.

 

[TrekNut87]

On the flipside, some actors have instead turned away from acting altogether and gone on to be successful directors/producers, thanks in large part to Trek where they started (Frakes, Dawson, Burton McNeill etc) so it's not all bad.

 

[urbandefault]

Typecasting can be a problem. But some of the ones who blame typecasting for their lack of job opportunities might just be making excuses for not being very good.

 

[Mojochi]

This is not specific to Star Trek.. TV longevity has almost always brought with it a propensity to be typecast, or even be uncastable thereafter. You think that dude Aaron Paul, who played Pinkman on Breaking Bad is having an easy go of it, right now? People probably still be yelling "YO Bitch" at him in the street

I figure Lost ended just as many careers as modern Trek. I mean... What's Hurley up to? Even Charlie doesn't work much anymore, & he was in LoTR. I'm pretty sure that's why Terry O'Quinn didn't initially want to play John Locke, but honestly, if it hadn't been for Sawyer, no one would even know who Josh Holloway is. It's the choice you make. They pay you a LOT of money for a long time, & the trade off is that you wear it in syndication for ages after that. Everybody should know this by now. It's been a thing since syndication began back with Gilligan's Island, & the end of Alan Hale Jr's career

A celebrated tv character is a double edged sword. It gives actors a monumental notoriety, that most of them almost never would've gotten otherwise, because they're just tv actors, (Some of them crappy ones) & are relegated to the small time, but the price is they are branded by that character. Norman Reedus had a career long before TWD, but he'll be Daryl Dixon the rest of his life now, even if they finally kill the character off, & it'll be up to him to find a way around that, if he can. He'll have an easier chance of it than Andrew Lincoln. He's done after Rick Grimes, maybe. You think anyone sees Jason Alexander, & doesn't think George Costanza? C'mon

If you're going to do tv, it helps if you already have notoriety, & it helps even more if they kill you off quick, like Ed Harris & Anthony Hopkins on WestWorld (Though you may see them reprise) What harm could doing tv do to those old guys at this point? But those kids on Stranger Things? The only one who's got half a chance is the little girl, if she stays on fleek like she does

If a show is widely successful, maybe only one actor survives to work on up to bigger & better things... like Jennifer Aniston. The rest disappear, work in obscurity, struggle, catch a break now & then on something, but almost never reach that level of acclaim ever again

 

[Kevman7987]

Don't forget that actors sometime go into roles on TV networks or streaming services that you don't watch or receive. Aaron Paul is one of the leads in "The Path" on Hulu. Jorge Garcia is a regular in "Hawaii: Five-Oh" on CBS. Norman Reedus cuts his hair, puts on a suit, and uses his real accent; boom, brand new actor.

 

[Mojochi]

It's true that there's a lot more options in the streaming world than there were before. There's really no reason why someone should be held back by a character they've played, on Star Trek or anything else. It still happens, but nowadays it's more because the actor isn't trying hard enough to break out of it. Josh Halloway is working on that colony show right now too, but the association that they will have with their most successful characters on the widest breakout shows will always follow them, & that has always been kind of a curse, even though having more options in the modern market has lessened it some