Will Ferrell.
Michael Caine
Bruce Willis
Sean Connery
For me, this is the distinction. Some of the people being listed are essentially type-cast (or they always choose the same type of roles). They play themselves because they’re specifically cast in roles where they’re supposed to play themselves.
I mentioned Costner because he takes on roles where he at least has the opportunity to play something completely different, but ends up playing the same guy anyways. Sean Connery, who dermot mentioned, also does the same thing. His Ramirez in Highlander is hilarious.
In contrast, while many people don’t like him, I’ve always appreciated Brad Pitt for his willingness to flip-out with things like his role in 12 Monkeys, Snatch, or Burn After Reading.
I really feel Nicholson and Robin Williams are the most guilty. They turn every character – in Williams’s case often real people — into themselves. No way was the guy on whose career “Good Morning, Vietnam” was based doing a schtick anything like that.
Every time I think of Nicholson, I think of how he ruined The Joker. Sigh.
Williams’ early career, yes. His later career, I disagree, he has had some branching out roles, he actually does creepy really well.
I can’t tell if your list is examples of those who play themselves or examples of stars who don’t always play themselves. =)
Adam Sandler
I’m here to dogpile on Michael Cera, because I can’t stand the son of a bitch.
Anybody who thinks Jack Nicholson is the same in every movie should watch The King Of Marvin Gardens.
You know, I’d heard that. I haven’t seen those movies.
Maybe the list should be popular, successful actors who can portray different personalities. Because that list seems really short. I liked Peter O’Toole for example, but he was always Peter O’Toole in whatever film he was in.
Yeah. Just check out his guest role on the second season premiere of Homcide: Life on the Street, as a tourist whose wife is shot by street hoods. Great performance; quite touching. And that was 1994.
Michael Cera definitely gets [one of] my top vote[s].
What about Jason Statham?
John Wayne.
Sandler is the Alpha CopyPasta - and Cera is his protege.
I see your John Wayne and I raise you Clint Eastwood.
Also, Steven Segal, which is Clint Eastwood with a ponytail.
Okay on Segal, but I can’t give you Eastwood. He had the balls to play along with an ape for a few years.
Jeff ‘Gone Gold Game Game Gone Gold Game’ Goldblum.
I came into this thread to post Segal. He does not deserve the comparison with Eastwood, who at least did The Bridges of Madison County as a fairly different character to his usual. Segal does not merely limit himself to a single character; he limits himself to a single, absolutely unchanging facial expression from beginning to end of every film.
The other one I was thinking of was Meg Ryan, although apparently she does something different in In the Cut, which I haven’t seen.
We are in complete agreement that Segal can’t carry Eastwood’s jock strap.
Edit: I guess the point with Eastwood is that he’s just so iconic.