The Truth About Typecasting

Once your acting career is underway, there’s a possibility that you may be typecast. Typecasting refers to actors being hired repeatedly based on a role they’ve played in the past, or a particular personality or physical trait.

Amanda Bynes, who you’ve probably seen in What I Like About You, What a Girl Wants, and most recently Sydney White, has made a career based on her girl-next-door looks and wholesome quality. Most of her roles, although there have been dozens, have been quite similar. And although she’s been typecast for the majority of her career, she’s amassed an enormous fan-base and had a very lucrative career as an actress.

There are many pros and cons to being typecast. One of the pros is that it can mean steady work. If you’re a convincing suburban mom, girl next door, or even rebellious teenager, those are common roles and there are a lot of opportunities available to you if you’d like to make that your niche, and continue to play similar roles for much of your career. This can be ideal, as many actors often worry about being out of work, and typecast actors have a great chance of working fairly consistently.

However, there are some cons that accompany being typecast. One of the cons is that because your options for roles may be limited, you may get bored with the work. Another con is that directors may be reluctant to give you the opportunity to play more challenging, diverse roles that could lead to more recognition and awards.

If you’re considering how to market yourself as an actor, typecasting is definitely something to think about. If you think you can make a successful career using typecasting to your advantage, then review our audition notices at http://www.EliteCastigNetwork.com for roles you’d be perfect for. If you think you’d like your career to reflect more diverse roles and opportunities, then try auditioning for a variety of opportunities so that your resume showcases your versatility, and range of skills and talent.