Which actors got typecast by playing in a sitcom or tv show

[Heenan Fan]

Originally Posted by Lee

You mean Steve Urkel?

Yes

[Tubehead]

yea sorry i spelled it wrong!! but i think that Jaleel White really got type casting by playing Steve Urkel! i only watched him in dancing with the stars!! i also know he did the voice of sonic the hedgehog in the Anmited tv series of sonic the head hog!!

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by Tubehead

mine are:
jackie gleason the honeymooners
lucille ball i love lucy
Henry Winkler the fonz
Jaleel White as steve urlak
Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson
the olsen twins full house
Jimmie Walker aka jj evens good times
micheal j fox as Alex p keton in family ties
jonathan taylor thomas home improvement
fred savage as kevin arnold as the wonder years
TOM WELLING CLARK KENt smallville
harry anderson night court
red foxx sanfrod & son
dean cain lois & clark the new adventures of superman

I won't comment on all the selections but several are so completely off-base that I have to comment.

Jackie Gleason: Gleason had a prolific career before, during and after the Honeymooners. Did you know he had top 40 albums after The Honeymooners. Did you know he starred or was featured in 5 films between 1961-63 alone. He costarred in the Smokey and the Bandit film series in the 70's, he was in The Toy, Sting II and he made Nothing In Common with Tom Hanks right before his death. Did you know he had a long running variety show in the 1960's. How could you suggest he was typecast?

Lucille Ball: You can't be serious, the zany redhead was Lucy's on-screen persona, it made her a fortune. She was an owner in all three of the hit series, it's not typecasting, this is her bit. This would be like suggesting to Don Rickles that he would be more successful if he just cut out all those insults.

Michael J Fox: I'm stunned at this selection, he starred in movies through the mid 90's, and then made a successful return to television in 1996 with his second hit series Spin City until his health issues forced him to leave the show.

[Schmo]

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Nope, he was not typecast. Matlock took care of that.

He starred in a string of flops between “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Matlock” (“The Headmaster”, “The New AGS”, and “Salvage One”). Whether that was due to typecasting or bad luck is a matter of opinion. I know about his prolific TV movie career, but when he played the bad guy he couldn’t pull it off like he did in “A Face in the Crowd”, which was released in 1957.

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by Schmo

He starred in a string of flops between “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Matlock” (“The Headmaster”, “The New AGS”, and “Salvage One”). Whether that was due to typecasting or bad luck is a matter of opinion. I know about his prolific TV movie career, but when he played the bad guy he couldn’t pull it off like he did in “A Face in the Crowd”, which was released in 1957.

I know all about the string of flops, but the bottom line is he wasn't typecast. Someone who is typecast usually has difficulty finding work, Andy had no trouble it's just that the choices weren't the best until Matlock. Personally, I wish Salvage 1 had done better. I loved that show.

[treky]

Originally Posted by mandyrenee

William Shatner was definitely not typecast.

I disagree

[treky]

McLean Stevenson as Col. Blake on MASH.
He made a HUUUGE mistake by leaving that show-which he later admitted.



I remember seeing Harvey Korman on Johnny Carson once in 1978 talking about how he couldn't find a hit series after leaving Carol Burnett and he laughed and said when he feels sad, "I'll call McLean Stevenson and talk about our careers and...have a good cry." (he laughed as he said that last part)

[jimpickens]

But Harvey did find success in movies working with Mel Brooks and how about Don Adams after Get Smart was canceled he was typecasted as Maxwell Smart type bungling characters throughout his career and what about the rest of the cast of The Beverly Hillbillies the only one who was able to escape was Buddy Ebson when he came back with Barnaby Jones and Max Bear with Macon County Line.

[Schmo]

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

I know all about the string of flops, but the bottom line is he wasn't typecast. Someone who is typecast usually has difficulty finding work, Andy had no trouble it's just that the choices weren't the best until Matlock. Personally, I wish Salvage 1 had done better. I loved that show.

I think Andy Griffith tried to play “Matlock” as close to “Sheriff Andy Taylor” as possible without being a clone. That made the series a success. I can’t say that the series was well-written or that the supporting characters were well-developed.

[dee2364]

Originally Posted by Tubehead

mine are:
jackie gleason the honeymooners
lucille ball i love lucy
Henry Winkler the fonz
Jaleel White as steve urlak
Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson
the olsen twins full house
Jimmie Walker aka jj evens good times
micheal j fox as Alex p keton in family ties
jonathan taylor thomas home improvement
fred savage as kevin arnold as the wonder years
TOM WELLING CLARK KENt smallville
harry anderson night court
red foxx sanfrod & son
dean cain lois & clark the new adventures of superman

None of these people got typecast. Some of them either simply stopped acting to pursue other things after starring on a show or found success playing different characters. For example:

Jackie Gleason starred in many dramatic films (like The Hustler) and in the popular BJ and the Bandit.

Sherman Helmsley had a decent run on Amen.

Harry Anderson was in Dave's World.

Michael J. Fox became more remembered for Back to the Future and was on Spin City for years.

[jimpickens]

Bob Denver after Gilligan's Island he like Don Adams and Don Knotts was typecast as the lovable bungling buffoon then there's George Lindsey even on Hee Haw he was typecast as Goober up until 79.

[merlinjones]

Wouldn't it be easier to list the actors who weren't typecast after creating a beloved classic role?

Blessing or curse? It must be nice to be so universally loved and well remembered, yet it doesn't pay the bills or satisfy the ongoing need for creative expression.

[jimpickens]

True but it wouldn't be as fun now wouldn't it.