History HeReallyCanAct / Film

* Creator/CharlizeTheron: Not a whole lot of people remember that she was at first dismissed as yet another vacuous pretty face who was to be regarded as nothing more than a flash-in-the-pan screen ingenue who would fade away when she turned 30. Then she transformed herself into serial killer Aileen Wuornos in ''Film/{{Monster}}'' and jaws dropped across the land. Then she won an Academy Award and people ''knew'' to take her seriously.

** Creator/JeffGoldblum had been consistently working in film and television for over a decade by 1985, but mainly as a supporting/ensemble player best known for comic roles. (He wouldn't topline a theatrical film until that year, and ''Film/IntoTheNight'' bombed.) He wasn't even on the producers' shortlist for the role of Seth Brundle, but the performers they ''were'' considering were uncomfortable with the prospect of acting through layers of increasingly hideous makeup. Goldblum, however, ''wanted'' the challenge upon reading and loving Creator/DavidCronenberg's screenplay, and Cronenberg decided to go with him. The then-head of 20th Century Fox, Larry Gordon, warned the producers they were making a mistake with the casting even as he said they could go ahead with it. Goldblum's performance ended up being so heartfelt, moving, ''and'' funny that even many critics who blanched at the film's BodyHorror were willing to praise it, and those who loved the movie -- including Creator/GeneSiskel, who was generally NOT a fan of gruesome horror films -- argued that [[AwardSnub he should have been nominated]] for a Best Actor Oscar for it. From there, Goldblum started getting lead roles and [[Film/JurassicPark movie-stealing supporting turns]] on a regular basis.

* Creator/BrandonLee, holy shit. Most of his movies prior to this play him as a skilled martial artist, yet with a laid-back comedic personality. ''Film/TheCrow'', on the other hand, shows him PlayingAgainstType as the deeply hurt and revenge-driven Eric Draven, and not only is it successful, '''it is scary'''. The fact that he died in the making of this movie makes his performance more haunting.

* ''WesternAnimation/Elemental2023''

** He became well-known for his [[DullSurprise deadpan delivery, monotone voice, and lack of emotional expression]]. But in ''Franchise/TheMatrix'', he proves that not only can he emote, but he can also emote well. Many also like to cite him as at least very enjoyable in the ''Film/BillAndTed'' movies as well, and others would cite ''Film/MyOwnPrivateIdaho''.

** He did an unexpectedly great job voicing Bowser in ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' and making him sound appropriately threatening.

* Genesis Rodriguez in ''Film/{{Tusk}}'' [[https://youtu.be/vBoUvG1rmdM Have a look]].

** From the teaser footage that's been shown of ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', there are people who think he could have the part '''nailed''' in spite of suffering from some serious WTHCastingAgency backlash when he was announced for the part. Having seen the movie, many critics were completely sold on him as Bruce Wayne/Batman, despite the film's tepid reception.

** In ''Film/WallStreetMoneyNeverSleeps'', he had received cries of WTHCastingAgency for his PlayingAgainstType beyond the action films he was known for, but when the movie came out, critics had agreed that he gave an overall solid performance as a stockbroker.

** However, it's Creator/DustinHoffman's tutoring for ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' that really allowed Black to create a truly soulful character as Po.

** There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTK0rs8L7mo this scene]] from ''Film/TheVillage'', which she made the same year as ''Film/ThirteenGoingOnThirty''.