History SugarWiki / HeReallyCanAct

** Bonnie Langford as Mel had everything against her on television. She was an attempt at StuntCasting during the series's most awful DorkAge, and was widely disliked as a public figure to begin with; internal production team politics led to her being intentionally written as TheScrappy and directed to act as a ScreamingWoman in a stagey, {{Panto}} style in order to sabotage her. The audios give her much, ''much'' better material, altering her character from a one-note DamselScrappy into a DefiantCaptive DeadpanSnarker. This gives Langford full opportunity to show off what she's actually capable of as an actress, and she comes across like she's really enjoying the role.

A FanSpeak phrase: this is what you say to yourself when a comedic performer, a non-acting entertainer, or somebody more known for athleticism or looks than in-depth acting ability gets [[PlayingAgainstType cast in a challenging dramatic role]], and you're at least half-expecting a train wreck, and then... wow! They pull it off! Turns out He Really Can Act after all.

* Ethel Merman was a legend of Broadway and film in the first half of the twentieth century, but her reputation was centered on comic roles like ''Call Me Madam'' and ''Flora and the Red Menace.'' It was a surprise, then, when she decided to take on the role of Mama Rose in ''Theatre/{{Gypsy}}'', a part written specifically for her. Merman herself expressed doubts about some of the numbers, remarking that the finale, "Rose's Turn," was more aria than musical theatre piece. All doubt vanished, though, when Merman appeared on opening night and ''destroyed'' audiences with her nuanced, dramatic portrayal of Rose, the ultimate StageMom and, according to famous critic Clive Barnes, "one of the few truly complex characters in the American musical." Though many great performers--including Patti [=LuPone=], Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters, and Bette Midler--have all played Mama Rose, Merman's performance has gone down in history as incomparable.

** In the Japanese dub, Masako Nozawa got this reaction from fans who don't normally watch the sub, or like her voice for Goku, and most of his family members, for her portrayal of Goku Black in ''Super,'' as she sounds genuinely sadistic when voicing him. It's just her Goku voice, but deeper and more serious in tone and inflection, perfectly fitting Black's personality. It's gotten to the point where some people who prefer the dub are judging Sean's performance as the character from ''Xenoverse 2'' against hers and wishing he took more influence from her when it comes tot he character for the ''Super'' dub.

** From the same series, Creator/TravisWillingham as [[ColonelBadass Roy]] [[ByronicHero Mustang]]. Somewhat typecast as overtly masculine characters without a ton of depth, he had very little experience when cast in the 2003 anime at just 21 years old. While his performance in that version was still well received, he blew everyone’s expectations out of the water with his return to the role six years later in Brotherhood. He gave Roy warmth, gravitas and depth beyond even what was seen in the sub and helped to make him one of the show’s most emotionally complex characters, as well as nailing his comedic moments. Special mention goes to Part 5 Episode 2 in [[spoiler: the fight with Envy]], which has him giving one of the most [[HeroicBSOD terrifyingly furious screams]] in anime history, as well as the [[Tearjerker positively heartwrenching]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regret]] and [[LoveHurts tenderness]] he shows in the scene following that.

** Lewis really shows his acting chops in the ''Batman: Noel'' review, when Harvey Finevoice [[spoiler: has to confront his son's death]]. Never has so much anguish been portrayed on the show.

* Creator/ChristianBore had already proven himself to be an incredible musical comedy talent, having earned two Tony Awards for [[LargeHam his grandiose and hilarious work]] in ''Theatre/PeterAndTheStarcatcher'' and ''Theatre/SomethingRotten''. Then he played Marvin in ''Theatre/{{Falsettos}}'', [[PlayingAgainstType where he got to put his dramatic talents to work]], [[JerkassWoobie giving much pathos and heartbreak to a highly troubled man]] that left many audiences weeping.

* WebVideo/JennyNicholson’s voice over performance as the vindictive and self righteous fanfic author,Addison Cain, in Creator/LindsayEllis’s epic video essay,"into the omegaverse: how a fanfic trope landed in federal court” received a lot of praise in the Youtube comments.

->''"[[Creator/SylvesterStallone Stallone]] does pretty well for himself, playing a partially deaf small town sheriff, holding his own against Creator/HarveyKeitel and Creator/RobertDeNiro of all people. The fact that he matches two of the best actors working today punch for punch without getting blown off the screen is pretty remarkable."''
-->-- '''''Website/TheAgonyBooth''''' [[http://www.agonybooth.com/agonizer/Arnold_vs_Sly_King_of_the_Action_Heroes.aspx?Page=2 on]] ''Film/CopLand''

* WebVideo/JennyNicholson’s voice over performance as the vindictive and self righteous fanfic author,Addison Cain, in Creator/LindsayEllis’s epic video essay,"into the omegaverse: how a fanfic trope landed in federal court” received a lot of praise in the YouTube comments.

* ''WebVideo/ScottTheWoz'' usually is very wacky and upbeat, even during his more negative reviews, but the ''Chibi-Robo Zip-Lash'' video, while still generally keeping the tone as positive as he can, brings out very genuine anger and disappointment that he sells very well. Of particular note is when he finishes up the review portion and explains why he holds such disdain over a game that is technically functional and finished, and what makes him so bitter about its existence and how insulted he felt over Nintendo betting the franchise's future on its success. His aside for this has genuine heart and soul put into it, and that's even with the wisecracks his friends regularly make throughout the video in place, which arguably help keep it from being {{Narm}}.

* Music/KanyeWest in [[TearJerker We Were Once a Fairytale]]. ''[[UpToEleven Twice]].'' Also him on ''Music/TheClevelandShow''.

A FanSpeak phrase: this is what you say to yourself when a comedic performer, a non-acting entertainer, or somebody more known for athleticism or looks than in-depth acting ability gets [[CastingAgainstType cast in a challenging dramatic role]], and you're at least half-expecting a train wreck, and then... wow! They pull it off! Turns out He Really Can Act after all.

A FanSpeak phrase: this is what you say to yourself when a comedic performer [[PlayingAgainstType gets their first serious role, instead of the goof-off they've always been]], and you're at least half-expecting a train wreck, and then... wow! They pull it off! Turns out He Really Can Act after all.

* Broadway actress Lesli Margherita is mostly famous for her [[CloudCuckoolander wacky backstage vlogs]] and for originating Mrs. Wormwood in the Broadway cast of ''Theatre/{{Matilda}}''. Got that image in your head? Here she is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40rDjGK9Slo singing "God Help the Outcasts"]] as [[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Esmeralda]]. There's a reason she has an (unrelated) Olivier.

** His scenes in the latter and {{cerebus syndrome}}d half of WebVideo/DemoReel can be exhausting on one's emotions. One commenter even said they could have desperately used some ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' birds after Donnie numbly and sarcastically apologizes to the family for giving a bad performance [[spoiler: after hearing that his mother '''killed herself''']], and they think he's kidding.

* Geoffrey Whitehead's voice for Death in the BBC audio play of Discworld/{{Mort}} is chillingly soft and understated. This may surprise listeners used to Whitehead's more bombastic (and hilarious) voice in Radio/BleakExpectations or Rigor Mortis. In Mort, however, Whitehead is almost unrecognisable and he makes Death very detached and aloof.

** On that note, Creator/ElijahWood deserves a mention. He'd been praised for an okay performance in ''Film/LordOfTheRings'', but they'd not been overtly positive. Then he played Kevin in ''Film/SinCity'' and scared the shit out of everyone. When he got into ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' as [[AIIsACrapshoot Sigma]], and he steals every scene he's in, making you simultaneously detest and love him at the same time.