Tatum, a resident Hollywood Heartthrob, has been known to play the hunky lead is action flicks with a good dose of comedy as he did in GI Joe and Whitehouse Down.
Carell had been acting for several years before finding fame with movies like Bruce Almighty and Anchorman. Since that time he has continued to make hit comedies like 40-year-old virgin and was the lead man for the Office.
Type casting is a double-edged sword in Hollywood. On one hand a successful actor in a genre has
a huge likelihood of being cast again in that genre, keeping them working. On the other, attempts to find work in other
genres are difficult because they have not really “proved themself”. Plenty of actors fell victim to the latter
situation and it can stifle their creativity.
No one really knew how well Robin Williams was going to be
in Good Will Hunting because his background does not give you any indication
that he can play serious roles.
Foxcatcher is one of those rare opportunities for these
two actors to test their mettle in uncharted waters. As an actor I appreciate this kind of
opportunity because so often we see the same character types played by the same
people with little chance for some new blood.
I also think it helps actors who have been placed in a bubble a chance
to escape, especially comedic actors.
Because of the lighthearted nature of comedies people downplay the
actor's level of commitment need to sell the character. Some of the most difficult roles to make
believable are indeed, the silliest ones.
I only hope that Foxcatcher is successful and proves to be
a platform to display Carell and Tatum’s versatility.
