The increasingly insufferable art of actors who only ever play themselves
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is a popular and well-worn phrase, but one of the downsides is that it’s given rise to an increasing number of actors who stumble upon success by playing an extension of themselves on-screen, and then continue doing nothing but that at the expense of even considering trying something different.
Actors playing themselves in cameo appearances is another heavily-trodden trope that always reeks of self-aggrandisation, but it’s not quite the same thing as intentionally being pigeonholes. Putting their own unique spins on it, Nicolas Cage was excellent in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Bill Murray stole the show in Zombieland, and Keanu Reeves was a delight in Always Be My Maybe, but that came from leaning into their baggage and subverting it instead of letting it dictate the direction of their careers.
The most obvious – and therefore frustrating – example by far is Adam Sandler, who continues popping up to remind everyone that he’s a powerhouse dramatic talent with the right material. The Happy Madison Productions head honcho is an immensely talented thespian, but his preference for playing himself and hanging out with his buddies in a slew of forgettable comedies is what’s defined his filmography.
Dwayne Johnson is another. He is an actor who showed glimpses of potential early on in his career but has defaulted so firmly to type for so long that his career is in real danger of stagnating as a result. A24’s The Smashing Machine might rectify that, but it’s nonetheless galling that of the former professional wrestler’s last 14 live-action theatrical credits dating back to his turn as a coke-addled ex-con in Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain, every single one of them has come in an expensive, effects-heavy blockbuster, and in eight of them he’s played a former military and/or law enforcement veteran fighting against insurmountable odds.
Johnson’s Hobbs & Shaw, Red Notice, and Free Guy co-star Ryan Reynolds are in exactly the same boat, much to Quentin Tarantino’s chagrin, with claustrophobic thriller Buried and jet-black horror comedy The Voices indicative of his untapped talents, range, and versatility. So what does he do? Anchor a string of CGI-laden genre films that require nothing more of him than sardonic one-liners, motormouthed quipping, and standard action hero histrionics.
It may have worked to Barbie‘s advantage, but that proved to be the exception that proved the rule when the only time in living memory Michael Cera didn’t rely on his tried-and-trusted shtick was ironically when he played himself in This Is the End. Jason Statham knows what works, but his delightfully self-aware comedic turn in Spy was quickly overshadowed by a string of identikit action thrillers, with his days as the charismatic supporting player in Guy Ritchie’s breakout crime capers at the turn of the millennium feeling a million miles away.
Robert Downey Jr was also in danger of being stuffed into the exact same box before swinging for the fences with Oppenheimer and winning an Academy Award for his troubles, so it’s not as if those in perilous danger of being typecast forever at their own insistence aren’t afforded the opportunity to break free from those shackles.
The biggest, most bankable, and highest-paid stars in the business have a frustrating habit of stumbling upon something that works and then carrying on in that vein for perpetuity, which is great for the bank balance but stifling for creativity. Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks are just two names to have displayed that it’s possible to have the cake of A-list superstardom and eat it too, but it’s beginning to feel as though those two veterans are among the last of a dying breed.
Even Tom Cruise is in danger of succumbing to the art of playing nothing but himself after seemingly abandoning his desires to work with the best auteurs in cinema, but at least he’s a multi-generational megastar. The same can’t be said of Vin Diesel, Chris Pratt, Kevin Hart, or any of the increasing number of names who everybody knows the world over but have yet to give a performance outside of their comfort zone or wheelhouse that makes audiences sit up, take notice, and gaze in awe at the hitherto-unseen new strings to their bows.
Based on recent history, seeing Sandler, Johnson, Reynolds, Cera, Statham, or any of the other names mentioned above attached to any project offers a distinctly high possibility that anyone even vaguely familiar with their work knows exactly what’s coming well ahead of time. That’s a bad sign when Hollywood is increasingly focused on familiarity and playing it safe as it is, and there’s a very good reason why it breeds contempt as a result.
For the talent, it’s the easiest available option and the one that makes them the most money, sure. For the audience, though? It’s another sign that originality is fighting an uphill battle to make its presence felt on the highest-profile projects, with the multi-faceted movie star continuing to be gradually phased out as the culturally resonant gulf between the finest performers and the most marketable personas continues to widen.
