Certain actors have given us such prolific characters that we’ll only ever see them in that one role. It isn’t bad, but we can’t move beyond that one performance. If any springs to mind, there’s every chance we’ve listed it below.
Christopher Reeve, Superman
He was the original and, arguably, the best Superman of all time. Not only did he embrace the awkwardly nerdish qualities of Clark Kent, but he also gave us the powerhouse needed to enact a superhero. Despite his many later roles, he’ll always be the first name that springs to mind when we think of Superman.
Emma Watson, Hermione Granger
She may have gone on to appear in numerous movies across both sides of the entertainment pond, but we’ll only ever see her as the studious and efficient young girl who graced the Harry Potter Movies. It isn’t a bad thing, but she might struggle to break the reigns to disassociate from such a prolific role.
Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Think of Audrey Hepburn; one movie springs to mind: Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Her unique styling and gentle feminism within the movie launched her into mega-stardom, and she’s now synonymous with Holly Golightly.
Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones
Harrison Ford’s rugged charm and adventurous spirit made him the perfect fit for the role of the iconic archaeologist in the Indiana Jones franchise. Although he’s been in other great movies such as The Patriot and Clear and Present Danger, we’ll never forget him as Indiana.
Johnny Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow
Johnny Depp’s eccentric and swashbuckling performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise earned him widespread acclaim and a legion of fans. He started in the 1980s series 21 Jump Street, which inspired the remake, but few will remember him in the role.
Kelsey Grammer, Frasier
When you’ve played a character for eleven years, it’s pretty obvious that you’ll be remembered for very little outside it. Few even recall that Kelsey Grammar’s famous character first appeared as a regular in the 80s sitcom Cheers.
Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man
He’s been in and out of rehabilitation centers, appeared in a music video for Elton John, and has had a career spanning over thirty years. However, he may have fallen foul of the superhero curse; he’ll only ever be seen as Iron Man. The fact that he was cast as Iron Man based on his own tumultuous life experiences has forever linked the actor to this brilliant role.
Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia
She continues to inspire fancy dress costumes worldwide, and she’ll forever be regarded as the one and only Princess Leia, but can you think of any of her roles outside a George Lucas movie? No. Didn’t think so.
Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool
He was one of those actors we’d heard of but couldn’t link him to a particular role or movie. Deadpool ended that, and he definitively made his name as the Marvel hero. You’ll be hard-pushed to think of him in anything else.
Hugh Jackman, Wolverine
While he gave a tremendous all-round performance in the movie masterpiece Les Misérables, it’s hard to move beyond his portrayal of the adamantium-clawed mutant in the X-Men franchise. Comic fans were particularly impressed that he brought the character to life like never before.
Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker
Hamill’s journey from farm boy to Jedi master was one of the most prolific roles in pop culture history. He was a vital component of the famous Star Wars franchise, and we’d be hard-pressed to associate him with anything else.
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter
Daniel Radcliffe took to Hollywood after the success of the Harry Potter franchise, but despite appearing in a variety of movies, we’ll never see beyond his portrayal of Harry Potter. He might have earned a large fortune from his reprisal of the role, but to the rest of us, he’ll always be the kid with the glasses.
Jennifer Lawrence, Katniss Everdeen
Jennifer Lawrence’s fearless performance as the reluctant revolutionary in The Hunger Games franchise catapulted her to fame instantly. She even won the Academy Award for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook, but she’ll only ever be District 12’s Katniss Everdeen.
Heath Ledger, Joker
Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker brought a different kind of chilling to our screens. He even won a posthumous Academy Award for his realistic portrayal of the dark character. Sadly, his death shortly after the movie cemented the role in our minds, so we’ll never forget him in this final, mind-blowing performance.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terminator
His role as Terminator has become synonymous with three famous words that ironically catalyzed an argument between him and director James Cameron during filming. We’ve loved him in many movies, but he’ll always be this stoic and menacing cyborg assassin.
Sigourney Weaver, Ellen Ripley
Sigourney Weaver’s groundbreaking performance as the fearless space marine in the Alien franchise broke new ground for female action heroes. For that alone, she will always be our heroine, and we’ll willingly associate her with this role forever. Alien remains one of science fiction’s most iconic and influential movies.
Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa
It was the role that we thought he’d play for all eternity, so when we learned that Sylvester Stallone was hanging up his boxing gloves, we wept. He might have lost his Rocky legacy, but running up those steps with a bunch of kids will forever be in our hearts.
Keanu Reeves, Neo
Keanu Reeves was famous long before Neo was even an inkling in a writer’s mind, but his groundbreaking performance as the chosen one in The Matrix trilogy redefined the action genre and made him an international superstar.
Linda Hamilton, Sarah Connor
Linda Hamilton’s fierce and determined performance as the cool resistance fighter in the Terminator franchise made her a feminist icon. James Cameron said that Hamilton shaped Sarah Connor’s evolution with her ability to flit between valley girl and courageous fighter. We’re inclined to agree.
Tobey Maguire, Spider-Man
Tobey Maguire’s earnest and relatable performance as the friendly neighborhood web-slinger in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy won him widespread acclaim and a legion of fans. The question remains: did he do anything notable besides Spider-Man? At least he has one role that he can claim as his own.
