Samuel L. Jackson and "The Type"

One of the most controversial topics among the acting and performing community is that of an actor or actress' "type." As an actor myself, I have had a lot of experience with this phenomenon. For some reason I'm supposed to be a villain in most shows. Maybe it's because I'm naturally intimidating?... Nah.

Gianetti talks a lot about a performer's "type." A performer's type refers to a type of character that, according to casting directors and general public assumptions, fits that performer perfectly. This extends to a performer's hair, skin, height, weight, voice, and overall personality. I've compiled a list on Letterboxd which you can see here (make sure to click on "read notes"), but I'll mention some of them. Johnny Depp for example is often cast as the enigmatic lead (see Edward Scissorhands and Captain Jack Sparrow). Adam Sandler, especially in his early days, is almost always the lovable idiot (see Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Punch-Drunk Love). However, the film and actor we'll be focusing on today is Samuel L. Jackson and the cult classic Snakes On A Plane.

Adam Sandler in his idiotic, but undeniably lovable performance in Billy Madison

Samuel L. Jackson has had an incredibly lucrative film career, and is now considered to be the highest grossing actor of all time. But why is that? Well, much of that can be traced back to the fact that people LOVE Jackson's "type." I see his type as "the badass loud guy." Don't believe me, check him out in Pulp Fiction (remember, "I DOUBLE DARE YA") or The Avengers as Nick Fury, or even in Django Unchained. It's not to say that Jackson is poor in his efforts of portraying his typecast, it's quite the opposite, but it is quite impressive that he has been able to gross as much solely because he plays his type so well.

But, in Snakes On A Plane, Samuel L. takes his type to an entirely new level, soaring above even his most memorable roles. Let's take the most memorable scene from the film that reached meme levels:

Caution: Strong language ahead.

You'll see that this is not an uncommon occurrence. There's literally this compilation:

Caution: More strong language.

By now you probably see what I'm talking about. Samuel L. is able to completely embody the muscle character, and whether or not someone likes it, he does it incredibly well. Like seriously, could you imagine someone else turning that line into such a meme? I certainly couldn't.

However much I hate the typecast (and I'm sure many in Hollywood do too), it certainly has a place in cinema. Without people who can portray a type like Samuel L. does, films could seriously suffer from blandness and lack of memorability. Would we remember Happy Gilmore like we do today without Adam Sandler? Would Pirates of the Caribbean be as popular without that charm and wit of Johnny Depp? Likely not.

As much as the typecast sucks for actors, there's no doubt it is beneficial to directors in enacting their vision, and for audiences to see that vision completed.