Any actor that makes it to the big time in Hollywood obviously has talent, yet some of them feel most comfortable portraying the same kinds of characters and like staying in their comfort zone. While some fans and critics see this as a negative, there's no denying the influence these actors have in society these days. A lot of Hollywood's greatest talent have loyal fan bases and will continue working on projects they will succeed in, mainly because they're great at what they do.
A lot of fans will watch any movie as long as it has one of their favorite actors in it, no matter what kind of movie it is. Most of these actors carve out their own niche in Hollywood and have found great success in at least one genre. They've made a boatload of money and have kept millions of fans entertained for all the years they have acted. Whether they have been action superstars or comedic geniuses, these actors have had great success playing the same types of characters.
10 Mark Wahlberg Seems To Play An Action Superstar Or An Unintentionally Funny Character
For a guy who started out as an underwear model who was part of a pop group called The Funky Bunch, Mark Wahlberg has reached heights few could even dream about. Starring in hits such as Boogie Nights, The Departed, and Ted, Wahlberg has had a lot of success in the movie industry and continues it to this day. Although he's been nominated for an Oscar, Wahlberg isn't considered one of the most polished actors and usually stars in movies where he plays a generic action hero or as an unintentionally funny character.
The Boston native makes them all work though and was tremendous in the previously mentioned movies, especially his dramatic acting in The Departed and Boogie Nights. However, his best roles were in comedies such as the Ted franchise and The Other Guys, mainly because he was able to spread his wings and fly in a comedic setting.
9 Dangerous Stunts & Explosive Action Movies Are Tom Cruise's Calling Cards
Tom Cruise is quite a versatile actor and can be extremely charismatic, yet it's his huge action movies where he seems most comfortable. Cruise has been a bonafide Hollywood superstar since the mid-'80s, starring in films about vampires, secret agents, the military, and everything in between. While he was amazing in the legendary comedy Tropic Thunder, Cruise is best known for his dramatic and action-packed roles.
Additionally, he has made buckets of money off the Mission: Impossible franchise and is quite influential in the stunt sequences, often doing the most dangerous ones himself. Although various aspects of his personal life over the years have turned off some fans of his movies, there's no denying his talent and passion for each of his projects.
8 Sylvester Stallone Knows How To Play A Tough Guy Who's A Little Aloof
Though his first credited acting role was in a softcore adult film where he played a character named Stud, Sly Stallone would break through the Hollywood doors after writing and starring in Rocky. After the success of Rocky and its sequels of wildly varying quality, Sly would go on to star in the amazingly brutal First Blood and its sequels about the distraught Vietnam vet, John Rambo.
Stallone would go on to star and even direct a lot of successful films, though unfortunately, he never recaptured the magic of the Rocky and Rambo franchises. Stallone never pretended to be a classically trained actor but he always performed well as an action superstar, even receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in the original Rocky and winning a Golden Globe for the 2015 Rocky movie, Creed.
7 Paul Rudd Never Ages & Seems To Always Play The Charming And/Or Agitated Guy
Paul Rudd found small success in the movie industry in the mid-'90s but by the early 2000s, he became a household name and was getting bigger roles in successful movies. After his run on the megahit TV show Friends, Rudd would go on to star in comedy blockbusters such as The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Knocked Up, and Role Models.
In 2015 Rudd would join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Ant-Man, its sequel, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame, which cemented him as a Hollywood superstar. Whether he's playing Ant-Man himself or a comedic character, Rudd is seemingly ageless and always brings a lot of charm and likeability to his roles. Sometimes he plays an easily agitated character but seems to always win over the audience with his wit and humor, which is something each of his characters flourishes in.
6 The Handsome, Edgy, Cool Guy Is Usually Played By Ryan Reynolds
Who wouldn't want to be known as a successful, handsome, and cool character? Ryan Reynolds has played many roles since hitting it big in the late-'90s but his fun personality really started to take shape after hits like Van Wilder and Waiting. Reynolds has also found a niche for himself in the superhero genre, starting off shakily in Blade: Trinity and Green Lantern before starring in and producing both Deadpool and Deadpool 2, playing the titular character, and bringing the Merc With A Mouth to the big screen with great success.
Although he has had roles in almost every genre, Reynolds is amazing at playing a wise-cracking character that everyone loves and he always comes off as the coolest guy in the room, or at least he believes he's the coolest guy in the room. Regardless, Ryan Reynolds is multitalented and is extremely suave, so playing those kinds of characters is a smart move and is easily believable for the Canadian-born actor.
5 Arnold Schwarzenegger Is An Awesome Action & Comedy Star With Great Catchphrases
It doesn't matter what movie it was— one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's lines was most likely the most memorable part of it. Arnold has starred in amazing movies such as Twins, T2: Judgement Day, True Lies, and Kindergarten Cop, showing that he can do comedies just as well as he can do action movies.
Arnold may not be a Shakespearian-level actor (although he did play Hamlet in a dream sequence in Last Action Hero), the Austrian Oak's thick accent and classic one-liners are undeniably entertaining and made him one the most beloved actors of the '80s and '90s. After his run as California Governor through the early 2000s, Arnold returned to his acting ways and is still as entertaining as ever, especially in the very good Terminator: Dark Fate and the over-the-top The Expendables franchise.
4 Samuel L. Jackson Is Usually Angry, Cool, Or Both In Most Of His Performances
Whether he's playing a suave hitman in Pulp Fiction or an angry FBI agent in Snakes On A Plane, Samuel L. Jackson's charisma always bursts off the screen. Jackson is so versatile he can star in any genre of movie and he is one of the only actors ever to play a major role in both the Star Wars franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Whether he's Mace Windu in the former, Nick Fury in the latter, or just a random horror movie character, Jackson brings explosiveness to most of his roles. Samuel L. Jackson remains a force in Hollywood to this day but is best known for being a cool guy character or as an easily agitated character who likes to shout loudly, something that has become a trademark of Mr. Jackson and will always work for his characters.
3 Adam Sandler Is Great At Being The Lovable, Angry Guy Who Is Also Hilarious
After a successful run on Saturday Night Live, Adam Sandler's career really took off after hits like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. He would go on to create his own production company, Happy Madison, and star in other big comedies such as Big Daddy, Mr. Deeds, Click, and a long list of others.
Additionally, Sandler has starred in well-received dramas such as Punch-Drunk Love and Uncut Gems, both of which showed the actors full range and proved he's more than just a comedian. There's no denying Sandler can act but he seems most comfortable in a comedic setting, especially because he seems like such a genuinely good guy and his humor comes off very tasteful. Earlier in his career, he was at his best as the funny guy with a short fuse but he has toned it down in his latter days, making a lot of successful family and buddy comedies.
2 Seth Rogen Is Amazing At Being A Stoner With A Trademark Laugh & Likeable Personality
Seth Rogen has been acting since the late-'90s but it wasn't until his hilarious supporting role in The 40-Year-Old-Virgin that casual moviegoers realized how talented he was. He would go on to star in Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express, and a laundry list of other comedy movies, usually playing a stoner with a heart of gold.
Since the mid-2000s Rogen has been a comedy hot streak that hasn't been seen since Jim Carrey's mid-'90s run, constantly churning out hit after hit. Rogen carved out his own niche in the comedy genre and most recently has starred in the excellent political comedy, Long Shot, alongside Charlize Theron. He also produces some adult-themed superhero TV shows for Amazon and will most likely continue playing the lovable pothead, mainly because that's Seth Rogen's personality, and who wouldn't want to make millions of dollars playing a version of themselves in a rewatchable comedy?
1 Vince Vaughn Seems To Always Be The Fast Talking, Funny Guy Who Has Amazing Facial Reactions
Vince Vaughn isn't afraid to mix it up on screen and is a deeply talented dramatic actor, especially in projects such as True Detective and Brawl In Cell Block 99. However, his comedic timing is near perfection and his fast-paced witty banter is unmatched by anyone in Hollywood today.
After having a small role in the beloved football movie Rudy, Vince Vaughn would go on to star in the cult classic, Swingers. The success of Swingers would land him roles in Jurassic Park: The Lost World and the 1998 remake of Psycho, proving early on that Vaughn could do a variety of movies. In 2003, he would co-star in Old School, which would lead to huge roles in Starsky & Hutch, Wedding Crashers, and The Break-Up. He's clearly a great actor and comedian but no other actor that produces such memorable facial reactions as Vince Vaughn, especially when his characters find themselves in precarious situations.