Every now and then, an actor lands a dream part. It brings them fame and it brings them fortune.
It can even typecast them, because the role becomes so iconic that audiences have trouble seeing them as anyone else.
Anthony Hopkins is a brilliant actor. He's won two Oscars, including one just earlier this year for The Father. But if you ask the average moviegoer their thoughts on Hopkins, they're bound to rave to you about The Silence of the Lambs—which Hopkins won his first Oscar for.
Is Hopkins more than Dr. Hannibal Lecter?
Oh, absolutely. Just check out his impressive body of work.
But is his performance so iconic that to many audience members, he'll forever be that character? Also yes.
People shared their thoughts after Redditor preposterous_potato asked the online community:
"What actor can never be another character in your eyes no matter what?"
"The Rock is just The Rock. Whenever a new movie comes out with him I don't even remember his character's name, he's just The Rock."
npcgoat
This is true.
Does The Rock even act?
Does it matter?
"Aaron Paul..."
:Aaron Paul will always be Jesse Pinkman."
mikeyneri108
Well, Jesse Pinkman is AMAZING so this isn't so bad.
And you should check out his work on Bojack Horseman if you have any doubt that he can do anything else.
"Every Jason Statham movie..."
"Every Jason Statham movie is a documentary about Jason Statham's life."
Late-Veterinarian90
Jason Statham knows this–the way he parodied himself in Spy was one of the most rewarding pieces of comedy to come about in the last few years.
"Forever Ross."
"David Schwimmer. Forever Ross I saw him in Band of Brothers and thought - Oh, crap, there's Ross."
garthog2020
David Schwimmer knows he's Ross... but he's also proven himself to be a competent filmmaker.
Just watch Trust, a dark film Schwimmer directed about a child predator and the impact his crime has on a teenage girl.
"Bruce Willis..."
"Bruce Willis just always seems to be Bruce Willis, slightly different flavors but still the same guy."
MeepieMaster
He's been cycling through the same roles for the last 20 years, too, most of these not very good.
"Mark Hamill will always be..."
"Mark Hamill always will be Luke Skywalker in my eyes. He embraces his fame as Luke Skywalker. I think he realizes he is forever attached to that role and just goes with it."
PeanutRecord698
He's also the Joker–and that's no small feat!
"Morgan Freeman will always be..."
"Morgan Freeman will always be Morgan Freeman. My goal in life is to win the lottery and hire Morgan Freeman to follow me around and narrate my life."
PhantomBanker
Morgan Freeman wishes his life was narrated by Morgan Freeman.
Can you blame him?
"Emma Watson..."
"Emma Watson just IS Hermione to me no matter how many other movies she's been in."
scunfishy
This is true, though I highly recommend you check out her work The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Bling Ring and Little Women to see what she can do.
"He has a very particular set..."
"Liam Neeson. He has a very particular set of skills, skills he acquired over a very long career, skills that make him a nightmare for people like you."
wandrlusty
Taken was one of the best things to happen to Liam Neeson's career, not that he wasn't an excellent actor before that.
"I've never seen him anywhere else..."
"Jim Parsons will forever be Sheldon in my head. I've never seen him anywhere else but I cannot imagine him as another character."
Snoo64420
Check out his work in The Normal Heart if you want to see something different.
He's definitely far better than the material he had to work with on The Big Bang Theory.
Many actors would kill to land that one major part.
Movie and television immortality? The people above have all achieved it, and then some.
Have some thoughts of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram