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Here's something that Hollywood offers (sometimes)— versatility. When it comes to the guys, the industry definitely delivers. Watching Leonardo DiCaprio morph from Titanic "pretty boy" to Inception icon didn't just span two personalities. We got the craftiest conman in movie history in Catch Me If You Can and saw a different kind of dishonest in The Wolf Of Wall Street. We got mid 19th-century revenge in Gangs Of New York and time travel in Romeo + Juliet. From Blood Diamond smuggler to The Departed cop, this guy is as versatile as his dating portfolio.
Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, and Brad Pitt all find their way onto "most versatile actor" lists. At the same time, you've got actors who might as well have "typecast" tattooed across their foreheads. The cocky hero? Hi, Tom Cruise. The intimidating, self-confident jerk? Hello, Alec Baldwin. The guy who will forever rule for just being who he is? The MCU didn't pick Samuel L. Jackson for no reason.
Now, it's time to hover the lens over the ladies. When it comes to Hollywood actresses, they seem to fall into two distinct categories: actresses who are total chameleons, and actresses who basically play the same role over and over. That said, not all "broken record" actresses are doing rom-coms. You'd be surprised at some of the actresses in the "same" category. Fortunately, for the 12 "lather, rinse, repeat" actresses on this list, another 12 are proving total chameleons. From action and sci-fi's biggest stars to tough, quirky, or fiery characters, some of these ladies are blowing our minds. Here are 12 actresses who are total chameleons and 12 who play the same role over and over—but not necessarily in bad ways.
CHAMELEON: SCARLETT JOHANSSON
There's more to Scarlett Johansson than red wigs, catsuits, and that Black Widow role. Long before this actress was bringing Tony Stark's trainer to his knees in Iron Man 2, Scarlett's Google searches were churning out different stuff. It was when fans stumbled on an Instagram pic of a 14-year-old Scarlett with a 16-year-old Jessica Biel that the real hunt began, though. To save you the trouble, ScarJo's first on-screen appearance was at eight years old on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. The real chameleon wasn't quite ripe for the picking yet, though.
"Weapons training was a whole new world for me." From horse-whispering amputee to medieval, The Girl With The Pearl Earring, this girl's abilities are endless. Plus, you know, she is Black Widow.
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Scarlett detailed the grueling workout prep for taking on the MCU. "That woman hanging 60 feet in the air, taking punches and throwing punches? Well, that's me. I work out like a dude." Over a decade earlier though, Scarlett was starring in a string of Woody Allen movies— generally playing the femme fatale. For a ScarJo you've never seen before, check out Vicky Christina Barcelona, Lost In Translation, Match Point, or Her (for the syrup voice).
ALWAYS THE SAME: MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ
Gun-toting, tough-as-nails, and takes down all the boys— Michelle Rodriguez may as well walk onto any Hollywood set with "don't mess with me" as the lead female. Here's what you probably didn't know about Michelle. She actually embraces her typecast persona. Speaking at Comic-Con, Michelle revealed that it has "nothing to do with anything, it's just to do with... you allow yourself to be typecast." From being stranded on a desert island in Lost to her ultra-tough Fast & Furious roles, Michelle has done it 1,000 times. She shot zombies in the face in Resident Evil, stomped out a marine in Halo 2, and of course, she beat everyone within an inch of their life in Fast & Furious 7.
"Oh baby, I was typecast the minute I did a film called Girlfight years ago." Choosing to be typecast, Michelle shoots like a pro, kicks like a tough chick, and takes no prisoners.
There are very few exceptions to Michelle's long string of roles as a hard-hitting tomboy with a seriously capable skill-set. Fans have also noticed how most of Michelle's characters don't actually make it, despite the toughness. Adamant at staying where she is, Michelle concluded: "If I decided I didn't want to be typecast, I'd just go do an indie film where I play some poor girl and win myself an award for crying."
CHAMELEON: JENNIFER LAWRENCE
When you're a 27-year-old Oscar winner who has already conquered X-Men, The Hunger Games, and Joy, you've earned your "chameleon" title. For an actress who has openly admitted that she has "no formal acting training," Little Miss Versatility has grossed the movie industry a total of $5.5 billion, according to Forbes. Jennifer Lawrence is a rare breed. In 2012, Jen took on a post-apocalyptic world of fighting teens in The Hunger Games, for which she pulled all her own stunts. That Academy Award nomination Jen earned for Winter's Bone? Jen prepped for it by living with Ozarks and skinning squirrels. She told The New York Times:
"I can go about life free as an idiot, because I have no idea what I'm doing." From post-apocalyptic stunt warrior to Ozarks-set teen, Jennifer Lawrence's versatility has earned her an Oscar.
As fans compared The Hunger Games' Katniss to elaborate personality layers from Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, Hollywood knew that they'd found their chameleon. Weirdly, it's for the rom-com, Silver Linings Playbook that J-Law won her Oscar. Plenty of actresses have played "troubled wives." Not many were doing it in American Hustle in 2013 and sandwiching it between X-Men and 1930's North Carolina in Serena. For the 2018 movie, Red Sparrow, J-Law just pulls out all the stops. She's a ballerina playing a double agent.
ALWAYS THE SAME: MILA KUNIS
When you're a typecast actress like Mila Kunis, you should thank your lucky stars that you're good looking. The Friends With Benefits actress probably didn't choose the "girl-next-door" spot on the Hollywood casting couch, but here's the thing, you don't pick Hollywood— Hollywood picks you. Ashton Kutcher probably married this girl for the same reason you buy movie theater tickets to see her. She's adorable, giggly, and easy-going. Mila has her That '70s Show TV career to thank for spring-boarding her onto the silver screen (although, her Meg Griffin voice on Family Guy is still going strong).
Let's see. In 2008, Mila played a hotel concierge and Russell Brand's love interest in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. While we didn't exactly "forget" Mila there, it didn't win her any Oscars. In 2010, Mila had a minor role in Date Night– amazingly, with Gal Gadot (well that came "out of nowhere"). Ted in 2012 had its Ryan Reynolds co-star perks, but it was still comedy. As were After Sex in 2007, Extract in 2009, and Get Over It in 2001 (although, that did star Zoe Saldana).
The further back you go with Mila, the more you see the pattern. Moving McAllister in 2007 is probably one movie Mila wants to forget. Well, either that or Santa with Muscles in 1996. Fortunately, our next chameleon is there for back-up...
CHAMELEON: EMMA STONE
Rom-com roots can be easily gotten rid of. It's called being a versatile actress. When Emma Stone was playing a high school teen in Easy A, nobody thought that this girl would go on to play a superhero. They certainly didn't think she would then switch hats to win a Golden Globe for the feel-good musical comedy, La La Land. Emma was the highest-paid actress of 2017, according to Forbes, with a staggering $26 million paycheck.
Hollywood doesn't just "hand out" $26 million paychecks. Losing to Hayden Panetierre was a moment Emma called "rock bottom." The Amazing Spider-Man and her Oscar for La La Land? Kind of a winner.
Emma dropped out of high school at 15 to move to Los Angeles. It was unsteady beginnings for Emma as she lost out to Hayden Panettiere in Heroes, which she told Vanity Fair was her "rock bottom." Superbad may have brought fame alongside Jonah Hill, but it was typecasting Emma in the kinds of movies she'd star alongside Anna Faris in– The House Bunny in 2008 and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Someone must have spotted the talent. Probably why we got apocalypse horror in Zombieland and Emma gaining 15lbs of muscle for the tennis biopic, Battle of the Sexes.
ALWAYS THE SAME: ANGELINA JOLIE
You've got to give it to Angelina Jolie, for all the temptingly seductive tough-girl roles she has played, the woman does pull her own stunts. Hollywood got the real deal in 2003, as Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life was the literal cradle for a career that would sky-rocket Angelina to fame. While Angie has peppered her tough chick roles with more emotional ones, like Changeling, the default setting for Angelina is three words: Beating You Up.
Hand-to-hand combat, stunts, and weapons are the default setting for Angelina Jolie. "My stunt team tell me to go off that bridge." They've also said that Angelina pulls 99% of her own stunts.
It's always the same with Angelina, whether she's the villain or the hero. In she swans in all her impossible beauty, but the bottom line is a warrior woman who'll beat guys to a pulp. She did it in 2000 alongside Nicolas Cage in Gone In 60 Seconds. Then in 2008, with Wanted. In 2010, she was back at it with Salt– black and blonde wigs do not count as "variety" in this list. She even managed to get her then-husband, Brad Pitt as her target in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Taking Lives had fewer guns, but it was still law enforcement. Angelina is now 42 years old, but she's still pulling her own stunts in Maleficent 2.
CHAMELEON: EMMA WATSON
Talk about shaking off a character. From the age of 11, Emma Watson spent most of her teens being Ravenclaw's biggest goody-two-shoes in the Harry Potter franchise. Eight movies saw plenty of her character, Hermione Granger, punch Draco Malfoy in the face, escape the Devil's snare, and brew that Polyjuice Potion– while also falling in love. In 2011, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 marked the end of Emma's Hogwarts days. Everyone was waiting to see if Emma could pull anything else off.
"I want to find something that will let me use my brain in another way." American accents, techno-thrillers, and full-on Biblical have proven that Emma has many strings to her bow.
Emma could easily have walked away with the $60 million she netted from Harry Potter. In 2012, Hermione Granger was replaced with Sam in The Perks of Being A Wallflower. All grown-up and all-American, we got even more of it with the California-based The Bling Ring and The Circle. You aren't versatile unless you've done biblical, though– Noah gave us that. Emma's pixie haircut? "I'd been on Harry Potter for ten years, so I needed to mark the end in some way," Emma told Marie Claire.
ALWAYS THE SAME: JENNIFER ANISTON
With a $1 million per episode salary, Jennifer Aniston can't complain– or can she? The biggest pitfall of being a sitcom star on a Friends level is, well, that you can never really leave your character. The "girl across the hall," Rachel Green has stuck to this actress like glue, and Jen has even admitted it. After Friends ended in 2004 and the string of endless rom-coms saw Jen firmly pigeon-holed, pecking her way out of that box was no picnic. After ten whole years of romantic comedies, Jen finally broke away with Cake– a 2014 movie that isn't what it sounds. Playing a sufferer of chronic pain in Cake saw Jen gain over 30lb to play a woman so afflicted, she couldn't get out of bed. As to being typecast, Jen told Hollywood Reporter:
"It's been a frustrating thing. I didn't want to be thought of as only the girl next door, only the funny girl." Jen added that she wanted to explore human beings and experiences, especially pushing herself outside of her comfort zone.
The reason we're sticking Jen in this category? Her movie portfolio kind of does it for her. Along Came Polly, Rumor Has It, The Break-Up, Marley & Me, Horrible Bosses, We're The Millers, Love Happens, and Picture Perfect. Care to disagree?
CHAMELEON: HALLE BERRY
When Halle Berry won her Oscar for the harrowing Monster's Ball, we saw an actress play a broken woman– in the most challenging possible way. Abusive to her own son and facing being evicted from her own home, Halle wasn't playing the woe-is-me pity story. She was playing a real woman. If you think Halle just switched to superhero overnight, you've missed a couple of steps (or 50). In 2002, Halle made her famous swimsuit sea exit as Jinx in the James Bond movie, Die Another Day. By this point though, Halle had already made her superhero debut in X-Men. Just two years earlier though, Halle was playing a political activist in Bulworth.
Halle Berry was pregnant and "busting out the catsuit" while filming X-Men: Days of Future Past. She said that Monster's Ball director, Lee Daniels was "disgusted" at first by the idea of her playing Leticia Musgrove.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, Halle said that the director of Monster's Ball was "disgusted by the thought" of her being cast. "I took on roles early on that didn't rely on my physical self at all," she added. From playing a diner waitress in the 2017 movie, Kidnap to the world-famous Storm, Halle is one versatile actress.
ALWAYS THE SAME: HELENA BONHAM CARTER
Always somewhere between quirky, scary, and macabre, Helena Bonham Carter is a "typecast" actress for all the right reasons. Helena started out in a giant hamster wheel of period dramas. Her romantic heroines somehow always found themselves many centuries in the past, although our curly-haired, incoherently babbling Helena always delivered. To be fair, when you're dating a super-eccentric director like Tim Burton, you're going to get cast in his wonderfully whimsical movies. Bellatrix Lestrange gave us plenty of Helena's edge in Harry Potter. She was beyond sensational in Alice In Wonderland and predictably unpredictable in Sweeney Todd.
Curly-haired, whimsical and always a little macabre, Hollywood's fairytale godmother is always a little bit strange. "She's a toddler tyrant!" Helena said about her Alice In Wonderland role.
In an interview with Indie London, Helena admitted that Tim Burton "always casts her as witches." Laughing, Helena said, "He's broadened my range. And my head size." Great Expectations, The King's Speech, Sweeney Todd, and the TV Series, The Crown all saw Helena in her period drama comfort zone. As to the weird and macabre, there was Alice In Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Typecast she may be, but Helena's edge comes with a signature.
CHAMELEON: ANNE HATHAWAY
Signing up to do movies called The Princess Diaries is risky business– especially when you have a "sweetheart face." Do that, and you'll have a whole lot to prove if you ever want to do sci-fi. Anne Hathaway's' geeky teenager role in the 2001 movie only led to a sequel– Ella Enchanted. Fans wondered if Anne would be forever trapped. Here's one thing Hollywood will do (if you're willing to put in the effort). It might make you jump hoops, but it will consider you. Brokeback Mountain was one Anne had to climb, but The Dark Knight Rises was the reward.
"The Princess Diaries was a great first job. My whole M.O in my twenties was: be in as many different types of films as you can." This princess rose to the top, Dark Knight style.
"Hathaway is the sensational secret weapon of this production, a tart, leggy operator who can turn on a dime from damsel-in-distress to canny kitten-with-a-whip," The Washington Post said about Anne's role in The Dark Knight Rises. Anne may have starred alongside the most versatile actress of all, Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, but this girl has proven she's worth the Academy Award she won. Anne's role in Ocean's 8 is complete, but her career is far from it.
ALWAYS THE SAME: KRISTEN STEWART
Have you noticed how Kristen Stewart always finds herself as the mysterious-yet-alluring outsider? Directors and co-stars (*cough* Robert Pattinson) may have learned that this girl's company is best kept strictly professional, but you've got to admit, Kristen is talented– at doing the exact same thing over and over. The hair touching. The mouth tension. The stutter-ish delivery. In Twilight, she was being lured by the vampire world– then lathering on the depression and isolation in Twilight: New Moon. In Snow White and The Huntsmen, Kristen was brandishing swords in darkened forests while catching Chris Hemsworth's eye. Kristen told The Metro:
"People who call me the Twilight girl and mean it... Please, pigeon-hole me. That means I did it right." Always the mysterious outsider with an edge, Kristen may be subtle and low-key, but it's same thing over and over.
Kristen has branched out fairly well since Twilight. Adventureland, Camp X-Ray, American Ultra, and Into The Wild didn't see Kristen scream her head off or contort her face, but it was the same subtle delivery fans saw in Clouds of Sils Maria. Kristen's roles basically fit her own mannerisms. They blew fans away with Joan Jett in The Runaways. Still, we're always seeing a slightly miserable, emotionally detached, but very beautiful female lead.
CHAMELEON: MARGOT ROBBIE
It takes a lot to be a chameleon when you don't actually have that many movies to your name. Margot Robbie shot to fame in The Wolf Of Wall Street– starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio will kind of do that. There's more to playing a stockbroker's wife in this Australian actress' resume, though. All the hair and makeup in the world can whip up a Halloween Harley Quinn, but not everyone can play her. Suicide Squad saw Margot deliver as a former psychologist turned insane temptress by The Joker. If you can't pin down the word describing Margot's shift to Jane in The Legend Of Tarzan, it's called "contrast." When National Post asked Margot about that contrast, she laughed, saying:
"Yeah, well. Jane's a little tanned, a red-head from the late 1880s and emotionally composed. Harley is pale white with white hair, covered in tattoos and a really crazy basket case."
It's basically full steam ahead for Margot, in terms of versatility. Margot learned pro ice-skating from scratch in three weeks for I, Tonya. In the upcoming Mary Queen of Scots, Margot is going back a good five centuries. Her 2018 movie, Terminal doesn't even have a specific location. This girl is so good, that Leo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt will be joining her for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
ALWAYS THE SAME: KATHERINE HEIGL
When you're an actress who crosses major TV roles and movies, you'll get some perks. For Katherine Heigl though, it's the double-whammy "perk" of being one of two characters. The uptight workaholic or the romantic lead in, duh, the romantic movie. Between 2005 and 2010, Katherine was a core cast member on Grey's Anatomy. That gave viewers five whole years of little miss protective, stubborn, and "don't get in the way of medicine." Replacing medicine with love (the best medicine if you're a diehard Heigl fan), Katherine's movies haven't exactly come with variety.
With Hollywood on the fence about continuing to cast Katherine, her only 2016 appearance was a kitty litter commercial.
In 27 Dresses, Katherine has been in 27 wedding dresses and longs for one of her own. In The Big Wedding, Katherine's character spends a lot of time reconciling with her husband as they battle those oh-so-tormenting wedding obstacles. We're not going to insult your intelligence with what the plotline of Valentine's Day is. We're really trying, here. But when an actress' 2008 movie was 27 Dresses and her 2018 movie is Jenny's Wedding, there's a limit. Oh, wait. There was Knocked Up. Okay, so romantic comedy, but pregnant. On the plus side, Katherine is a good actress.
CHAMELEON: AMY ADAMS
Behind the sweetheart face, Amy Adams has a message: Don't underestimate me. Amy also gets bonus points for being a "late bloomer"– Amy was 33 when Enchanted premiered in 2007. With over 40 movies in the past two decades, Amy has morphed from DC Comics superhero to American Hustle con artist. This girl can slip in (or out) of accents like nobody's business, but Hollywood is paying big bucks for the privilege. The five-time Oscar-nominated actress earned $13.5 million in 2016, according to Forbes.
Amy has out-auditioned Natalie Portman, plus, 249 other actresses for her role in Enchanted. "I would go into auditions and I would never get the job." How the tables have turned. Amy started out as a Disney princess. Then we saw Amy play a string of slightly naive (but always optimistic) women in movies like Doubt.
The pattern with Amy seems to be that her characters become stronger with time. Amy was in and out of boxing rings in 2010's The Fighter, then adjusting to World War II in The Master. All before ultimately landing Lois Lane in the DC Extended Universe. Speaking to The New York Times, Amy said: "the studio described me as– oh, the homely girl from Catch Me If You Can." Homely? Let's see. Justice League, Batman v Superman, Big Eyes, and the violent thriller, Nocturnal Animals? Amy is a #Chameleon.
ALWAYS THE SAME: KEIRA KNIGHTLEY
If Keira Knightley is in the movie credits, chances are it's a period drama. For a modern woman who rides around Paris on a motorcycle for Chanel's fragrances, this actress sure does know how to stick in the past. Beauty, you'll definitely get. But with Keira, you'll also get the "whatever century" heroine with a bleeding heart and a giant pearl necklace. Anna Karenina is set in 19th-Century Russia. The Duchess is set in 18th-Century England. Pirates of the Caribbean doesn't come with a date, but if your character is fainting from tight corsets, it counts. When The Telegraph interviewed Keira, she said:
"I don't do modern movies because female characters nearly always get [assaulted]". Finding the modern day "distasteful," Keira sits in the past with her tight curls, corsets, and pearl necklaces.
We got plenty of the "period heroine" in 2005 with Pride & Prejudice. In 2008, Keira was wearing giant 18th-Century ballgowns in The Duchess. Anna Karenina, Silk, and Atonement didn't branch out all that much more, and big surprise– Keira's 2018 movie, Colette, sees her marching around in straw hats and ruffle-neck dresses as a French novelist. Fans have mixed views on Keira's refusal to do "modern movies." You asked to be typecast, Keira, so here you are.
CHAMELEON: NATALIE PORTMAN
Not many actresses are willing to shave their head for a role. Joining Charlize Theron, Demi Moore, Anne Hathaway, and Cate Blanchett in the "shaved head club," Natalie Portman is an actress who knows versatility. When your resume includes a galaxy far, far away, a ballet studio, and 16th-Century aristocracy, you earn your chameleon label. Losing to Claire Danes for the 1996 movie, Romeo & Juliet wasn't going to stop Natalie delivering– and this girl knows how to deliver. While Star Wars drew in every sci-fi fan on the planet, Mr.Magorium's Wonder Emporium filled movie theaters with kids.
"I think I've shot in England more than anywhere else in the world, between doing Star Wars, Closer, V for Vendetta, The Other Bolyen Girl, and Your Highness. For Thor, I stayed in Ascot, which was really beautiful."
The Telegraph was interviewing Natalie about her roles in 2013. By this point, Natalie had already won her Oscar for the deeply disturbed ballerina in Black Swan, and Forbes had already named her the "most bankable star." Natalie picks her movies carefully. In 2016, Natalie wowed the world as Jackie Kennedy in Jackie. Just one year later, Natalie was starring alongside Ryan Gosling and Rooney Mara in the experimental drama, Song to Song. "Experiment" pretty much sums Natalie up.
ALWAYS THE SAME: JULIA ROBERTS
If you want to watch a movie about a beautiful, tough woman who eventually breaks down in one giant wave of emotion, go watch Julia Roberts. Typecast she may be, but this actress has done it well enough to earn an Oscar, three Golden Globes, and the kinds of paychecks that hover around the $25 million mark.
A little less gun-toting than Angelina Jolie, but still as tough, Julia will deliver the no-nonsense protagonist who has one Achilles heel– her heart. When her Erin Brockovich character basically saved an entire town from poisoned water, the woman inside was pulled by love and kids. A "tough exterior" that always breaks down is 100% Julia Roberts. Throw in dysfunctional families, and you've got Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman, Stepmom, Fireflies in the Garden, and Eat Pray Love.
Seriously, the dysfunctional family surrounding seems to be Julia's screensaver. In Eat Pray Love, she's "finding herself" after an unhappy marriage to Breaking Bad's, Bryan Cranston. In Mirror Mirror, Julia is the wicked stepmother. In Fireflies in the Garden, her family has been torn apart by a vehicle accident. Again, in Oceans, Julia is tough but deeply moral. Avoiding the subject, Julia told The Daily Mail that her current favorite role is "being a wife and a mother."
CHAMELEON: KATE WINSLET
Yes, her character didn't quite make it on Titanic, but Kate Winslet did. From English Rose beauty to carefree quirky girl in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this lady's acting skills are an all-you-can-eat buffet of variety. Big surprise, that kind of ability has made Kate one of the few actresses to have won four Golden Globes, one Oscar, and no less than 48 nominations– 15 of which Kate has won. In the early days, Kate was pulling a Keira Knightley with roles like Sense and Sensibility, Hamlet, and Quills. In 2003, Kate was a journalist interviewing on death row in The Life of David Gale.
"I was told I could only play the cute, fat best friend role." Earning her Oscar in Titanic and a nomination as an Apple executive in Steve Jobs, Kate has dyed her hair as many colors as the characters she has portrayed.
"I was always the kid at the end of the line because my name began with W," Kate told People. "I always had big feet and I was always wearing the wrong thing." At 13, Kate's drama teacher told her she should settle for "the cute, fat best friend role or the ugly sisters." In 2016, Kate was cast in Collateral Beauty alongside Will Smith and Hellen Mirren. Proved the guy wrong, Kate. Proved him wrong.
ALWAYS THE SAME: REESE WITHERSPOON
Reese Witherspoon is so typecast as the spoiled blonde, even her cameos show it. When Reese was cast as Rachel Green's spoiled sister, Jill, on Friends, fans got two episodes of what has basically been Reese's entire career. The Legally Blonde actress was stuck in the "sweetheart" pile from her early days in Cruel Intentions, although Hollywood doesn't keep casting you unless you're good. Reese's Legally Blonde character is a fashion-obsessed blonde with a love of all things pink. In Sweet Home Alabama, Reese plays yet another fashionista blonde– this time, with plans to marry a New York politician. Recently though, Reese has been trying to fight back.
"I called my agents and said: This is such a terrible script. They said: 'Well, seven women want it so... you're the only one who's not not vying for the part.'" Cute as a button, blonde, and in an all-pink wardrobe, Reese is the only actress who could rock the role of Elle in Legally Blonde.
The list of Reese Witherspoon rom-coms is pretty much endless. Don't be fooled by the titles, either. This Means War in 2012 was as much about love as Home Again in 2017. Fans got two servings of Legally Blonde (plus, How Do You Know in 2010). We're definitely curious about the "unannounced Aniston/Witherspoon TV Project" currently sitting in pre-production on IMDB. Two sweethearts joining forces? Unlikely to be a zombie apocalypse, but you never know.
CHAMELEON: JESSICA CHASTAIN
In 2013, Vogue ran a story: "Jessica Chastain: Hollywood's Most Versatile Star." When Al Pacino was directing Salome, he told the actress two things: "One, the camera sees deeper into your soul than your scene partner. Two, don't lie. The camera always picks it up." Known for her pale features and captivating gaze, Jessica is way more than a pretty face. In her breakout role in Zero Dark City, Jessica played a sassy CIA agent balanced out with a deeply relatable edge. In the horror movie, Mama, Jessica is smoky-eyed and adopting kids while trying to accept herself.
Anchoring an entire audience alongside Matthew McConaughey in 2014's Interstellar, Jessica found herself in a cerebral ethos that didn't leave much time before 2015's Crimson Peak. Enter Jessica, the villain. Also, if you've got a background in stage combat, use it. Jessica did in The Huntsmen: Winter's War– and we all know where that leads. Superheroes.
With X-Men: Dark Phoenix in post-production, fans are waiting for Jessica, the superhero. "Jessica– who I am in my personal life. I'm very shy," she told Vogue. "I feel very awkward... not like a femme fatale at all." Al Pacino said that he "loved working with her." We'll consider Al Pacino a credible source, here.
ALWAYS THE SAME: MELISSA MCCARTHY
Hey! When you're funny, you're funny. Melissa McCarthy may be Hollywood's solution to wild comic relief, but you'll never walk out of her movies saying: "That was dull." To be fair, many of Melissa's characters resemble the role that shot her to fame. Megan Price made Bridesmaids the smash hit it was, although, there's a hitch to popular movies. It's called the audience wanting more. For Melissa, that meant being cast in movies like The Heat, The Boss, This Is 40, and her latest box office hit, Life of the Party.
"I love a woman who doesn't play by the rules." Breaking down barriers of size and shape, Melissa's $33 million paycheck is proving that funny will have you laughing all the way to the bank.
In an interview with The Guardian, Melissa addressed the "common rules" she wants to break down. #1 Audiences don't want to see a comedy with a female lead. #2 A woman can star in a movie only up to the age of 35. #3 No woman in a movie can be over a US size 14. With her Gilmore Girls success behind her, Melissa has gone on to make the world laugh– but always in the same way.
CHAMELEON: EMMA THOMPSON
Emma Thompson is so versatile, it can be hard to even recognize her. The Oscar-winning actress has put prosthetics teams through their paces in Nanny McPhee, although, Emma is best-known for owning Professor Trelawney in the Harry Potter series. Emma kind of has age on her side here, but looking through her movies isn't just a walk down memory lane, it's impressive. In 1995, Emma was starring alongside Kate Winslet in the period drama, Sense and Sensibility. In 2003, Emma was playing a middle-aged wife and sister to a British Prime Minister in Love, Actually.
From Men in Black 3 to I Am Legend (weirdly, both with Will Smith), Emma has reinvented herself more than Madonna could ever wish for. Still going strong at 59 years old, Emma has taken on fantasy in Beauty and the Beast, comedy in Bridget Jones's Baby, plus, a pretty epic Shakespearean performance in the 2018 movie, King Lear.
When Emma laughs, so does the audience. Ditto when she cries. Despite calling her 50's "a difficult patch" in an interview with The Guardian, Emma's actual interview revolved around her versatility. The newspaper was remembering her for trying to wrangle a human response out of Anthony Hopkins in The Remains Of The Day. Then her PL Travers role in Saving Mr. Banks. "I think the first 20 years are the... bedrock," Emma said. "And then you can start having a good time."
ALWAYS THE SAME: ANNA KENDRICK
Hollywood has a place for child actors and singers with a pretty face. It's called musical comedy. Anna Kendrick started out doing Broadway musicals (for which she was already winning awards). By the time she was being associated with the Pitch Perfect movies series, it was too late. Anna had found herself in the "musical comedy" pile, but it doesn't seem to have done her much harm. In 2008, Anna had a pretty substantial role in Twilight, playing Jessica Stanley, a friend of Bella Swan. Funny can be bland, but with Anna, it's "funny done right."
"Oh my God, I am shockingly boring and awkward!" Anna said when LA Correspondent asked her to describe herself. Her 14 million Instagram followers probably would not say she is "boring" or "awkward." Also, co-starring alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the dream for many actresses.
Despite the funny, Anna is still playing the same role over and over. What to Expect When You're Expecting was a straight-up comedy, as were all of the Pitch Perfect movies. So was Drinking Buddies in 2013. In 2014, it was back to music romance with The Last Five Years. The next five? Well, she's cast as Santa's daughter in the upcoming film, Noelle...
You probably recognized most of the faces on this list. If you couldn't place some of them, you've got your answers. For that Facebook friend who worships ScarJo, Anne Hathaway, or any of the other ladies on this list, hit share, so they can see it too. We always read comments too, so leave us one – especially if you disagree!
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