25 Actors Who Took Big Risks With These TV Or Movie Roles, And It Made People Realize They Had Better Range Than They Thought

    I was so used to seeing Kunal Nayyar in The Big Bang Theory that when I finally watched his episode of Criminal: UK, I was so blown away by how amazing he is in dramatic roles, too.

    Nora Dominick
    by Nora Dominick

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We've asked the BuzzFeed Community which TV and movie performances were so amazing, they made you realize an actor was maybe better than you originally thought, or you found out they could do more than the genre they're known for. Here are some of the most popular responses:

    There are obviously BIG spoilers ahead for some TV shows and movies!

    1. First, Alexis Bledel as Emily Malek in The Handmaid's Tale

    Screenshots from "The Handmaid's Tale"
    Hulu

    "Big Gilmore Girls fan, but Alexis Bledel in The Handmaid's Tale…girl has range!"

    —duleesha

    2. Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans in Succession

    Screenshots from "Succession"
    HBO

    "I just don't understand how the casting directors for Succession saw Mr. Darcy of all people and thought he would be the right fit for Tom Wambsgans, but he is absolutely marvelous as Tom, and in my opinion, stands out in a show filled with absolutely amazing performances."

    —victoriah4a79b5e02

    3. Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout

    Screenshots from "The Dropout"
    Hulu

    Suggested by: sophia91

    4. Matt LeBlanc as Matt LeBlanc in Episodes

    Screenshots from "Episodes"
    Showtime

    "Don't get me wrong, he was perfect as Joey Tribbiani, always loved him. But I never thought of him as an exceptionally good actor. That all changed after watching him play 'himself' on Episodes. His acting floored me; he deserved all his nominations (and one win!) for that role."

    —shauna_malwae-tweep

    5. Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett in Ordinary People

    Screenshots from "Ordinary People"
    Paramount Pictures

    "After seeing here in saccharin sweet roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and then later in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, it was really refreshing to see her expand into an amazing role in that film. Totally different than anything else we'd seen, and it really showed what she was capable of doing as an actor."

    —paulm409374da6

    6. Marlon Wayans as Tyrone C. Love in Requiem for a Dream

    Screenshots from "Requiem for a Dream"
    Artisan Entertainment / Via youtu.be

    "I had only known him from Scary Movie and White Chicks before I saw this, so imagine my surprise!"

    —danicarpie

    7. Steve Carell as Frank Ginsberg in Little Miss Sunshine

    Steve Carell in "Little Miss Sunshine"
    Fox Searchlight Pictures

    "I'm so used to seeing him play cocky, rude Michael Scott that I was surprised by his bittersweet role in this movie. He's also phenomenal in The Way Way Back, but that character's basically a less entertaining version of Michael."

    —books_baking_broadway

    8. Bill Hader as Barry Berkman in Barry

    Screenshots from "Barry"
    HBO

    "He is absolutely terrifying in Barry!!! Watching him go from Dave in Hot Rod or Stefan on SNL to the terrifying PTSD-ridden Marine and hitman is wild. You forget who you’re watching."

    —lovethemnuggs

    9. Joey King as Gypsy Blanchard in The Act

    Screenshots from "The Act"
    Hulu

    "Joey King completely changed my opinion of her when I watched The Act. I’d only seen her in the Kissing Booth movies and Slender Man, and I don’t think any actor could have done much to save either. But she was SO good in The Act."

    —sydb4aaceb65f

    10. Kunal Nayyar as Sandeep Singh in Criminal: United Kingdom

    Screenshots from "Criminal: United Kingdom"
    Netflix

    "He put forth such a formidable performance. Kunal played such a creep. It was a 180-degree switch from his role as Raj on The Big Bang Theory!"

    —melqncholicvegetable

    11. Ross Lynch as Jeffrey Dahmer in My Friend Dahmer

    Screenshots from "My Friend Dahmer"
    FilmRise

    "There are so many celebrities that have surprised me with their acting after seeing some of their not so serious work. One celebrity that stood out to me was Ross Lynch's role in My Friend Dahmer; he really embodied that role. He really got Jeffrey's mannerisms down. I had watched a documentary before watching the movie, and it was like I watching a movie with Jeffrey in it. It scared the hell out of me how scary he looked. I grew [up] watching him play lighthearted roles where he sang, and it was wild seeing him play an actual famous serial killer. He even looked like him."

    —iluvbuzzfeed17

    12. Kaley Cuoco as Cassie Bowden in The Flight Attendant

    Screenshots from "The Flight Attendant"
    Max

    "During Kaley's time on The Big Bang Theory, I enjoyed what she was able to bring to the role of Penny, but I just felt like she wasn't given enough opportunities to showcase her range as an actor. So when The Flight Attendant came out, I was able to appreciate how incredible she is. Kaley is so good at comedy AND drama, and I'm glad she found a new show that allowed her to show her range, just like 8 Simple Rules did, especially after John Ritter's death."

    —noradominick

    13. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in You

    Screenshots from "You"
    Netflix

    "He was good in Gossip Girl (even if his character sucked), but he really brought it to the next level in You."

    —mermaidish

    14. John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell in Dexter

    Screenshots from "Dexter"
    Showtime

    "Growing up I only knew John Lithgow from 3rd Rock from the Sun. But anytime he plays a villain, I'm always blown away by his performances. In particular, Season 4 of Dexter was my favorite because John Lithgow was creepy, terrifying perfection."

    —caitlorca

    15. Gillian Anderson as Jean Milburn in Sex Education

    Screenshots from "Sex Education"
    Netflix

    "She's known for playing very serious and powerful women — Dana Scully, Stella Gibson, Eleanor Roosevelt — but her portrayal of Jean Milburn in Sex Education was funny and so raw in emotion. Completely not the type of character she usually portrays, and she did it flawlessly!"

    —nightowl29

    16. Matthew McConaughey as Det. Rustin "Rust" Cohle in True Detective

    Screenshots from "True Detective"
    HBO

    "Matthew McConaughey in the first season of True Detective absolutely blew me away. I was always pretty 'meh' on him before that, but he made me a fan. He was incredible."

    —bluerose2384

    17. Zendaya as Rue Bennett in Euphoria

    Screenshots from "Euphoria"
    HBO

    "She's come such a long way since her Disney days."

    —darlingcath

    18. John Cena as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker in Peacemaker

    Screenshots from "Peacemaker"
    Max

    "I always saw him as a one-trick pony, kind of like The Rock, but he was able to bring so many layers to that character and play both the humor, the ruthlessness, and the vulnerability."

    —aaronr41a39e0d1

    19. Dave Bautista as Sapper Morton in Blade Runner 2049

    Screenshots from "Blade Runner 2049"
    Warner Bros

    "Like John Cena in Peacemaker, Dave Bautista has shown with Blade Runner and other roles that he's a real actor."

    —gmancan

    20. Jennifer Aniston as Claire Bennett in Cake

    Screenshots from "Cake"
    Cinelou Releasing / Via youtu.be

    "Oh my goodness, she WRECKED me in this film. She has comedy nailed, but this VERY dramatic role was immensely well done by her. I felt all of her pain and completely forgot it was Jen. Crazy respect for her after that."

    —erinhaight

    21. Hamish Linklater as Father Paul Hill in Midnight Mass

    Screenshots from "Midnight Mass"
    Netflix

    "He was just phenomenal. His entire performance blew me away!"

    —wyhght

    22. Will Ferrell as Harold Crick in Stranger Than Fiction

    Screenshots from "Stranger Than Fiction"
    Sony Pictures Releasing / Via youtu.be

    "Stranger Than Fiction is highly underrated, and it is so good, especially Will. Dark humor, great acting, and a clever plot, IMO."

    —bitterjaguar89

    23. Dakota Johnson as Susanna "Susie" Bannion in Suspiria

    Screenshots from "Suspiria"
    Amazon Studios

    "Seeing Dakota's performance in Suspiria blew me away! I didn’t think she could act in Fifty Shades of Grey."

    —melialexander

    24. Robert Pattinson as Ephraim Winslow in The Lighthouse

    Screenshots from "The Lighthouse"
    A24 / Via youtu.be

    "I knew Robert Pattinson was a decent actor, but I never expected him to be good at the more serious roles he has taken in recent years. I was seriously impressed with his acting in The Lighthouse!"

    —buddleia

    25. And finally, Robin Williams as Seymour "Sy" Parrish in One Hour Photo

    Screenshots from "One Hour Photo"
    Fox Searchlight Pictures / Via youtu.be

    "He was very good in this film. For such a lovely guy, he really was great at playing a bad/sad guy in films."

    —lynnesp

    We can't fit everyone into one post, so which other TV and movie performances were so incredible, it made you realize an actor had better range than you initially thought? Tell us in the comments below!

    Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.