[Drama Chat] Typecast: Exploring its Impact on Actors

Typecasting. It’s a thing we can’t deny in dramaland. From the ajusshi actor that is Always the Bad Guy to the chaebol hero that never seems to play a character who’s not richer than Midas, typecasting is a thing that happens. But is it all bad?

Early in my dramaland adventure I used to feel bad about typecasting, and even felt bad for the actors. Didn’t they want to stretch their wings and do something different? But then I learned to love it. Rather than think of typecasting as limiting, I started to think of it as this: in a genre of tropes and archetypes, this person is a true character actor and a master of their art. After all, sometimes an actor is just too good at playing a petty jerk, or simply has the market cornered for Demanding Chaebol Grandpa or Must-Love Mom.

Who do you think is a typecast actor? Has it worked in their favor, or has it limited their pick of projects? Does it make a drama more predictable, or does it open up the door to inverting our expectations?