Stars establish their career from the versatility of roles like Meryl Streep and some stick in the same lane for decades like John Wayne. And then there are some that are defined by a role, good or bad, for the rest of their life. Actors like Adam Sandler have produced almost "one-off" dramatic performances like his in Uncut Gems, but his comedic past generated a genre of its own that still defines him.
Then there are stars, haunted or embellished, with memorable roles for various reasons that shock audiences with performances that break them out of that box. Over the last decade, these five, now critically acclaimed stars, have shattered the boxes in which their early Hollywood career put them in, only going up from here.
Jordan Peele
With an extensive career in television comedy, Jordan Peele shocked moviegoers of all genres when he shattered expectations as a horror movie director. Peele is most known for his all-around involvement in Key & Peele, hitting audiences in the funny bone episode after episode. The pair appeared in the comedy Keanu about two friends on a mission to retrieve their rescue kitten from a notorious gangster.
As the announcement came that Peele was writing and directing a horror film, audiences waited in anticipation to see what and how Peele planned to bring to the screen. The ripple effect of Get Out still hasn't worn off as Peele instantly established himself as a master of horror winning his first Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. His follow-up film Us was equally entertaining and this summer's Nope should continue to elevate Peele's directorial legacy.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga exploded onto the music scene in the mid-2000s, garnering attention for her elaborate outfits and elevating herself to iconic stature. Her first feature film was Machete Kills in 2013, bombing with critics and audiences. In 2015, her cinematic ability started gaining ground with her role in American Horror Story: Hotel. Her role as The Countess earned her a Golden Globe win for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.
A mild preview of her ability at the time, AHS: Hotel opened the door for Gaga to merge her musical and acting talents into one with Bradley Cooper's A Star is Born. With an emotionally immaculate performance, Gaga earned her first Oscar in the acting category. Her role as aspiring pop artist Ally was a drastic reversal from her early music video days. Since she's stuck to high-profile projects like House of Gucci and is currently rumored to sing onscreen again as Harley Quinn in Todd Phillip's Joker sequel.
Steve Carell
There will never be another Michael Scott or Brick Tamland. Steve Carell established his comedic career in film with his debut as Evan Baxter in Bruce Almighty and shortly after the Anchorman movies. From there on out, when his name hit the credits audiences expected the laughs and expert acting. The Office defined Carell, branding him as the funny man.
That all changed when Foxcatcher hit screens in 2014. Carell earned his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of John du Pont, an eccentric multi-millionaire businessman training Olympic wrestlers Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Following his only Oscar nomination, Carell has continued to act in drama films like Beautiful Boy, Battle of the Sexes, and Last Flag Flying. He has proved over the last decade and more that he can do more than make people laugh, entertaining not just adults with raunchy humor, but children too with his wholesome role as Gru.
Kristen Stewart
Perhaps the biggest boundary-breaking star is Kristen Stewart. Since 2008 put her on the radar of millions of moviegoers, Stewart's career has been shadowed by her performance as Bella Swan in Twilight and the remaining franchise films. Despite her continuing to act in films like American Ultra, Still Alice, and Café Society, the actress has still been labeled as the awkward brunette struggling to make eye contact.
Before 2021 most audiences never expected Stewart to take on an iconic role after the mixed reception of Charlie's Angels in 2019 and then her casting as Princess Diana was announced. Another batch of mixed reactions was proven wrong when Spencer hit theaters. Stewart's portrayal of the beloved royal earned her an Oscar nomination, a clear box-shattering performance surpassing the label of the teen vampire genre.
Robert Pattinson
No longer a teen heartthrob, Robert Pattinson has been putting in the work to overcome the shadow of Edward Cullen. Before he sparkled in the sun and lived forever, Pattinson was Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It was Pattinson's first feature film. Three years later, he'd help to establish a teen-sensation franchise, The Twilight Saga. Skeptics believed he and Stewart wouldn't make it in Hollywood following the final film's release.
Since he's put out solid performances in Good Time and The Lighthouse. Pattinson truly demonstrated his ability to act outside the stiff, cold persona of Cullen as he wowed critics and viewers in films like The Devil All the Time, Tenet, and this year's The Batman. Like Stewart, moviegoers were unsure where the thought process was with casting Pattinson as the legendary DC character, but were blown away when the film was released.