“So-called character actors usually have supporting roles”: Jeremy Renner Has His Reasons to Never be a Character Actor Like Christoph Waltz, Mids Mikkelsen

Jeremy Renner is an actor who came into limelight after a lot of struggle. Working as an extra, side characters, or being in music videos, it took some time before Renner became the household name he is today. But it would be wrong to say that he only gained commercial success, as his talent in acting even got him two Oscar nods in his career.

In today’s time, he maybe known as Hawkeye, but Renner had a pretty solid filmography before the MCU snatched him up to become the bow-and-arrow wielding superhero. And even before that, he had the Bourne and Mission Impossible franchises to his name, where he made his mark as an action hero. But there is one label Renner dislikes being attached to his name.

Jeremy Renner Dislikes Being Called a Character Actor

After making some small appearances in a few movies and TV shows, Renner got to play the character of the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the 2002 movie, Dahmer. He was appreciated for his work in the movie, and slowly started to gain prominence. It was this movie that made Kathryn Bigelow choose Jeremy Renner to play Sergeant First Class William James in the Oscar-winning movie The Hurt Locker (2008).

In both movies, Dahmer and The Hurt Locker, his roles gave him the opportunity to play into the rawness of the characters and deliver a masterclass. But still, Renner doesn’t want to be called a character actor, who doesn’t “think there’s much difference between a character actor and a leading man besides aesthetics.” In a conversation with The Guardian back in 2012, Renner said:

So-called character actors usually have supporting roles, which means that you have less colours on the palette to paint a three-dimensional character. So the depth comes from them having had a life, and bringing that to these smaller roles. But with lead roles, like Aaron Cross, you still do that – it’s just a bit easier.

It’s easy to see why Renner dislikes being labeled as a character actor, as he doesn’t want to be limited in his work. And getting the freedom to play with characters as they want, is something every actor prefers.

Character Actors That Have Amazed Audiences With Their Work

Character actors have a strong hold over audiences with their portrayals. It sometimes becomes difficult to differentiate between the actor and the character, as both seemingly have the same face that audiences relate to. They become the standout performers in the projects they do, and that is what the audiences remember them and those movies by.

From Mark Strong to Christoph Waltz to Mads Mikkelsen to Irrfan Khan to Maya Rudolph, whether they are comedic roles or serious ones, the actors become one with their characters. Sometimes some take it too far, and maintain their characters even in between takes; we all remember Jim Carrey’s Andy Kaufman. While others are better at switching and maintain a balance between what is on camera and what is off it.

From Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds to Mads Mikkelsen in Hannibal to Irrfan Khan in Slumdog Millionaire to Maya Rudolph in the various characters she has played in Saturday Night Live. The actors may not be the leading stars of their movies or TV shows, but they steal the scene with their incredible performance and become the highlight that keeps people talking even after they are done watching the movie or the show.