Casting Decisions That Broke Hollywood Stereotypes

Hollywood isn't always known for inclusive or groundbreaking casting choices. But these days, we're seeing more and more movies and TV shows adding greater diversity and going beyond the typical archetypes. To learn more about some of the shows that paved the way for today's more innovative casting, read on.

When the CW announced they were giving the Archie comics a modern TV update, few were expecting an edgy murder mystery. In addition to the modern setting and dark tone, Riverdale mixed things up by casting outside of stereotypes.

Reggie, Archie's arch-nemesis, was played by Ross Butler, a 6'3" Asian-American who told Salon that over the course of his career, he'd refused to audition for stereotypical roles. That meant bypassing some opportunities, but it eventually paid off with substantial roles in Riverdale and the Netflix hit 13 Reasons Why.

Actually, Butler got a little too popular. Both Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why were picked up for additional seasons, and Butler's schedule wouldn't allow him to do both—so he continued with 13 Reasons Why, and Charles Melson, another Asian-American actor, will get a chance to play Reggie in the next season of Riverdale.

Though Alien and Sigourney Weaver go hand in hand, it's not that surprising to learn that the role of Ripley was originally written for a man. Fortunately, Ridley Scott took a chance on the 29-year-old Weaver to create one of the greatest sci-fi heroes of all time.

For a female character to be strong, have no love interest, and never need saving was revolutionary for the time. Though Alien is certainly led by Weaver, it still has a kind of ensemble feel, while the sequels put Ripley in the spotlight. In James Cameron's Aliens, she becomes an all–out action hero.

That was a big deal for the time, but even today, there have been incredibly few female action stars who carry a franchise. Maybe Cameron's time on Aliens helped him decide to make Sarah Connor such an extreme badass on Terminator 2? Either way, the Alien and Terminator movies remain unusual for their reliance on incredible female leads.

Now he's known as Red Forman from That '70s Show, but before the sitcom Kurtwood Smith was likely best known for his role in Robocop, playing the villainous drug dealer Clarence J. Boddicker.

Initially, Smith went in to read for the characters of Clarence and Dick Jones. He assumed they were most interested in him for the Jones role, though he loved the idea of playing Clarence. What's especially great about the fact that he landed it is that Smith has so much fun with his sleazy part. You don't usually think of a drug kingpin as a middle-aged balding man with glasses, but after watching Robocop, it's impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. Robocop helped Smith's career immensely; he's gone on to accrue more than 100 film and TV credits.

The 2015 reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise is mostly remembered for being a massive flop—which is too bad, because Michael B. Jordan's casting was a big step forward for superhero diversity. Of course, it wasn't without controversy; some fans were upset to hear that hotshot pilot Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, would be played by an African-American man—and confused to learn that his sister, played by Kate Mara, would be white.

But Jordan was mostly unfazed by the negativity. In a piece he wrote for Entertainment Weekly, he mused, "Maybe, if I set an example, Hollywood will start considering more people of color in other prominent roles, and maybe we can reach the people who are stuck in the mindset that 'it has to be true to the comic book.' Or maybe we have to reach past them."

Will Smith was already a big star when he was cast in Men in Black. He was huge on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, walked past explosions on Bad Boys, and punched an alien in the face in Independence Day. Still, Men in Black marked something of a turning point in his career—and for Hollywood in general.

Both of the main characters were originally drawn as white men in the comics that inspired the movie. Smith's character, Agent J, is kidnapped and forced into the alien-battling Men in Black in the comics, while Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K is much more of a jerk. Smith's casting altered the dynamic, giving Jones' trademark sourpuss glare an irresistibly funny foil—and the end result was a blockbuster trilogy.

Every now and then you still hear people use the term "she's my girl Friday." If the classic movie that inspired the saying had stuck with its source material, they'd have to say "my boy Friday," which doesn't have quite the same ring.

His Girl Friday, starring Cary Grant, was based on the play The Front Page. Director Howard Hawks, contemplating an adaptation, wanted to hear if the dialogue was still as fresh and funny as he remembered, but he didn't have two men around to read the parts—so he read one while his secretary read the other. Hawks loved the male/female dynamic and made a gender switch.

Though the role of Hildy Johnson was an incredibly strong woman who had just as much status and respect as her male costars, nobody wanted the role. Katharine Hepburn, Irene Dunne, Claudette Colbert, Jean Arthur, Margaret Sullavan and Ginger Rogers all said "no" before Rosalind Russell won the part—which launched her to stardom and is now widely regarded as one of the best female comedic roles of all time.