Are talented actors still typecast by race, religion, sex, height, ... etc?

I think Robert Downey Jr. can do other things than play a functional drug addict/alcoholic.
He was quite good, years ago, as Charlie Chaplin.

I Like him as Tony Stark…a billionaire, playboy, genius in the Iron Man suit. I would also like to see what other roles he could do… I also like that Nick Fury can be played by Samuel Jackson…seeing I was used to seeing a the same old Nick Fury from the spider man cartoons. I am so waiting for the Avengers movie to come out.

I can’t think of an actor in particular, but from what I understand there have been many instances where a part might be written for a particular race, and in the end the part is filled by someone from a different race. I guess just that there is a presumption of race to begin with still creates a barrier though.

Movies that are to be historically accurate would need to stick to roles being accurate to race also I would think. At least regarding the main characters. It would matter somewhat what the film is about, and if race is significant to the story and role.

I don’t know much about actors or movie stars, but I do know that is most movies with collective characters following the same plot (i.e. horror movies, disaster films, alien movies etc.) are mostly typecased. A pretty blonde woman is usually always the one who trips on something and dies first, or stays with the main character (usually a Caucasian male, sometimes blonde, sometimes a brunette) until the end. The African-American male is usually the joker, or the really serious guy. Sometimes he dies second, or survives to the end. I am a little bit of a movie analyzer, and I’ve seen this through many movies. If you don’t like my comment, don’t reply. Another thing; movies that are supposed to make fun of, or stereotype certain races or religions (i.e. funny, but racist, movies) don’t count in this.

Sometimes! But not in the case of “Braveheart”. Historians guesstimate William Wallace to be around 6’8”. Mel Gibson ain’t exactly that lol.