What prevents Hollywood from becoming staid? Not just large budgets or dazzling effects—it’s adaptability. The sort of versatility that breaks down tired formulas, bucks stereotypes, and makes genuine diversity the priority. In a business still fumbling with representation and igniting fiery arguments over casting decisions, a handful of exceptional actors—and some wider cultural changes—are rewriting the definition of versatility in Hollywood now. Here are five actors and trends taking the lead, beginning with number five.
5. Luke Evans – Redefining the Leading Man
Luke Evans has developed a stealthy career with one of the most varied in contemporary Hollywood. He’s gone from musicals (Beauty and the Beast) to franchises (Fast & Furious) to indies without ever getting wedged into one mold. What makes his journey particularly historic is his willingness as a gay actor within an industry that has traditionally insisted its top male stars be straight. Evans has rebuffed the idea that identity can influence casting, labeling it “archaic.” His acting demonstrates just that— he’s believable as a romantic lead or as a villain. By doing so, Evans has proved to younger actors that labels do not dictate talent.
4. Val Kilmer – A Life of Reinvention
Few actors have zagged and zigged through as many styles as Val Kilmer. Just in the 1980s and 1990s alone, he moved from slapstick in Top Secret! to brooding rock god in The Doors, then to gun-slinging legend in Tombstone. He even took on Batman and gave one of the earliest openly gay protagonists in a mainstream action-comedy with Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
Kilmer’s true magic lay in being able to fully absorb himself in completely disparate roles without sacrificing his quirky charm. Despite the health problems that slowed his career, his cameo as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick was a reminder to everyone why he mattered: because he always had the courage to do something new.
3. Meryl Streep – The Benchmark for Range
When individuals discuss actor versatility, what they typically refer to is “pulling a Meryl Streep.” She’s made a living out of never being able to repeat herself, gliding seamlessly from musicals to serious dramas, from period dramas to contemporary tales.
With the range of accents, mannerisms, and emotional complexities, she has become one with her roles so thoroughly that viewers frequently forget that they are seeing the same actress movie after movie. Her legacy isn’t merely awards-based—it’s about not allowing Hollywood to corral her, establishing the gold standard for what real range on screen looks like.
2. The Casting Debate – Who Gets to Play Whom?
Versatility becomes tricky when it comes to identity. Straight actors have long been applauded for playing queer characters, from Tom Hanks in Philadelphia to Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody. But increasingly, audiences and queer performers alike are asking about the equity of that system. The problem isn’t about limiting roles—it’s about balance.
Straight actors continue to have the ability to play anything, whereas queer actors find themselves often stuck in queer roles, scarcely allowed to diversify. As industry observers such as Jasmine Johnson note, that double standard is just a symptom of a larger issue: equal opportunity. Until queer performers are afforded the same creative autonomy, Hollywood’s argument for “versatility” is empty.
1. The Business of Diversity – Why Representation Wins
If there’s one message Hollywood should heed, it’s this: diversity sells. The Hollywood Diversity Report continues to demonstrate that movies with casts mirroring America’s demographics perform better at the box office compared to less-diverse films. More recent blockbusters such as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Venom: The Last Dance—both of which had almost half their casts comprising people of color—dominated the worldwide box office. Women and younger cinemagoers of color are the ones who are actually buying tickets.
However, for all the obvious evidence, the momentum behind the camera has stagnated, and opportunities for underrepresented voices have even moved in reverse. As report co-author Ana-Christina Ramón warns, Hollywood risks alienating its most loyal audiences if it doesn’t pay attention.
Why Versatility Matters More Than Ever
Whether it’s Luke Evans proving that identity doesn’t define a career, Val Kilmer jumping between wildly different roles, or the undeniable pull of diverse casts at the box office, Hollywood’s future depends on flexibility. Versatility isn’t just an artistic skill anymore—it’s a survival strategy. And while audiences continue to crave stories and faces that reflect the actual world, the message is clear: those who represent, adapt, and subvert old rules will drive the next generation of Hollywood.