Has the word “range” become an outdated way of judging an actor’s ability? Or does the word still hold power over how we talk about modern actors? The label itself asserts its meaning in the sense that if an actor has “range,” they are immediately considered talented. In other words, “range” in isolation describes how versatile or contrasting an actor’s roles are from one film to the next.

A modern-day example can be seen in Jacob Elordi. Early in his career, he was being typecast as a teenage heartthrob in films such as The Kissing Booth (2018). But by the autumn of 2025, he had taken on the pivotal role of Frankenstein’s monster in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. One can argue that this contrast in roles grants Jacob Elordi the label of having “range”. Yet this assigning of the word “range” is reductive and begins to create a trend where actors may solely look for starkly contrasting roles to receive positive affirmations. That in itself somewhat alienates actors in the industry who are traditionally typecast.

An example of an actor who has been predominantly cast in similar roles throughout his career – that is, until recently – is Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Baywatch (2017), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), Skyscraper (2018), Jumanji and Red Notice (2021) are all films with Dwayne Johnson spearheading the projects as main characters who I would argue are – more or less – the exact same. Granted, the majority of these films are successful and made sizeable hits at the box office, with a new Jumanji film in production at the time of writing. Yet, in terms of measuring an actor’s talent, I think that Dwayne Johnson, in the films I have listed, wasn’t displaying his talent to the fullest.

However, as of this year, Johnson featured in a biopic film, The Smashing Machine (2025), where his talent was so infectious that even a distinguished emperor of the Hollywood world, Christopher Nolan, praised Johnson for his performance in the film. Almost twenty years in the industry, and now Johnson picks up a role in which this idea of “range” is explored. But is this a result of us, the viewers, being prompted to scrutinise actors’ performances, even if it diminishes some of the entertainment value? Or is this just how the world of Hollywood works? It is dependent on the audience.

Nevertheless, a definitive example of range can be seen in the performances of legend Kate Winslet. Kate Winslet’s filmography is vast, extensive and impressive, yet the two films in which I will isolate and focus on are Titanic (1997) and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

Titanic… well, we know the story. Nevertheless, Winslet plays Rose DeWitt Bukater, a privileged young woman constrained by society, who finds love and heartbreak in Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jack. In the film, Winslet is a young lady, destined to be married, yet is conflicted, and the film explores the character’s progression as she ventures through this conflict within herself.

The next film is The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, where Winslet plays Clementine Kruczynski, a vibrant, impulsive woman who undergoes a procedure to erase her memories of her love interest in the film, a prime example of Winslet’s versatility in the roles she takes. The difference between her characters in these two films is striking: in Titanic, Winslet plays a character falling in love, while in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, she plays a woman falling out of love – might I add, in a quite traumatising overall fashion for the viewer. Those who have seen the film know what I’m talking about!

Now, if I were to simply just compare the two examples I listed in this article, Dwayne Johnson versus Kate Winslet, in terms of “range”, the answer is as clear as day. However, I don’t think in today’s digital age and a sea of infinite accessibility across platforms that you can simply only distinguish an actor’s worth through the “range” of their roles. Hollywood is an industry – a well-oiled machine that has been running for almost a century. It has adapted and changed to the environment around it, and in today’s day and age, Dwayne Johnson has traits that Winslet doesn’t and similarly, Winslet has traits Johnson doesn’t.

Dwayne Johnson has released numerous films in the past decade, entertaining audiences on an almost annual basis. Granted, that is highly saturated – Winslet hasn’t released nearly as many films – and yet, in the projects she does appear in, audiences can’t help but be captivated by her performance. What I’m trying to say is that judgment on actors will vary between viewers. The audience will always be the driving force for film. Always.

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