How actors avoid typecasting when their film franchise ends

By Frank Paiva
Special to MSN Movies

Imagine you're an actor. Now imagine you're an actor lucky enough to appear in a popular film franchise. You've spent years going to glamorous premieres around the world, sleeping with a different supermodel every night and punishing yourself at the gym for indulging in the great Mexican food of Los Angeles.

It's an awesome life until the party's over.

It can happen any number of ways: Maybe people are tired of a sadistic killer who sets intricate traps for his victims. Maybe people are tired of singing chipmunks and scatological humor. Or maybe, for the sake of artistic integrity, that snobby author decided to stop writing the books that inspired your franchise.

Now what do you do? Audiences know and love you as your one famous character. What's the best career move at this point?

This problem has faced actors for decades, and finding a solution has never gotten any easier. But the signs of success are all around us. Remember when Michelle Williams used to be on "Dawson's Creek"? Or when Ryan Gosling used to be on "The Mickey Mouse Club"? Now they have Oscar nominations.

The latest actor facing this daunting career transition is Daniel Radcliffe. For the past decade he's played the most famous wizard in the world. "Harry Potter" is the most profitable franchise in film history, to the tune of $7.8 billion. And that doesn't include merchandising.

Radcliffe spent the last year on Broadway in a well-received revival of the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." February's "The Woman in Black," a thriller based on the classic novel, was his first real test as a box-office draw. The film earned $91 million worldwide, a respectable total considering the film's modest budget.

Here's how 10 other actors who found themselves at a similar career crossroads found their way out.

Like MSN Movies on Facebook

Bing: View more photos of Daniel Radcliffe

(CBS Films)