The casting opposite of Leslie Nielsen Syndrome. It's a story found time and time again: a successful comedian, usually a film actor, suddenly tries to play against type and stars in a big, heavily dramatic movie, playing a dramatic role and generally acting all dramatic. Oddly enough, this shift has a pretty high chance of actually working, and becoming a permanent shift in the actor's roles. When including examples, don't add Natter saying they weren't funny in the first place. We all know about Chevy Chase already, God bless him. Examples of Tom Hanks Syndrome include: