Top 10 Distinct Celebrity Laughs

On screen, he boasts a commanding presence and certainly a powerful voice. But off screen, Samuel L. Jackson draws attention for his natural chuckle. At first, it sounds like your regular male laugh, but Sam keeps it going with an extended staccato tone, just enough to make one tilt his or her head like a curious dog. It’s not exaggerated or even annoying, it’s just a natural extension of his equally distinct voice, and it always makes his interviews just a little bit more entertaining.

While we’ve previously explored reasons why Nicki Minaj is hated by many, her adorable laugh represents a characteristic that doesn’t seem contrived whatsoever. Almost never going beyond five singular laughs at any one time, Nicki Minaj’s giggle is lyrical in it own special kind of way. You can see this one coming, as there’s somewhat of a delay once she opens her mouth. But then boom: 1,2,3,4 – it’s just a well-controlled belly snicker with an evolving intro based on the situation. Not quite as long as Sam Jackson’s, but a little more organic, believe it or not.

When you look into the eyes of this man, his steely demeanor combined with strong brow game and handlebar mustache can easily throw you off. But tell this man a good joke and he’ll be squealing out a surprisingly high-pitched laugh. One may find the strange sound easy to laugh at, but given the contrasting nature of Burt’s hardened presence, you’ll probably just end up staring in astonishment because it’s simply amazing. With that being said, too much of this howl can be overbearing for some.

Now here’s a vigorous laugh that matches the man. By now, we’re all too familiar with the endless Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions that have emerged over the years, but imagine coming across this man decades ago on the street. What kind of laugh would you expect? Well, you’d probably anticipate some type of aggressive, manly sound - which is exactly what his laughter conveys. It’s dominant. It’s rough. It’s in your face. Still, this phenomenal celebrity laugh always takes a backseat to lame characterizations. We beg you, stand-up comics, work a little more Arnold laughter into your routines.

Remember that moment from “Dumb and Dumber” when Lloyd brings up the most annoying sound in the world? Well, let us raise him one by presenting Fran Drescher, former star of “The Nanny,” with a laugh that can hypnotize most small animals. You can probably guess where Fran is from – yes, Queens – and while the average person would probably leave a restaurant just to avoid such an auditory assault from the next table, somehow Fran makes it lovable as she doesn’t try to cover up her nasally laugh. Nor should she.

Here’s a respected comic known primarily for his cringe-worthy voice, and we mean that in the kindest possible way - but perhaps the biggest punch line is his all-consuming laughter that will make you cry for a variety of reasons. When this laughter – if you can call it that - is combined with Gilbert’s natural-speaking voice in conversation or interview, some type of horror villain may come to mind, one who laughs at his own jokes like a damn maniac. Of course, Gilbert Gottfried isn’t a maniac, he’s a comic…ok, maybe he’s a bit of a maniacal comedian.

Oh, Adele. That voice. We just love that voice. And that’s why we buy your records and pay to see you perform. But despite the sensational vocals, her laugh doesn’t have that same type of appeal. That’s not to say that Adele’s interviews aren’t entertaining - because this girl’s got somewhat of a “jump scare” cackle, meaning you’re just sitting there talkin,’ and then all of a sudden she’s in full laugh mode. It’s a definite jolt to the senses, as this distinct chuckle can literally make one piss themselves if they’re not ready for it.

Any great performance artist must be “on,” so to speak, at all times in public situations. As perhaps the most iconic stand-up comedian of all time, Eddie Murphy is no different. In fact, the laugh is part of the package and has long been a free gift for both Hollywood writers and audiences alike. It’s not quite a composed giggle that you’ll hear in intellectual circles, it’s more of a nerdy spectacle ideal for casual settings. Needless to say, it has worked wonders for Eddie’s career, and like Arnold, it’s often imitated but never duplicated.

So, we’re not exactly sure that Seth Rogen was born with this laugh, but it’s most definitely all his own, with help from a little WEEEEEEED. Seriously though, do you know any human being who isn’t known for smoking marijuana that sounds like this? It’s the prototypical stoner laugh complemented by Seth’s own natural twist. Perhaps one day video will emerge of a high-pitched Seth Rogen laughing like a schoolgirl, and that would be hilarious, but we prefer the blazed-out sounding Rogen laugh – you might even say he’s the unassuming voice of a generation, a true modern day Frank Sinatra, at least if ol’ blue eyes smoked weed 24/7.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Tom Cruise

Jack Nicholson

Nicolas Cage


Lil Wayne

Conan O’Brien

It’s one thing to be genuinely funny, but this man received a gift like no other from the Gods of Comedy. Ricky Gervais’ laughter is downright explosive. Even when you throw in the high-pitched cackle and spectacular range, you still haven’t experienced the laugh in full. That’s right, Ricky has the rare ability of being able to perform while under the grasp of an all-out fit of laughter, or at least he tries to, but somehow it works. Of course, we can’t always make out exactly what he’s saying – kind of like his friend Karl Pilkington – but this celebrity laugh is truly an “experience.”

Do you agree with our list? Which celebrity do you think has the most distinct laugh? For more mind-blowing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.