Top 20 Comedic Performances By Serious Actors

“Burn After Reading” (2008)
He’s known for his brooding intensity and cocksure grin, yet Brad Pitt channeled his inner meathead for this bizarre Coen Brothers’ black comedy. Things take a turn for the bizarre and the hilarious in this crime flick thanks to Pitts’ portrayal of Chad Feldheimer. When the oddball trainer becomes the unassuming owner of a seemingly top-secret compact disc, his life suddenly takes on a new meaning. With goofball dialogue and equally strange physical mannerisms, the character was a welcome departure from Pitt’s typical dramatic roles, even if the narrative took a dark turn for poor Chad.

“Inherent Vice” (2014)
Known for his distinguished and occasionally villainous characters, Joaquin Phoenix also proves that he can play befuddled in this Paul Thomas Anderson film. As hippie and P.I. Doc Sportello, Phoenix travels through a confusing and drug-addled noir adventure in the 1970s. He gets caught up in several plots that leave his character and the audience puzzled as to what is actually happening. Phoenix’s Doc is often the straight man, at least compared to the many bizarre characters he encounters, but his wonderful expressions and occasional standout lines help make him a very funny and relatable protagonist.

“Bad Santa” (2003)
While this actor’s dramatic roles can skew comedic, arguably his funniest part to date is in “Bad Santa.” Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie T. Soke, a thief turned mall Santa. Hilariously rude, crude, and profane in the extreme, Thornton plays Willie to gruff perfection, with the “bad Santa” being at once detestable, pathetic, and strangely sympathetic. His friendship with a bullied young boy in particular is oddly heartwarming… when he isn’t insulting him, at least. Thornton couldn’t have asked for a better role from the real Santa, even if Willie himself would probably just get coal.

“A Fish Called Wanda” (1988)
At this point in his career, Kevin Kline had mostly appeared in serious dramas, but this one truly helped put his name on the map. Kline plays Otto, an arrogant, self-centered, mean-spirited criminal. However, despite, or perhaps because of, his many faults, Kline’s performance makes Otto a tremendously funny and charismatic character, to the point where he practically steals the show in a film stacked with comedic heavyweights. Heck, the role won Kline a Best Supporting Actor Oscar! Remember when comedy movies and performances could win Oscars? Or even be nominated? That’s just stupid. [“Don’t call me stupid!”] No, Otto, we meant the Academ- …never mind.

“There’s Something About Mary” (1998)
Beginning his career as a teen heartthrob and transitioning to primarily serious parts, Matt Dillon managed to kill it in this outrageous comedy. Dillon plays Pat Healy, a private investigator and all-around scumbag. Initially hired to find the title character by her high school sweetheart, Healy proceeds to stalk and try to ingratiate himself with her instead. Despite many disasters, usually caused by something he says or does, like stopping her dog’s heart, Healy is surprisingly successful for the most part. Dillon really sells the performance, to the point where we’d probably deck Healy if he were real.

“Tootsie” (1982)
Today, it’s commonplace for actors to step into the shoes of the opposite sex. Back in the ‘80s, however, moviegoers weren’t used to watching A-list male performers slap on red lipstick and high heels. Leave it to an actor’s actor like Dustin Hoffman to welcome such a challenge in a comedy about conflicting personas and gender roles. Three years after his Academy Award-winning performance in “Kramer vs. Kramer,” Hoffman wore the figurative (and literal) dress perfectly alongside comic legend Bill Murray and flexed his performance muscles in the dual roles of Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels.

“Spy” (2015)
Jason Statham is famous for his roles in action thrillers and gangster movies, and while his parts often have comedic elements to them, this is one of his few completely comedic ones. Statham plays Rick Ford, an intense and overachieving CIA agent. Ford’s swaggering, over-the-top bravado is hilarious, particularly all of the strange feats he claims to have done, most of which don’t seem physically possible. As much as we love to see Statham in roles that have him play this kind of character straight, it’s equally great to see him in one that feels like a parody of his other work.

“Death Becomes Her” (1992)
With two Oscar wins already to her name and seven more nominations by 1992, Meryl Streep effectively flipped the script on type casting with the outrageous Madeline Ashton, the Queen Bee of eternal torment. With Goldie Hawn at her side, Streep was paired up with one of the best, as a secretive potion became the defining ingredient of their chaotic existence. Given the outrageous premise, Streep was afforded ample room to remove herself from typical performance ideologies while still playing the role of a “serious” actress.’ And, yes, she killed it.

“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000)
George Clooney may have a reputation for being the handsome leading man in dramas and romances, but he can also be the handsome lead in comedies too. And his turn as Ulysses Everett McGill is particularly hilarious. Everett is an escaped convict who, along with his two cohorts, pursues a buried treasure in 1930s Mississippi, while also trying to reconnect with his family. Clooney’s delivery of Everett’s pompous, verbose dialogue is bona fide funny, and he makes the character’s arrogance an unforgettable part of the movie as much as its amazing music, which is sadly someone else’s voice dubbed over his lip-sync.

“Dumb and Dumber” (1994)
It’s a cinematic crime to be unfamiliar with “Dumb and Dumber,” but what you may not realize is that upon being cast in the Farrelly Brothers classic, Jeff Daniels was coming off roles in the Civil War drama, “Gettysburg” and the action blockbuster “Speed.” Where some folks know Daniels as a prestigious soldier or a SWAT team member, most associate him with: [bathroom scene]. Alongside Jim Carrey, Daniels’ turn as Harry Dunne remains one of the most wonderfully absurd comedic performances of the modern era, as he brought a goofy childlike charm to the intelligence-challenged duo.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013)
Leonardo DiCaprio has an undeniable charisma and a presence in every one of his films, but perhaps his funniest role is as the unscrupulous stock broker, Jordan Belfort. Belfort’s meteoric rise on Wall Street and his inevitable fall are chronicled in the film, but it’s DiCaprio’s magnetic and hilarious performance that carry “The Wolf of Wall Street”’s considerable run-time. Whether he’s making rude gestures as he screws over a client on the phone, or acting completely out of his gourd as he’s whacked out on Quaaludes, DiCaprio’s acting will have you “howling” with laughter.

“Dr. Strangelove” (1964)
A few years after winning and declining an Oscar for playing General Patton, George C. Scott served up a legitimately uproarious performance as another general in “Dr. Strangelove.” Navigating the “war room” during a time of perceived national crisis, General Buck Turgidson conveyed a stern military demeanor while retaining a sense of psychotic paranoia, and that was the ideal combo for such a role. After all, supreme nationalism may lead one to have a twisted sense of reality and Stanley Kubrick elicited a brilliant and farcical performance from Scott, who perfectly captured the feeling of a man on edge.

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014)
When it comes to drama, there’s nobody quite like Ralph Fiennes. He played an SS commander in “Schindler’s List” and made the world weep as “The English Patient.” With such a résumé, he was an ideal casting choice for Wes Anderson’s acclaimed film, in which he portrayed the esteemed Gustave H, a most flamboyant concierge of “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Given a palpable amount of dialogue to work with and the unique framing devices of the director, Fiennes navigated his domain with flair and charm. He was simply marvelous, darlings.

“Along Came Polly” (2004)
This late and great actor is highly respected for his award-winning dramatic roles and commitment to his craft in roles big and small. What many may not know is that the latter includes some comedic parts, such as in “Punch-Drunk Love.” In “Along Came Polly,” Hoffman played Sandy Lyle, the best friend of protagonist Reuben Feffer, a has-been actor, and all-around screw-up. Obnoxious, loud, clumsy, and a complete train wreck, Hoffman brings the same intensity he usually brings to his serious work to this comedic one and it translates to an absolutely hysterical character.

“The Big Lebowski” (1998)
By 1998, filmmakers didn’t exactly have Jeff Bridges on speed dial for comedic roles. The Coen Brothers knew Bridges was the perfect fit for this dark comedy, though, casting him as the ultimate lazy Los Angeleno known as “The Dude.” As said dude, he captured the essence of a California version of a Venetian King in his own unique way. And by that, we mean he was the prototypical slacker, man. Social detachment. Bowling. Weed. Jeff Bridges brought Jeffrey Lebowski to life, even if the dude was perpetually tired.

“In Bruges” (2008)
Until this dark comedy, Colin Farrell primarily appeared in dramatic or action films. Although he would go on to appear in more traditional comedies, like “Horrible Bosses,” this one is something special. In “In Bruges,” Farrell plays Ray, a depressed hitman forced to hide out in the titular city, an experience which he hates. Caustic and possessing very little filter, Ray’s frequent arguments and confrontations with people are a riot… provided you have a grim sense of humor. As amusing as Ray is, Farrell still gets to flex his dramatic muscles too, as the origin of Ray’s melancholy is absolutely heartbreaking. Comedic and tragic in equal measure, this is one of Farrell’s finest performances.

“My Cousin Vinny” (1992)
Joe Pesci is known for playing profane and violent characters, and while many of them have comedic elements to them, the actor has rarely appeared in comedies. While we considered discussing his supporting role in the “Home Alone” movies, “My Cousin Vinny” largely rests on his shoulders. The eponymous Vinny is a street smart New Yorker and newly minted lawyer called on to help his cousin and a friend, who are mistaken for murderers in Alabama. Pesci’s usual fast-talking, foul-mouthed persona works well for this inexperienced and out of his element lawyer. Vinny proves to be both a funny character and one we can’t help but root for.

“Meet the Parents” (2000)
Renowned the world over for his roles as tough guys in dramas, Robert De Niro has had several comedic forays we could discuss, like “Analyze This” and “Stardust.” But arguably his most memorable comedic performance is in “Meet the Parents” as Jack Byrnes. The overprotective father of the protagonist’s love interest, Jack is a highly suspicious and occasionally oddly sensitive man, whose intimidation of his prospective son-in-law is almost as funny for the audience as it is terrifying for him. De Niro makes the transition to comedy so well you’d think he’d been doing comedies his whole career, instead of towards the latter half of it.

“Tropic Thunder” (2008)
Tom Cruise has spent his vast career primarily working in drama; but in 2008, he delivered a comedic performance unlike anything we’d seen before as a foul-mouthed, balding movie executive with a love of the music of Flo Rida. In a film full of A-list comedic talent, it was Cruise who stole the thunder and closed the door on all his competition. It was so unusual a departure for the unrecognizable Cruise, that unsuspecting moviegoers were left with their jaws dropped upon learning he was the beefy Les Grossman during the end credits.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Russell Crowe, “The Nice Guys” (2016)
Oscar Winners Can Do Buddy Comedies Too?
Gene Hackman, “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001)
Best / Worst Patriarch Ever
Matt Damon, “The Informant!” (2009)
This Guy Is All Over the Place
Tommy Lee Jones, “Men in Black” franchise (1997-)
Deadpan Delivery, Outrageous Alien Adventures
Emma Thompson, “Love Actually” (2003)
It’s Funny How Much She Makes Us Cry

“Airplane!” (1980)
Most know Leslie Nielsen for his parts in parody and comedy movies, but once upon a time, the actor was known for his dramatic roles. All that changed, however, when Nielsen was cast as Dr. Rumack in “Airplane!” Nielson’s experience in dramatic cinema served him well in this parody movie, as it meant he was able to deliver incredibly silly lines from the daffy doctor with a completely straight face; making already funny lines that much more hilarious. Or, to paraphrase his character, he is serious – just don’t call him Shirley.