Funny People in Serious Movies
A lot of times a Comedian or Comedic Actor will take a dramatic role in a serious drama and usually turn in a fine performance. Already, this year is no exception. (Can’t name the film here but it is on the list.) Which is the best film featuring a Comedian or Comedic Actor in a dramatic role?
No joke, you can get serious about the subject here.
The sad part here is that many listed here are listed as comedies. But as you watch them, you quickly realize they are not comedies but either romances or light comedy / drama mixes.
No joke, you can get serious about the subject here.
The sad part here is that many listed here are listed as comedies. But as you watch them, you quickly realize they are not comedies but either romances or light comedy / drama mixes.
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- DirectorBenny SafdieJosh SafdieStarsAdam SandlerJulia FoxIdina MenzelWith his debts mounting and angry collectors closing in, a fast-talking New York City jeweler risks everything in hope of staying afloat and alive.Adam Sandler
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsAdam SandlerEmily WatsonPhilip Seymour HoffmanSocially frustrated Barry Egan calls a phone-sex line to curb his loneliness. Little does he know it will land him in deep trouble and will jeopardize his burgeoning romance with the mysterious Lena.Adam Sandler
- DirectorTony ScottStarsWill SmithGene HackmanJon VoightA lawyer becomes targeted by a corrupt politician and his N.S.A. goons when he accidentally receives key evidence to a politically motivated crime.Jack Black (small supporting role but he stood out.)
- DirectorNancy MeyersStarsKate WinsletCameron DiazJude LawTwo women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.Jack Black
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsRobin WilliamsRobert Sean LeonardEthan HawkeMaverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.Robin Williams
- DirectorMark RomanekStarsRobin WilliamsConnie NielsenMichael VartanA mentally unstable photo developer targets an upper middle-class family after his obsession with them becomes more sick and disturbing than any of them could imagine.Robin Williams
- DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithThandiwe NewtonJaden SmithA struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.Will Smith (This was hard to pick because he has done many dramatic roles. But Will Smith did start out as a singer, hip-pop rapper, and comedic actor. His roots are there.)
- DirectorHal AshbyStarsPeter SellersShirley MacLaineMelvyn DouglasAfter the death of his employer forces him out of the only home he's ever known, a simpleminded, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful tycoon and an insider in Washington politics.Peter Sellers (He was doing a serious role, and wasn’t trying to be funny, while the comedy was built around him.)
- DirectorCarl ReinerStarsDick Van DykeMichele LeeMickey RooneyStory of a brilliant silent-film comic whose talent is overshadowed by his ego.Dick Van Dyke
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinClaire BloomNigel BruceA fading comedian and a suicidally despondent ballet dancer must look to each other to find purpose and hope in their lives.Charles “Charlie” Chaplin
- DirectorClive ReesStarsPeter SellersCharles AznavourJeremy KempDuring D-day several people become trapped while hiding in a bunker, when heavy shelling collapses it. They have plenty of food and water so they decide to wait for rescuers. And so they wait year, after year, after year.Peter Sellers (suggested by Ardan Tüzünsoy)
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsAl PacinoJack LemmonAlec BaldwinAn examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.Jack Lemmon (suggested by Ardan Tüzünsoy)
- DirectorCosta-GavrasStarsJack LemmonSissy SpacekMelanie MayronWhen an idealistic American writer disappears during the Chilean coup d'état in September 1973, his wife and father try to find him.Jack Lemmon (suggested by Ardan Tüzünsoy)
- DirectorMarcus DunstanStarsJosh StewartBill EngvallAlexandra EssoeSet in Cutter Mississippi, the film follows a man who discovers the dark truth about his neighbor and the secrets he may be keeping in the cellar.Bill Engvall (Suggested by NarniaisAwesome.)
- DirectorJohn CurranStarsJason ClarkeKate MaraEd HelmsDepicting Ted Kennedy's involvement in the fatal 1969 car accident that claims the life of a young campaign strategist, Mary Jo Kopechne.
Jim Gaffigan (Suggested by NarniaisAwesome.) - DirectorPeter JacksonStarsNaomi WattsJack BlackAdrien BrodyA greedy film producer assembles a team of moviemakers and sets out for the infamous Skull Island, where they find more than just cannibalistic natives.Jack Black (Suggested by NarniaisAwesome.)
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsBill MurrayScarlett JohanssonGiovanni RibisiA faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.Bill Murray
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsJim CarreyMartin LandauBob BalabanIn 1951, a blacklisted Hollywood writer gets into a car accident, loses his memory and settles down in a small town where he is mistaken for a long-lost son.Jim Carrey
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJim CarreyEd HarrisLaura LinneyAn insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.Jim Carrey
- DirectorMichel GondryStarsJim CarreyKate WinsletTom WilkinsonWhen their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.Jim Carrey
- DirectorBrian G. HuttonStarsClint EastwoodTelly SavalasDon RicklesA group of U.S. soldiers sneaks across enemy lines in WWII France to get their hands on a secret stash of Nazi treasure.Don Rickles
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroJerry LewisDiahnne AbbottA passionate yet unsuccessful comedian stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself.Jerry Lewis
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsSteve CarellFalk HentschelMatt O'LearyA victim of a brutal attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process.Steve Carell (Suggested by NarniaisAwesome)
- DirectorFelix van GroeningenStarsSteve CarellMaura TierneyJack Dylan GrazerBased on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.Steve Carell (Suggested by NarniaisAwesome)
- DirectorAdam McKayStarsChristian BaleSteve CarellRyan GoslingIn 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the United States mortgage market. In their research, they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.Steve Carell (Suggested by NarniaisAwesome)