# Actors known for dramatic roles that find later success in comedy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459 "2012-04-30T23:55:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/21 "2012-05-01T06:44:21Z")
Neil Patrick Harris started out as an earnest child actor back in the late 80’s. Sometime circa 2004 the world found out that he’s a brilliant comedian, and he never looked back. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/22 "2012-05-01T10:10:59Z")
Speaking of Leslie Nielsen… 🙂 I wonder how movie history had been altered if he had won the role of Messala in Ben Hur. Leslie Nielsen BEN-HUR Audition for the Role of Messala!: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7rnbSbakhA) ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/23 "2012-05-01T10:20:04Z")
John Lithgow who is popularly known for 3rd Rock From the Sun. However he was a well established serious actor long before that, a very talented man. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/24 "2012-05-01T12:06:08Z")
The reverse seems to be more common. I was surprised to find Ed Wynn – “The Perfect Fool” from vaudebille and many movies (ncluding “Uncle Albert” in _Mary Poppins_) played several not-a-laugh dramatic roles, including _The Diary of Anne Frank_ and _Requiem for a Heavyweight_. Lou Costello, of all people, was looking for serious roles, and almost played NYC mayor Fiorello la Guardia. Leo Gorcey, of “THe Bowery Boys”,started out in straight drama (he got his start, after all, in _Dead End_), and tried to go back. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/25 "2012-05-01T12:18:31Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > Leslie Nielsen is an obvious one, though he wasn’t particularly well-known before Airplane! He was a solid dramatic character actor, never a star. Of course, the point of Airplane! was that he did his lines as if there were no humor in them at all. The same was true of Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack and Peter Graves in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/26 "2012-05-01T12:59:47Z")
Warren Beatty. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/27 "2012-05-01T13:07:20Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Would Harry Morgan qualify? Surely Col. Potter, while not a barrel of laffs, was far more of a comedic character than Det. Gannon. But prior to Gannon (who was a comic character), he was in the sitcoms **December Bride** and **Pete and Gladys**. Morgan was known for both drama and comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/28 "2012-05-01T13:23:39Z")
Charlie Sheen _Platoon_, then everything else he did. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/29 "2012-05-01T13:35:11Z")
He probably doesn’t completely fit the profile because Philip Seymour Hoffman has done, and still mostly does, seriously dramatic stuff. But sandwiched in there was a side-splitting performance in an otherwise mediocre, run-of-the-mill romcom, Along Came Polly. I was surprised how funny he was in that and I wish he’d do more comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/30 "2012-05-01T17:23:41Z")
Schwarzenegger’s first acting roles weren’t exactly what you’d call drama, but they certainly weren’t comedy. It turns out, though, that he’s at least as good and probably better at the comedy stuff as he is at the action. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/31 "2012-05-01T17:44:38Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Speaking of Leslie Nielsen… 🙂 > > I wonder how movie history had been altered if he had won the role of Messala in Ben Hur. > > Leslie Nielsen BEN-HUR Audition for the Role of Messala!: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7rnbSbakhA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7rnbSbakhA) The back of his head was quite compelling, I’m surprised he did not get the role… ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/32 "2012-05-01T18:26:59Z")
What about the guy who played Thurstan Howell the III (Jim Backus)? I remember hearing that he only had serious roles but he thought Comedy was the highest art form and wanted to do it so bad that he threw himself aggressively at Gilligan’s Island when it came up. A google search doesn’t seem to support this. While he had serious roles, he also had comedic ones. Oh well 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/33 "2012-05-01T18:39:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Schwarzenegger’s first acting roles weren’t exactly what you’d call drama, but they certainly weren’t comedy. It turns out, though, that he’s at least as good and probably better at the comedy stuff as he is at the action. Beg to differ. _Hercules in New York_ might not be (intentional) comedy, but his role in _The Villain_ surely was comedy. _Everything_ in that movie was the broadest possible comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/34 "2012-05-01T18:44:49Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Apparently Garrett Dillahunt is best known to people as a goon and a villain but on Raising Hope, he’s a charming goofball with a penchant for physical comedy. Yes, on Deadwood he’s… not so funny. ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/35 "2012-05-01T18:45:52Z")
How about Cary Grant/Archibald Leach? Pratfalls and eyerolling double takes in Bringing Up Baby, Arsenic and Old Lace etc. along with being Mr Sophisticated for all time? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/36 "2012-05-01T18:55:35Z")
> [@Dahnlor](#): > > Charlie Sheen > > _Platoon_, then everything else he did. What’s more, after _Platoon_ came _Wall Street_ and _Young Guns_ and _Eight Men Out_ – and _then_ came _Major League_ and _Hot Shots_ and _Two And A Half Men_ and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/37 "2012-05-01T19:48:38Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Beg to differ. _Hercules in New York_ might not be (intentional) comedy, but his role in _The Villain_ surely was comedy. _Everything_ in that movie was the broadest possible comedy. Arnolds biggest pre-\*Conan \*role was in Bob Rafelson’s Stay Hungry, which was also a comedy - although he himself had a relatively straight role. (It’s a good movie, too, and not just for Jeff Bridges completists). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/38 "2012-05-01T21:11:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Schwarzenegger’s first acting roles weren’t exactly what you’d call drama, but they certainly weren’t comedy. It turns out, though, that he’s at least as good and probably better at the comedy stuff as he is at the action. [KindergartenCop]It’s naht a toomah![/KindergartenCop] ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/39 "2012-05-01T21:14:32Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Possibly De Niro, although it looks like most of his recent work has been thrillers. Well, he was almost exclusively a dramatic actor until “Analyze This” in 1999. Since then, it seems like about half of what he’s done has been comedic (including “Meet the Fockers” and “Stardust”). ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459/40 "2012-05-01T22:06:05Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Possibly De Niro, although it looks like most of his recent work has been thrillers. I was gobsmacked to see him playing a very camp tranvestite in Stardust. (Totally excellent movie by the way) Also as someone else said upthread, John Lithgow, who played a "nasty bit of work "amongst other characters before 3rd Rock. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-known-for-dramatic-roles-that-find-later-success-in-comedy/620459.md?page=3)