What films have you seen where actors have tried to act serious, or to put on a comedic tone, really placed themselves in their characters?
I don’t know really If I have seen any, but if someone does I will reply.
Ok theres one example, Madonna .
Moderator,(I’m such a Moron) please change GOT to GET.
Thanks.
Johnny Depp was considered a lightweight prettyboy when he went into film. He’s since done quite a few first-class movies (mostly with Tim Burton) and has firmly established his acting credentials.
RealityChuck, the OP was looking for the reverse: actors who failed to become more credible in movies.
For this, I nominate David Caruso and Jimmy Smits.
Jim Carrey in The Truman Show.
Brad Pitt and George Clooney seem to be trying, and IMO, more or less succeeding.
But then again, they’re not really thought of as “actors” as much as they are “stars.”
So I dunno if that counts as failure or not.
Maybe Courtney Love?
What movie did Courtney Love star in?
Robin Williams has been desparately trying to be regarded as a serious actor. For the most part he has failed, but possibly he succeded last summer when he played bad guys in two different movies.
She co-starred with Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon, another movie Carrey tried to credibility.
I’m pretty sure anyone who’s seen The World According to Garp considers Robin Williams a serious actor.
The People vs. Larry Flint off the top of my head.
Yeah, that Academy Award for Good Will Hunting really showed he isn’t taken seriously as an actor.
Elizabeth Berkley, from a few clips of interviews I have seen, apparently was sincere in her belief that * Showgirls * was an “art” film, full of deep meaning, and human pathos, and would launch her on a career as a “serious” actress.
Anna Nicole Smith had a small part in * The Hudsucker Proxy. *
I think that Demi Moore deserves a nod as Hester in that terrible * Scarlet Letter * remake.
That’s the topic, but the OP seems to be asking the opposite. Actors who “really placed themselves in their characters” would seem to be a good thing.
Robin Williams has an Oscar, BTW; of course he can be creditable (and he has had some fine performances when he doesn’t get caught up in being so sentimental).
Also, the move from TV to movies is not a matter of becoming creditable as an actor; it’s a matter of doing movie work, which is more lucrative than TV. But someone like Jimmy Smits and David Caruso has no problem with credibility as an actor – but they are successful TV actors, not movie actors. They flopped in films but had little trouble going back to TV.
Now there are many examples of people who tried acting and failed. Tony Bennett in The Oscar, for instance. Truman Capote in Murder by Death.
Failed in their performance, or failed to maintain their credibility?
If it’s the first, than I don’t think Jim Carrey counts. I think it remains to be seen if he can get other successful dramatic roles. I don’t think “Man on the Moon” did poorly because Carrey was in it, it was a movie about a guy no one really knew or cared about. He’s also in Charlie Kaufman’s next drama.
Truman Show did very, very well
How about David Duchovny. He tried to start a seriuos career in a few movies like Kalifornia and Evolution and some other movie where he played a doctor but nothing ever came of it.
What I mean is actors who star in films, and really engage their chrarcters, but get nowhere and the movies turns out to be a flop.
Evolution was a serious career move???
Point taken. 
Andy Kaufman was indeed one person who managed to alienate Hollywood, and most of his audience, by the time he died. Based on that, I’m surprised a movie was even made about him.