# Best acting performance by a comedian **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 23, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488 "2005-06-23T04:06:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/21 "2005-06-23T14:11:28Z")
[Eric Bana](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0051509/) consistently surprises me. He’s really very good. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/22 "2005-06-23T14:27:36Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > **Lily Tomlin** has done great turns in **And the Band Played On** , **Tea With Mussolini** and on **West Wing**. Don’t forget **Short Cuts**. If I didn’t already love Lily from the _Laugh-In_ days, I’d love her just for the beautiful synergy with Tom Waits in that role. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/23 "2005-06-23T14:58:34Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Hank Azaria in “The Birdcage.” Not sure I’d consider that a straight role (pun intended). Another vote for both Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhardt in _King of Comedy_. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/24 "2005-06-23T15:17:38Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > Rickles was fantastic in Casino. He wasn’t bad in _Kelly’s Heroes_, either. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/25 "2005-06-23T16:16:42Z")
> [@Myler Keogh](#): > > Takeshi Kitano is superb as the shark-eyed, way beyond driven yakuza/cop in a bunch of films (Sonatine, Hana-bi, violent cop etc.). Apparently in Japan he was a famous family-orientated comedian beforehand. Amazing if true, as he is one mean bastid whenever I’ve seen him on screen, hard to imagine him entertaining the kids. I first new him as the host of Takeshi’s castle, a humorous Japanese contest show. I’ve seen him a couple of films, _Gohatto (Taboo)_ and _Kikujiro_. I thought his performance in the latter was fairly nuanced, although also a bit comedic. He’s not really a mean bastard in either, although a cold samurai in the Taboo. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/26 "2005-06-23T17:27:05Z")
Speaking of _Casino_, Dick Smothers was good as a sleazy corrupt Senator. I’m not sure whether Harvey Fierstein qualifies as a comedian (he’s a former drag queen who got into acting and writing) but his performance in _Torch Song Trilogy_ (his B’way hit in which he was chief cook and bottle washer) was outstanding. Like Whoopi Goldberg (who started out in standup), his first big movie was his best and filmwise he’s been lucratively slumming ever since (though _Hairspray_ and _Fiddler on the Roof_ are both high prestige ventures on stage). ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/27 "2005-06-23T17:29:14Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Dan Ackroyd? How about _Driving Miss Daisy_?\* > > [sup]\*I haven’t seen _Driving Miss Daisy_, so I don’t know for sure. But I presume it’s fairly humorless in Ackroyd’s performance. Plus, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year for that role. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/28 "2005-06-23T18:00:48Z")
I don’t think Bill Murray was ever a stand-up (unless you count sketch and improv groups as stand-up, which it really isn’t). ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/29 "2005-06-23T19:59:08Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I first new him as the host of Takeshi’s castle, a humorous Japanese contest show. Is he Kenny Blankenship or Vic Romano? ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/30 "2005-06-23T20:14:30Z")
This may be a bit out of left field, but **Kevin Spacey** started his career as a stand up comedian. Granted, he was never famous for it. He was excellent in Seven and The Big Kahuna. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/31 "2005-06-23T20:34:39Z")
My vote on both counts is for **Michael Keaton**. My favorite might be The Paper, or possibly Multiplicity. I think his best non-comedic turns were in _Pacific Heights_ and _Desperate Measures_ . As I’m giving this some thought I wonder if we’d be as impressed with these performances (all that have been posted) if the same choices were made by dramatic actors. If Anthony Hopkins had played Robin Williams’ charcter in either Insomnia or One Hour Photo would that have been as remarkable as Williams’ performance? ---
**Author:** ![chefjef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@chefjef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefjef)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/32 "2005-06-23T21:19:53Z")
I definitely vote for Robin Williams. But I think his dramatic role in _Dead Poet’s Society_ was by far the best. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/33 "2005-06-23T21:36:24Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Maybe not the best yet, but Jamie Foxx is moving up the list fast. I haven’t seen _Ray_ yet, but I’ve heard he’s fantastic in it. Also in _Collateral_. He was astounding in both. I don’t think the weight of his career comes close to Robin Williams’s yet, but if he sticks with it he’ll be way up there. I have to weigh in on Williams too. I find him endlessly, horribly irritating and I don’t think his comedy act has been funny in about sixteen years, and he’s gone back to the same dramatic well, the “Crazy funny guy who challenges the establishment” on too many occasions - “Patch Adams” was an absolutely horrible movie and a hackneyed performance in every respect. But I must give credit where it is due; he has an impressive resume as a dramatic actor. He’s even good in some of his lousy movies, like “What Dreams May Come.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/34 "2005-06-23T21:50:45Z")
My nominees, confining myself to people who made a name for themselves in stand-up before acting, in the order I’d probably pick 'em, are: \*\*Jackie Gleason \*\* for _Gigot_ and _The Hustler_, \*\*Woody Allen \*\* for _Annie Hall_, \*\*Albert Brooks \*\* for \*Defending Your Life \* and _Broadcast News_, \*\*Steve Martin \*\* for _Roxanne_, \*\*Lily Tomlin \*\* for _Tea with Mussolini_, and \*\*Carol Burnett \*\* for _The Four Seasons_. Special Mention for Television: **Bob Newhart**. ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/35 "2005-06-23T22:37:48Z")
A few more:[ul] [li]Billy Crystal in “City Slickers”, “Forget Paris”, and my favorite, “Throw Momma from the Train”; ditto Danny de Vito in the latter.[/li][li]Martin Short as the psychic in “Law & Order” this past season.[/li][li]Rick Moranis in “Streets of Fire”[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/36 "2005-06-23T22:55:21Z")
Billy Connolly was great in [Mrs. Brown](http://imdb.com/title/tt0119280/). Of course, playing a loud Scotsman wasn’t a huge stretch, but it still worked well and he had good chemistry with Judi Dench. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/37 "2005-06-23T23:02:45Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > "Throw Momma from the Train[/list] I completely forgot about this. What a fantastic movie. Good job mentioning it. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/38 "2005-06-23T23:10:42Z")
What about Jerry Lewis in _King of Comedy_ or Marlon Wayans in _Requiem for a Dream_ for individual performances. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/39 "2005-06-24T01:24:02Z")
Carrey was great in Truman Show, but I think he was better in **Man on the Moon** , though it is considered a comedy by some. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488/40 "2005-06-24T01:55:32Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > What about Jerry Lewis in _King of Comedy_ Already mentioned twice here. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-acting-performance-by-a-comedian/309488.md?page=3)