# Comedians and comic actors who primarily got their yucks from facial expressions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856 "2012-10-25T19:26:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/21 "2012-10-25T20:55:06Z")
Bert Lahr had a wonderfully rubbery face. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/22 "2012-10-25T22:28:53Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Wow - I’m the first to mention **Charlie Callas**? > > In the late '60’s and early '70’s he was the man for rubber-faced expressions. A quick check on Youtube showed a ton of clips, but I couldn’t easily pick one out that showcased all of his whacky expressions. So fun and silly. I came in to mention him, but I was damned if I could remember his last name. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/23 "2012-10-26T01:17:38Z")
I was going to say Red Skelton but he’s already been mentioned. So I’ll add [Jackie Gleason](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CgNwBh8vOY). ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/24 "2012-10-26T01:27:41Z")
Tim Allen had some good facial expressions, if you ever considered him funny. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/25 "2012-10-26T01:43:20Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Marty Feldman Peter Lorre . ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/26 "2012-10-26T04:30:33Z")
[Buddy Hackett](http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/screencrush.com/files/2012/04/buddy-hackett.jpg) > [@kayaker](#): > > Peter Lorre . I wouldn’t call him a comic actor. When he was in comedies he was mostly spoofing his own image. ---
**Author:** ![Opus\_T.Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7feea3/32.png) [@Opus\_T.Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus_T.Penguin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/27 "2012-10-26T04:52:47Z")
Shemp. It wasn’t exactly his expressions, but his face always made me laugh… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/28 "2012-10-26T05:25:33Z")
> [@Opus\_T.Penguin](#): > > Shemp. It wasn’t exactly his expressions, but his face always made me laugh… Good call. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/29 "2012-10-26T09:07:09Z")
Kristen Wiig. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/30 "2012-10-26T13:32:59Z")
Betty Hutton. ETA: Martha Raye. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/31 "2012-10-26T13:35:50Z")
Jackie Gleason had more than his face, but his bug-eyed look of pain (like the episode where his back was hurting and someone gave him a good-natured slap on the back) was comedy gold. ---
**Author:** ![dimmy\_derko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dimmy\_derko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dimmy_derko)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/32 "2012-10-26T13:47:44Z")
Rowan Atkinson wouldn’t be half as funny if he didn’t have such a rubbery face. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/33 "2012-10-26T13:57:09Z")
Among today’s comedians it’s got to be Rowan Atkinson or Jim Carrey (insofar as Carrey is a comedian anymore.) If you watch their standup and sketch works they are master physical comedians. Not just with the face, but they both use their whole body. But the face is a big part of it. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/34 "2012-10-26T14:06:53Z")
John Belushi may not have depended on his face, but he is one of the few that can make me laugh by his facial expressions alone. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/35 "2012-10-26T14:23:23Z")
Jerry Lewis, the king of mugging. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/36 "2012-10-26T14:27:46Z")
Bill Cosby got a lot of laughs from his expressions. Both in standup and in the beginning credits of The Cosby Show. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/37 "2012-10-26T14:35:52Z")
I think a lot of the early TV comedians relied a lot on facial expressions, such as [Sid](http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=lo6&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1007&bih=621&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=4LwCNOrVVdZciM:&imgrefurl=http://www.aveleyman.com/FilmCredit.aspx%3FFilmID%3D8603&docid=-fndxkQrl3H2ZM&imgurl=http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsC/2502-8603.gif&w=320&h=240&ei=ap2KUIaLM6SJ0QGN_oDgAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=504&vpy=12&dur=528&hovh=184&hovw=246&tx=119&ty=46&sig=117094475124572585647&page=4&tbnh=129&tbnw=172&start=67&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:50,s:20,i:285) [Caesar](http://collectibles.bidstart.com/NEWS-PHOTO-SID-CAESAR-AND-IMOGENE-COCA-1958-/20530997/a.html) and [Milton](http://www.fanpix.net/picture-gallery/milton-berle-picture-13730739.htm) [Berle](http://www.fanpix.net/picture-gallery/milton-berle-picture-13730729.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/38 "2012-10-26T14:53:38Z")
I know it gets put down here but I’m a fan of Big Bang Theory. Most of the funniest parts happen because of the timing and expressions of Jim Parsons rather than the actual lines. Kaley Cuoco does a pretty good job this way too. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/39 "2012-10-26T16:16:42Z")
John Stewart, not in his stand up but on his show. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/40 "2012-10-26T16:20:25Z")
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