Who are people who are funny who are not paid to be funny, i.e. they are not professional comedians or comedic actors?
Example:
John McKay, first coach of the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (who lost their first 26 games), was famous for humorous quips during interviews, with such gems as:
“Well, we didn’t block, but we made up for it by not tackling.”
“Can’t stop a pass, or a run …otherwise we’re in great shape.”
“Three or four plane crashes and we’re in the playoffs.”
And perhaps most famously, asked what he thought of his team’s “execution,” he replied, “I’m all for it.”
The funniest politician ever to be on Saturday Night Live was John McCain. In one of his sketches he did an advertisement for his (imagined) album of Barbra Streisand’s songs. As a political argument it was ridiculous, but as a comedy sketch it was great. Without agreeing with his politics at all, I think that he would have made a great comic actor:
After he lost the presidential election to Clinton, Bob Dole was a guest on The Daily Show. Believe it or not, he was absolutely hilarious. The man has an incredible, bone dry and totally deadpan wit, and perfect comic timing.
John McCain was funny there, but Jesse Jackson did several hilarious bits on SNL back in a 1991 appearance.
Here he reads Green Eggs and Ham.
Jesse also did a game show spoof called “The Question is Moot” and sang a love song to Jeanne Kirkpatrick. I still remember those fondly.
Yogi Berra is funny, but Dan Quisenberry was funnier. Not by accident, either - he said funny things on purpose. Some of his best lines:
“I’ve seen the future, and it’s much like the present, only longer.”
When asked how he broke out of a slump: “I found a delivery in my flaw.”
About Ted Simmons: “He didn’t sound like a baseball player. He said things like ‘nevertheless’ and ‘if, in fact.’”
About the California Angels: “They’re like the American League All-Star team, and that’s their problem. The American League All-Star team always loses.”
“A manager uses a relief pitcher like a six shooter. He fires until it’s empty, then takes the gun and throws it at the villain.”
“George Steinbrenner has one simple ambition. He wants all the land next to his.”
About his contract: “It has options through the year 2020 or until the last Rocky movie is made.”
“If we come back and win this thing, it will be like finding Amelia Earhart out on a date with Jimmy Hoffa.”
Oh, he was known for his humor. He was hilarious on Conan O’Brien not that long after losing to Clinton in '96. David Blaine did a card trick where the card disappeared(or changed) in Dole’s hand.
He said, “It slipped away from me just like the election.”
Us old folk remember that Bruce started out as a comic actor on Moonlighting; in fact, we were highly skeptical when we heard he was going to make his first action flick.
Not sure if you mean intentionally or un-; but I’ll nominate Al Sharpton for the latter. I’ve always liked imagining an alternate universe where he and Jesse Jackson formed an Abbott-and-Costello-style comedy team… (“Who’s on First?” “Watts and Second…”)
George Clooney tore me up when he was on Dennis Miller years ago with a story about his roommate’s cat and that cat’s litter box. I’ve had vastly more respect for him since.