People Name Best And Worst Comedy Actors
We all know a comedy movie can just turn a bad day into a great one. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. And when we watch these movies, the actors are largely responsible for taking funny scripts and transforming them into hilarious moments on screen. There are a few actors that really create comedy magic, they’ll make moments so funny that we can rewatch them over and over and still laugh every time. Then there are some actors who – as hard as Hollywood might try to make us like them – just don’t do it for us. Comedy is very fragile, and the smallest detail can kill a joke.
Here are the actors that make people laugh the most…and the least.
WORST: Chris Farley
People who like Chris Farley’s sense of humor often like the style of comedy from his Saturday Night Live era. Comedy definitely changes with the times and his technique is not necessarily the most relevant today. He’s simply really loud for no reason, and who would enjoy that? The movies he did were of the same nature, often very simple-minded and annoying.
Unfortunately, Farley died at a very young age. His humor was so specific to the 90s and he was never able to further grow in his career. Maybe had tragedy not occurred he’d still be around and would’ve adapted his approach.
BEST: Rowan Atkinson
When we think about Rowan Atkinson, we usually remember Mr. Bean. But he’s responsible for one of the most hysterical moments in the Christmas classic Love Actually. In the scene where Atkinson plays the jewelry salesman, he is responsible for one of the funniest moments of the entire film if you ask us. He makes us absolutely lose it every time we watch this scene. Iconic!
Of course, the OG fans remember him as Blackadder, which he co-wrote and starred in before his Mr. Bean days and showed a satirical take on British history. We love the big contrast between the characters he plays and how they are oftentimes quite dimwitted, while he is in real life actually extremely sharp-witted.
WORST: Tyler Perry
How often can we watch this guy put on his fat suit and gray wig without getting over Madea? Tyler Perry’s work is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it situation, his type of humor isn’t for everyone. The character he’s revisited numerous times is a very slapsticky caricature of a Black grandmother. This role has even been criticized by the celebrated director Spike Lee, among others.
The success of these movies does prove there is an audience for them. So Perry will likely continue to write, produce, and star in them. Hey, as long as it makes someone laugh, isn’t that all that really matters?
BEST: Robin Williams
It’s probably safe to say we collectively felt like we lost our favorite relative when this legend passed away in 2014. But thankfully we can forever revisit this comedy genius on our screens. Known for being unexceptionally quick on his feet and improvising everyone’s socks off, he brought this skill to most of his work. For Aladdin, the studio ended up with 16 hours of improvised stuff on top of the regular dialogue that he recorded for his genie character.
When Williams played our favorite fake housekeeper in Mrs. Doubtfire, director Chris Columbus was well aware of the comedy madman’s improvisational talent, so he made sure to set up 2 or 3 cameras at a time to make sure to capture these unpredictable gems of comedy.
WORST: Jim Carrey
When this actor plays in a drama, it’s hard to say anything bad about him. When he plays yet another silly character with typical Carrey faces, it is definitely not for everyone. While it’s a skill only Carrey possesses to this extent, it still doesn’t mean we need to see every single muscle of the face put to use to deliver a joke. After a while it gets old.
We don’t say this very often about people, but it would be great to see more depressing movies with him because those are where he excels. If he could just leave movies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask, in the 90s (where they belong) that’d be great. ‘’Aaaaaalrighty then’’.
BEST: Will Arnett
From Arrested Development to When in Rome to BoJack Horseman, this actor can really randomly pop up in any movie or show and make his slightly eccentric vibe work as any character. He may not be the biggest name in Hollywood, but he always adds a nice little twist to anything he does. There’s a reason why he’s often named a favorite in the cast of Arrested Development actors.
One of his most surprising successes has to be The Lego Batman Movie. I was such a random concept for a movie but he made it absolutely hilarious and really proved himself in a lead animated role. We’re always going to be happy to see him pop up in our favorite films and TV shows.
WORST: Eric Andre
Eric Andre is mostly recognized for his show The Eric Andre Show and is known to have a really strange sense of humor. Even the people who find him funny admit the bits he does on his show are odd. They’re not always the easiest things to relate to. His weirdness often makes the guests on his show visibly awkward which can be hard to watch.
Traditional talk show hosts do whatever it takes to make their guests feel at ease so they’ll open up. Andre takes the opposite approach to test his guests’ limits. You really have to know how to digest his chaotic energy in order to like him, and we feel like it only gives us indigestion.
BEST: Melissa McCarthy
Ever since we first saw her as Sookie, the frazzled chef on Gilmore Girls, we knew that McCarthy wasn’t just extremely charming, but also had a great comedic presence in any scene. Over the years, with blockbusters such as Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy, McCarthy has really proven herself as an actress who can fill movie theaters.
It’s both her commitment to her characters and her great delivery that takes her performances to the next level. When we see her name on a movie poster, we know it’s a sign that we’re going to laugh our butts off. Her deranged press conference portrayal of Sean Spicer on Saturday Night Live is one of our favorite cold opens of all time.
WORST: Leslie Jones
A couple of years ago Leslie Jones got increasingly successful. She really rose to fame after being made a permanent cast member on Saturday Night Live and a few guest performances. Who could forget her in Ghostbusters? Then she grew her popularity online even more after narrating the 2022 Winter Olympics on social media with her own takes.
But her jokes and the way she delivers them are definitely not for everyone. She tends to express herself in a pretty provocative manner. Sometimes it can feel like a cheap attempt for more attention. The way the shock factor is always a necessary element is a bit tiring. It’s not as shocking anymore.
BEST: Nick Kroll
Nick Kroll is another actor who doesn’t tend to lead films, but his characters always add the weirdest and most hilarious moments to whatever he’s in. His single episode appearance on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as the scamming SoulCycle instructor is actually one of our favorite episodes of the show. Kroll has proven time and time again that his odd yet hilarious characterizations work really well on animated shows and movies.
Big Mouth, The Addams Family, and more recently Human Resources are just some of the projects on his extensive comedy resume. We hope he’ll continue to show off his comedy chops in the coming years.
WORST: Kevin Hart
It’s hard not to recognize Kevin Hart’s voice because it is very unique, and also quite annoying. He is another one of those comedians who think the louder they are, the funnier their jokes will be. In his roles, he always seems to be extremely distressed and upset. This is another example of someone who is always at a 10, which only makes it harder to go up.
Surely he should be able to bring us some variety in his roles. It’s hard to believe it when he’s played virtually the same exact person in Ride Along, Central Intelligence, Jumanji: The Next Level and Get Hard. You think he’d be sick of it by now, but he truly seems to enjoy it.
BEST: Michael Cera
Scott Pilgrim VS The World has certainly become a nerdy cult classic over the years and much of the credit for this masterpiece has to go to Scott Pilgrim himself: Michael Cera. He doesn’t do much, but some people can’t help but be funny even if they don’t say a word. Cera is definitely one of those people. His extremely soft-spoken and fragile demeanor can create the funniest moments, especially in contrast with more aggressive or loud actors.
He has appeared in many projects that are considered comedy staples, like Arrested Development and Superbad. How funny would it be if he suddenly surprised us all with a tough macho character out of nowhere? That would really put his skills to the test!
WORST: Andy Kaufman
Most people will know him from the very first season of Saturday Night Live, where he was known for his Elvis Presley impression. Many others will know him for his character Latka Gravas he played on the sitcom Taxi. He also is a sad case of a comedian one can understand, thus not making him for everyone.
Perhaps all the people who love him have a special way of processing his jokes. Love him or hate him, he sadly also died too young at the age of 35. Now we’ll never know what he would have been able to achieve had he lived longer.
BEST: Eddie Murphy
Anyone who can take a whiney sidekick character and turn it into one of the best characters in a movie is a legend in our book. Eddie Murphy’s hilarious performance in Shrek is only one of the many notches on his belt. When he reprised his role of Prince Akeem in Coming 2 America, he reminded us why he has the status of one of the best comedians of all time.
His quick wit and great sense of timing have always made him stand out as a comedy master and his talent is evident in his stand-up comedy, sketch comedy appearances on Saturday Night Live, and numerous movies. His career has spanned over decades, every generation can quote different hilarious Murphy moments!
WORST: Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn falls into the same category as Adam Sandler. He often plays the mediocre white man who miraculously landed a hot wife, yet is constantly ungrateful for his life. He lacks the degree of likeability a lead character needs to have in order for us to care about him.
To us, it’s a mystery how Vaughn was able to continue to churn out movies like Couples Retreat, The Dilemma, or The Break-Up. He is never the best part of any movie he’s in, he’s kind of just… there. Not many would go watch a movie only because he was in it, there would have to be another reason.
BEST: Madeline Kahn
This is a comedy legend who sadly isn’t with us anymore. Madeline Kahn pulled her weight in some brilliant comedy titles such as Paper Moon and as cabaret singer Lili Von Shtupp in Mel Brooks’ western comedy Blazing Saddles. Her understated acting style and wit really shone through in these great roles. She had a really lighthearted presence on screen, which made it hard not to love her.
She started out in a time when women were often just perceived as bimbos and used that perception to her advantage. Her confident sense of humor has always been a joy to watch, and an inspiration for many comedians who followed after her.
WORST: The Seth Rogen “Crew’’
When we say the Seth Rogen ‘’crew’’, we, of course, mean the man himself, and his friends who accompany him, you definitely know his classic stoner films accompanied by James Franco and Jonah Hill and maybe a couple of other actors. By now you’re definitely picturing Superbad or Pineapple Express. The biggest source of comedy in these films was weed and we can confidently assume most of the scripts must’ve been written under the influence of the said substance.
There’s simply a point when this type of humor starts to get a bit more pathetic than funny. And we think that point has been reached. it’s time to move on to some more complex material. If it’s even possible for Rogan. He definitely seems stuck in his ways.
BEST: Simon Pegg
This super-talented actor from across the pond has made us laugh not only through his acting appearances but also through his writing. Often teaming up with his also hilarious best friend Nick Frost, it’s evident that Pegg’s clever and fast-paced humor works in many settings. The Cornetto trilogy has earned much acclaim as some of the most brilliant British comedy films.
It was amazing to see Pegg’s great comedic writing style align so well with Edgar Wright’s as co-writers on this trilogy. Occasionally dabbling in dramas, Pegg’s work is never boring and falls somewhere in the middle on the spectrum of British self-deprecating humor versus a more Hollywood type of humor.
WORST: Rebel Wilson
When we first watched Pitch Perfect, the character of Fat Amy was something we hadn’t really seen before. Funny enough, apparently the whole movie was written around her character. But after seeing Rebel Wilson play this exact same type of weird impulsive and inconsiderate woman gets old fast. It’s time for her to mix things up.
Netflix tried to utilize Wilson’s specific persona twice, in Isn’t It Romantic? and again in Senior Year. Fans quickly realized this shtick will not remain funny forever. It would be interesting to see Wilson reinvent herself in a new type of role. What kind of movie could you see her starring in next?
BEST: Christina Applegate
Many of us will remember her as the rebellious teenage daughter from Married…With Children. However, she has proven to be a brilliant comedic actress in projects such as the Anchorman movies and the short-lived but beloved series Samantha Who? Of course, any actress who gets the honor of playing one of Rachel Green’s sisters in the hit show Friends would be considered an industry favorite with good reason.
She has continued to act in comedy hits such as Bad Moms and Dead to Me so it’s safe to say her career is still on the come up. In November of 2022, she got a very well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, cementing her status in the industry.
WORST: Seth McFarlane
Now, why is this man treated like a genius by his hardcore fans for creating and starring in things like Family Guy and Ted? It almost makes a case for the popularity of this type of humor. He kind of acts like his jokes are way more intelligent than they are. His fans probably also feel smart for understanding them.
When he released A Million Ways To Die In The West people somehow had high expectations considering the impressive cast he had assembled. Too bad everyone ended up disappointed by the toilet humor. We don’t understand why it came as a surprise though since this is pretty typical for his work.
BEST: Sascha Baron Cohen
One of the most outrageous but simultaneously genius comedians in the world has got to be Sascha Baron Cohen. He has put himself in some wild situations and played the most ridiculous characters. Whether they be Ali G, Brüno, and of course the one and only Borat, he’s sure to have you laughing. The way he goes into the world with zero inhibitions and improvises scenes, these characters are nothing short of genius.
When the new Borat movie came out, which ended up unexpectedly being filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, many were surprised that this iconic 2000s character still worked in our current chaotic world. It seems as though Cohen is constantly on an adrenaline rush as he improvises his way out of some of the most impossible situations while interacting with real-life people.
WORST: Rob Schneider
Yet another Saturday Night Live alumni who frankly gets on everyone’s nerves. Calling his comedy performances ‘not highbrow’ is a massive understatement. He has the most childish approach to jokes imaginable, and they’re too crude to be for actual children. Let’s say we would not really trust someone’s judgment on anything if they branded themselves a massive Schneider fan…
He worked with Adam Sandler on numerous abysmal comedies and it seems like they do not make each other’s performances any better. When most of your movies have scored a rating below a 5 or even a 4 on IMDB, there is not much else we need to say. The scores can speak for themselves.
BEST: John Candy
John Candy is another comedy great who was taken from us way too soon. The Canadian actor appeared in many 80s and 90s hits (many of which happened to start with the same letter) such as Stripes, Splash, and Spaceballs. And who can forget his great role as the dedicated coach who leads the first-ever Jamaican bobsled team in Cool Runnings?
This sadly ended up being one of his final roles. Though he certainly had range as an actor not all of his movies were successful. However, most of his roles had one trait in common. It is something that you either have or you don’t: being extremely likable. It is nearly impossible to dislike this man.
WORST: Adam Sandler
This trope you’ll definitely recognize. It didn’t age well, but boy was it a class. The one and an only mediocre straight white man with an annoying personality, who somehow inexplicably landed the biggest bombshell as his wife. Adam Sandler has made a lot of money from this role and we think that enough is enough. It was never funny, yet it was still used in Blended, Just Go With It, and even Grown Ups.
Sandler is yet another example of an actor who can be really annoying in comedy roles. However, his talent really shines when he plays dramatic characters alongside highly acclaimed directors This can be seen in the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch Drunk Love.
BEST: Monthy Python
This absolutely groundbreaking British comedy group is responsible for so many iconic and influential moments. We don’t know anyone who can get through the ‘’Biggus Dickus’’ scene from Monthy Python’s Life of Brian or the ‘’Knights who say Ni’’ scene from Monthy Python and the Holy Grail without absolutely dying of laughter. And these are only naming a few of many hysterical scenes from their films.
John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, and Michael Palin have continued to create and star in comedy masterpieces individually even after their Monthy Python days but we do not know if there will ever be a comedy collective with this many talented and creative people ever again.
WORST: Will Ferrell
Yet another person on the list who started out on Saturday Night Live, is Will Ferrell. He had an undeniable talent for playing idiots. While he really seems to have a knack for this, it turns out that being stupid doesn’t equal being funny. What he lacks is effortlessness. When you’re always at a 10, there is no space for any tension or surprises and this is what makes his humor pretty flat.
They even gave him a chance to become the successor of Steve Carrell in The Office, but his character was a flop. This might partially be because it’s very difficult to think about reaching the level of the one and only Michael Scott. Now those are big shoes to fill.
BEST: Lucille Ball
Not only do we love this powerhouse for her amazing comedic timing and fun moments, but Ball is also an absolute industry trailblazer. She was the first woman to own her own studio and to promote the use of the 3-camera technique in her classic I Love Lucy. This would then become the standard way to film sitcoms for decades to come. Talk about a trendsetter!
The way this show has stood the test of time and is still considered a classic shows the extent of her comedy talent and it’s something we will always happily put on. You can watch it anytime or anywhere and everyone is sure to love it. There’s no going wrong with her acting.
WORST: Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari has a very odd sense of humor and it’s kind of hard to get on board with. The type of dryness he conveys doesn’t work for everyone. He plays a kind of douchey character quite often, as he did on Parks and Recreation. Maybe part of the reason we don’t like Ansari so much is because of the role he plays.
He is known for doing standup in addition to TV shows and movie appearances, but we don’t really find ourselves bonding with his jokes anymore because of it. He did get a lot of acclaim for his show Master of None and will definitely continue to be successful. Maybe something he does in the future will change our minds.
WORST: Ryan Reynolds
His performance besides Sandra Bullock in The Proposal is probably what took him from a random guy in movies to a household name. His nonchalant yet simultaneously zingy character has worked well in many 2000s comedies But over the years, his nonchalant smirk has transformed into a smug grin which really isn’t doing it for anyone anymore.
A good comedian in our book requires some humility. This quality is something Ryan Reynolds has lost over the years. We still enjoy his performances from time to time, but ever since his massive success with Deadpool, he has an aura about him that is to him. Every joke he tells is a self-evident knee-slapper, yet somehow our knees remain un-slapped.