23 Comedic Actors Who Excel In Drama

From Redditor u/phred_666: His performance inOne Hour PhotoThe dude was a phenomenal actor across all genres; he is creepy as hell.InsomniaHe has another great performance in Insomnia.

From Redditor u/GhostOfTheSerpent: He was a magnificent actor. I loved his voice acting as the Genie inAladdin(1992). He was also amazing inGood Will Hunting(1997) andThe Fisher King(1991). I am glad he won a Supporting Actor Oscar for his work inGood Will Hunting.

From aformer Redditor: Tom Hanks. People remember him from his early 1980s comedy career. He was a talented comedy actor, but I never imagined him doing dramas, starring in them, or achieving a string of hits.

From Redditor u/TheOvy: This is the best answer. He started on a sitcom and then had a decade of comedy films.Splash, The Money Pit, Big, The 'Burbs, Turner & Hooch, Joe Versus the Volcano. He even plays a stand-up comedian inPunchline. Then the nineties arrived, and suddenly, he got an Oscar forPhiladelphia. Then, he got an Oscar forForrest Gump. He also did A League of Their Own.A League of Their Own, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, Green Mile.He finished the decade with a physically transforming performance inCast Away. Gen Z and younger millennials might think he only acted in dramas, but he made a complete 180-degree turn.

From Redditor u/SafewordisJohnCandy: Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, MissouriThis is one of my favorite Woody movies, and he excels inThe Highwaymen. People still find old episodes of Cheers funny.Cheers It shows dimwitted Woody Boyd, and seeing him in some of his roles now is funny.

From Redditor u/BookzNBrewz: I watched Out of the Furnace for the first time and was terrified of him. I was stunned by how intense he could be on screen compared to what I knew him as.Out of the Furnace for the first time, and being absolutely terrified of him. I was stunned by how intense he could be on screen compared to what I knew him as.

From Redditor u/InfuriatedBadger: His performance inBoardwalk Empire was superb. I am disappointed he does not get more dramatic roles. Shook.

From Redditor u/pervy_roomba: BetweenBoardwalk EmpireandDeath of Stalin, I did not put ‘Steve Buscemi becomes Dramatic Powerhouse’ on my 2010s Bingo Card.

From Redditor u/SmrtGrl86: Yes. His cameo inThe Messenger stuck with me. The grief, rage, and pride in that small role sucked the air out of the room.

From Redditor u/amcarls: Fans of the comic book version of the Batman character, not the Adam West TV version, were initially angry Keaton was chosen for Batman because they expected an Adam West style performance. Keaton won them over with his brooding performance.

From Redditor u/NJdeathproof: He scared me badly inPacific Heights.

From Redditor u/helpmelearn12: I recall thinking about the casting forBreaking BadAfter the first couple of episodes, I saw that Hal's energy worked for the serious tone. Later, I thought, Bryan Cranston is a ridiculously good actor; he can play almost any role.

From Redditor u/PrinceRory: He also played Howard Beale in a Broadway version ofNetworkHe won a Tony for that role. He was amazing.

From Redditor u/oldmatelefty: First thought: watching reruns with friends before Breaking Bad.Breaking Bad,Some of his scenes were perfect. I laughed as a kid, but now I see this guy is very talented.

From Redditor u/mrmonster459: His performance in10 Cloverfield Lanewas perfection. The pure evil in his eyes when he killed that guy was horror at its best.

From Redditor u/watchingsongsDL: Walter Sobichek is his best role. He has so many great lines. The tension and fury are huge. He gets angry at everyone except the Dude.

From Redditor u/Ignominia: I just watched theRighteous GemstonesI think this might be his best role. John Goodman is a treasure.

From Redditor u/qwertpoiuy1029: He plays terrifying bad guys well. Actors known for comedy rarely show that.

From Redditor u/Dangercakes13: He seems surprised by his interviews. Still, he handles both parts of the role well.

From Redditor u/blondechinesehair: There is a scene in the last few episodes ofBreaking Badshows an intense talk between Saul, Huell, and Bill Burr's character. I got caught up in the drama until I saw these three guys were comedians who had little acting experience then.

From Redditor u/frozenrage: I root for Bateman in his roles. As a kid watchingValerie(which becameValerie's Familyand then becameThe Hogan FamilyAll roles were usually light and funny. But when his character needed to be tough and threaten his brothers' bully, I believed it. He showed real acting skill as a teen.

From Redditor u/Dangercakes13: His turn inOutsiderwas stellar. Explaining to the jail how he coached the kid and showing his innocence while looking defeated was surprisingly good.

From Redditor u/rainbowyuc: He plays comedy and drama the same way, and it works perfectly in both.

From Redditor u/skytreader91: FromDextertoHow I Met Your Mother, he is absolutely amazing.

From Redditor u/Mysterious_Andy: The Big Fixcame out in ’78,Buckaroo Banzaicame out in ’84,Harry and the HendersonsJohn Lithgow showed his comedic and dramatic range since his early career in '86.

From Redditor u/NCCountryLady: John Lithgow has been hilarious in many roles, but inCliffhangerHe was the creepiest, most amoral bad guy I have seen. His dramatic roles hit the mark.

From Redditor u/froggison: I support Kurt Russell appreciation threads! Think about all the iconic roles he played over the years:Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, Hateful Eight, Captain Ron, Tombstone, Backdraft, etc. He has a big legacy. People forget how big a name he is after four decades.

From Redditor u/guitargirlmolly: He played Herb Brooks in a fantastic job.Miracle, too. I avoid sports movies, but this one works because of his work. (He has an accurate thick Minnesota accent, which my native Minnesota people like—those are rare.)

From Redditor u/sarahnicolette: Everyone forgets him playing opposite Meryl Streep inSilkwood. That is as dramatic as you can get. He was brilliant.

From Redditor u/abcannon18: If you want to be wowed, watchFox Catcher. Then watch the documentary... He gets lost in that role; it is incredible.

From Redditor u/jrobin04: Yes. He did many great dramatic performances. One favorite wasThe Way Way Back. He was a convincing jerk.

From Redditor u/GurnSee: For sure. His anger in The Big Shortcemented my view of him as an exceptional dramatic actor.

From Redditor u/spngrr: Yes! I first saw him inBruce Almighty with that scene as the TV anchor. Poor Evan [Baxter] is controlled by Bruce Almighty. Then40-Year-Old Virgin, The Office, Love Actually, Welcome to Marwen! (Serious), and recently watched Little Miss Sunshine two weeks ago.

From Redditor u/macaronsforeveryone:Joseph Gordon-Levitt has improved since his3rd Rock from the Sun days.

From Redditor u/JackedUpReadyToGo: He mimicked Bruce Willis's facial expressions and mannerisms inLooper.

From Redditor u/CriticalCreativity: I just watched 7500 tonight and it impressed me. JGL carries that movie.

From Redditor u/nowimdowninit91: I likedHesher. It showed me the guy was not just a bubbly kid actor.

From Redditor u/-eDgAR-: She went from Superbad and Zombieland to winning an Oscar for best actress.

From Redditor u/gotthemondays:I found this in the replies. She was amazing inBirdman. One scene with Michael Keaton's character made me go “woah.”

From Redditor u/thedude37: I did not likeManiac (had a good start but the story became too wild, even for me), but her acting was a bright spot.

From Redditor u/noonehasthisoneyet: Loved her in Hot Fuzz but was pleasantly surprised by her in The Favourite.

From Redditor u/goldenpapayagirl: I cannot watch anything with her afterFleabag. She made me hate that character well.

From Redditor u/Cynethryth: She is amazing in The Night ManagerThe character in the book was male. She found out she was pregnant after getting the role, and they kept her on. I loved watching this pregnant woman act with such conviction in that show. You rarely see that anywhere. She performed amazingly well.

From Redditor u/xmastreee: I thought he was really good inThe MajesticIf you haven't seen it and plan to, skip the first part. Do not look it up on IMDB. I missed the beginning the first time I saw it. I came in when he wandered the town, not knowing who, what, or where. So he did not know who he was, and I did not know either. If I had seen it from the start (which I did later), I feel it would have lost something.

From Redditor u/Grammophon: The MaskandAce VenturaI found them funny as a kid. I laughed. As an adult, I would sayDumb and Dumber. In theTruman Showhe performed well in the dramatic and funny parts.

From Redditor u/CmmdrSparkles:Yes! Seeing Jim Carrey inEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindtotally surprised me. He was excellent.

From Redditor u/AccidentalPilates:When Adam Sandler tries, it is never bad, even if the movies lack quality. I fully appreciate him wanting to take his friends on two-month Hawaiian vacations to make bad movies, butUncut Gemswas the best movie of 2019. We need more of those.

From Redditor u/w1987g: Clickis also a movie that surprised me. At first, I thought it would be one of his "my wife iswayout of my league" movies, but that film became a tearjerker.

From Redditor u/Maladapted: This is what I sought when scrolling down. I looked for this because his screwball slapstick SNL humor made me think he was not a good dramatic actor when he wanted to be.

From Redditor u/KassXWolfXTigerXFox:No one can have a panic attack like Gene Wilder. His outburst inThe Producers, plusStir Crazy, is unmatched.

From Redditor u/Slambo00:Wilder is special to me. He was my model for a complex, sensitive man growing up. He was not conventionally good-looking but sexy in the '70s style. Tender, sometimes furious, frantic, sophisticated, intelligent— he sang and danced. I loved him. Even their mediocre films had great chemistry with Pryor.

From Redditor u/HerbertKornfeldRIP:Steve Martin surpasses acting. He is a great comedian, actor, and dramatic actor. He is also a great musician, artist, writer, and I assume some kind of scientist.

From Redditor u/FaxCelestis:Steve Martin performed well inThe Spanish Prisoner, a white-collar crime suspense film I recommend to everyone. No one has heard of it.

From Redditor u/omygoshgamache:Steve Martin and Martin Short both act great inOnly Murderers in the BuildingSteve Martin shows heavy emotional backstories and delivers strong dramatic scenes.

From Redditor u/ArcherChase: He shows talent on another level. I watched the first episode ofAtlantaIn Season 3, this guy writes, directs, and acts in a high drama show with actors like Bryan Tyree Henry and LaKeith Stanfield. He also does funny stand-up and wrote for 30 Rock.30 Rockwhile in college, and became a key part of one of the decade's most underrated comedy shows,Community.

From Redditor u/chrisberman410: [He had an] underrated performance inBarry. I did not think Bill Hader could play a hitman, but his tactical skill in the show is impressive. He gets subtle details right, like tucking his arm when moving in combat. The shooting at the pilot episode's end pulled me in.

From Redditor u/cameronsounds: There is a great interview where Bill Hader talks about howBarryis based on his life. He is great at something, yet does not want to do it, feeling trapped. He links this to his nervous breakdown on SNL.

From Redditor u/itsjero: Bill Hader is fantastic. His impressions always make me laugh, and he continues to amaze me with his range and star power. SNL keeps producing stars.

From A Redditor: Aubrey Plaza. She remains one of Hollywood's funniest people. She has done many big studio movies and TV shows, but she also loves small, independent films that most people miss. Films likeSafety Not Guaranteed, Ingrid Goes West, Black Bear, and her latestEmily the Criminalshow her range and proved what she could do. She produces these movies too. She is an exciting, cool person to watch in Hollywood, and I always look forward to her next work.

From Redditor u/whiskeyflick: She blew me away inLegion.

From Redditor u/Johnnyuwuwuw: The Dictator, Borat, The Brothers Grimsby, etc. versusThe SpyandThe Trial of the Chicago 7. Easily one of my favorite actors.

From Redditor u/BarbarianSpoonie:I totally agree. He is excellent inThe Trial of the Chicago 7and the TV series,Spy.