15 Scene-Stealing Actresses From Classic Comedies

Madeline Kahn always knew how to get the best from her co-star roles. She worked with director Mel Brooks often in.Young FrankensteinBlazing SaddlesHigh Anxiety,andHistory of the World: Part IKahn took on wild accents and played vamps if Brooks needed it.

An Oscar nomination came to Kahn for a hilarious German accent playing Lili von Shtupp, a freelance seductress inBlazing Saddles. Kahn had another great early role for Brooks inYoung Frankensteinas Elizabeth, the fiancée of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder, a frequent co-star) who falls for his creation (Peter Boyle) because of some of his physical traits.

Gilda Radner joined the originalSaturday Night Live's top stars included Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray in the second season. Radner, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman were the original female cast members among the show's "not-ready-for-primetime players."

Radner stole scenes, playing many wacky recurring characters. She appears here portraying the elderlyEmily Litella, a hearing-impaired commentator onWeekend Updateshe complains about things she thinks she heard, ("What's all this fuss I keep hearing about violins on television?"). BrashWeekend Updatepersonal advice commentatorRoseanne Roseannadanna, an imaginative childJudy Miller, and not-quite-Barbara Walters anchorBaba Wawaa number among her other memorable roles.

Before shredding the big screen with comic takes, both subtle and broad in every Christopher Guest movie and a variety of Tim Burton adventures, and winning many Emmys forSchitt's Creek, Catherine O'Hara made her presence known onSecond City Television, anSNL-esque sketch comedy show. O'Hara had many memorable turns as ditzy teen starlet Brooke Shields, opposite Rick Moranis as her mother, and stars on a fake talk show,The Brooke Shields Show; an eager high school contestant on the "night school edition" ofHigh Q; a scandalousKatharine Hepburn; and an older songstressLola Heatherton.

O'Hara played many weirdos alongside SCTV luminaries like John Candy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, and Eugene Levy. O'Hara also wrote for seasons 1, 2, 4, and 6.SCTVluminaries like John Candy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, and Eugene Levy. O'Hara also wrote for seasons 1, 2, 4, and 6.

In the originalAnchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyRon Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and his San Diego news team feel threatened. Ambitious reporter Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) wants to become an anchor herself. Ron stars, but Veronica proves a hilarious fixture. She plays the straight person to Ron's wacky behavior. This includes his old flirting attempts and the milk-chugging when a prank backfires during his end-of-broadcast address.

Applegate plays the smartest person. She is a poised, hard-nosed reporter fighting against fools. Does she win? Yes.

Obviously, the two names above the title refer toThe Blues BrothersJohn Belushi plays Jake Blues; Dan Aykroyd plays Elwood. The John Landis film lets bit players shine. This applies to many great musical cameos. The Aretha Franklin performance of "Think" stands out.

Carrie Fisher takes a vacation from space adventure to show off her comedy. She plays Jake's jilted fiancée, furious, packing a rocket launcher, an M9A1-7 flamethrower, and an M16 rifle after he left her at the altar (before his jail time). She tracks and tries to kill the brothers four times, then Jake fools her with wild excuses. Fisher (who dated Dan Aykroyd then) stays committed to the role of the murderous ex-lover, making the comedy better.

Wedding crashers John Beck (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn) face their own issues at a wedding for US Secretary William Cleary's daughter. Both pursue Cleary's other daughters, Claire (Rachel McAdams) and Gloria (Isla Fisher). Claire has an unfaithful boyfriend (a pre-fame Bradley Cooper). John convinces Jeremy to turn their usual wedding ruse—making fake alibis to hook up with women at weddings—into a long weekend while he works on Claire. Gloria, however, is a nymphomaniac who quickly became very possessive of Jeremy, who panicked and labeled her a "Stage 5 Clinger."

John's relationship with Claire forms the main story arc ofWedding Crashers, but every time Gloria appears, she steals the show. Her relationship with Jeremy develops in surprising ways.

Gayle Sweeny (Jane Lynch), a reformed cokehead turned Sturdy Wings leader, runs a big brother-big sister program. She manages the community service work of energy drink salesmen Wheeler (Seann William Scott) and Danny (Paul Rudd). They hope to avoid jail time by joining the Sturdy Wings program.

Gayle is a manic, no-BS type who struggles to stop using cocaine, serving as a reference point for drug-related metaphors and graphic NSFW jokes. She tells Wheeler and Danny to leave and stop being selfish, telling them, "Why don't you guys go home, put down some lines of selfishness - which IS your blow - close the shades, take a phone off the hook, grab a straw and snort?!" Gayle also tries to stop the romantic advances of Sturdy Wings counselor Martin Gary (A.D. Miles).

Olivia Colman, a future Academy Award winner, played Constable Doris Thatcher, the sole female police officer in Sandford, a small, mysterious British village. Hotshot Sergeant Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) moves from London to Sandford due to his annoyed colleagues. Angel uses his extra detective skills to find out what is suspicious in this countryside community. Colman always brings humor, shown by her long run as Sophie Chapman in the POV comedy.Peep Show.

Doris apparently controlled most officers in town and would not miss a chance to make a joke that made any 13-year-old blush. When she stopped a civilian trying to kill Angel, another officer praised the action. "Nothing like a bit of girl-on-girl," she chuckled. That was one of her milder jokes.

When you think of theNaked GunThink of bumbling Detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) in the Naked Gun trilogy. Also think of his only slightly smarter boss, Captain Ed Hocken (George Kennedy), his injury-prone partner Nordberg (O.J. Simpson), or Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley), his lover who came and went.

The slapstick trilogy by Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker created the madcap minds behindAirplane!andTop Secret!These films helped two major stars change their public images. Nielsen was known for serious roles before Airplane!Airplane!andThe Naked Gunwhile Presley, famous for her personal life, was known as a serious actress. She starred as Jenna in the long-running primetime soap opera Dallas.Dallasfrom 1983-1988.

Presley showed she could handle some of the wacky comic stunts from the ZAZ (Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker) team. She and Nielsen only slightly increased their dramatic intensity in the trilogy.

As Penny Wharvey-McGill, the wife of escaped Depression-era convict Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) in the Coen Brothers adventureO Brother, Where Art Thou?Holly Hunter gets little screen time, but she uses it like a weapon. Her Penny matches Clooney's star turn as Everett. The two characters share a spark across a few scenes; Penny tells her daughters Everett is dead and changes her name, they agree to remarry, and she scolds him for showing the wrong ring.

A movie features a surprisingly successful soundtrack that sold over 8 million copies in the US. Penny and Everett's witty banter provides one of the most pleasing sounds.The soundtrack sold over 8 million copies in the US.Penny and Everett's witty banter creates a sound that people find very pleasing.

The Marx Brothers often surrounded themselves with capable supporting players. Margaret Dumont stood out. She acted as the straight man for their antics. Dumont often played a foil for Groucho Marx, appearing as a straight-laced, wealthy figure who got involved with Groucho and became the target of his jokes.

Dumont starred in seven of the Marx Brothers' big-screen comedies, including classics like.Duck Soup.andA Night at the Opera.Dumont delivered one perfect reaction moment, or sometimes a perfect non-reaction, after another.

Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) are underachieving 40-something stepbrothers. Overachieving doctor parents brought them together. When Brennan's type-A brother Derek (Adam Scott) and his high-strung family visit, things change. Brennan and Dale go to their treehouse, still 40-year-old men, but Derek pursues them. Derek taunts them until he knocks Brennan out of the tree.

Derek's wife Alice (Kathryn Hahn) becomes instantly interested. She soon starts a very raunchy secret affair with Dale. Things heat up fast. She tells Dale breathily, "Oh Dale, you are something," before she suggests shoving him into her vagina. The situation gets wilder. Hahn appears only about 15 minutes, but she makes every minute count.

Carol Cleveland, a frequent Monty Python collaborator, played many roles. She acted as a versatile bit player in 30 of the 45 episodes of the club's BBC series.Monty Python's Flying Circus.The series ran from 1969 to 1974, and Cleveland appeared in all four theatrical features.And Now for Something Completely Different...The 1971 film, which mostly contained refilmed sketches from the show, appeared beforeThe Meaning of Life.the 1983 film.

Cleveland played Zoot and Dingo, twin sisters stuck in an isolated castle.in Monty Python and the Holy GrailThis role, though short, was a show-stopping part. Cleveland often played a foil to the Pythons in various sketches. She played the airhead wife seeking marriage counseling or a vampy seductress of milkmen, always giving her unique Carol Cleveland touch to the affair.

In the middle of herFriends.Jennifer Aniston played Joanna, a frustrated Chotchkie's waitress, in the Mike Judge cult classic.Jennifer Aniston appears in the list '15 Scene-Stealing Actresses From Classic Comedies'.Joanna hated restaurant management and suspender "flair." This might end her job at Chotchkie's, but she formed a bond with frustrated programmer Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston).

Joanna's attitude toward waitress work differs from Aniston's Rachel Green. Rachel is broad and outgoing; Joanna is usually quiet and reserved. This role set up Aniston's character work for the new millennium.

Kerri Kenney-Silver appears in the list '15 Scene-Stealing Actresses From Classic Comedies'.The show was an off-kilter MTV variety show, similar to the sketch comedy of its peers.Kerri Kenney-Silver appears in the list '15 Scene-Stealing Actresses From Classic Comedies'.The list includes both Jennifer Aniston and Kerri Kenney-Silver.Kerri Kenney-Silver appears in 'Mr. Show with Bob and David'.Kerri Kenney-Silver was the only actress in this troupe's original series, which later brought on stars like Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, Janeane Garofalo, and Lake Bell. Kenney-Silver usually played the most outwardly "feminine" character in sketches, and she filled in for extra women when needed.The State is associated with Kerri Kenney-Silver.Kenney-Silver's male co-stars wore drag. Co-stars praised Kenney-Silver's acting range, saying she could portray anyone from a housewife to a doomed '70s punk scenester Nancy Spungen.

Kenney-Silver starred as Deputy Trudy Wiegel, a tough-nosed, aviator-loving officer, inReno 911!.