Doing What Actors DoLists about actors and actresses and the characters they became, how they disappeared into roles, what they really look like, and more.
Comedic actors have the incredible ability to make an audience laugh across multiple different characters and screens. But, often times, it's the actors who make people laugh the hardest that make people feel the most. Redditor u/40oz_2freedom asked: “Who is a good comedic actor that ended up being a great dramatic actor?” and the responses had us remembering the laughter and the tears.
Tom Hanks, if you remember him from his early career in the early 1980s, he was a talented comedy actor... but no way would I have imagined him doing dramas, let alone starring in them, let alone a string of hits.
This is the best answer. He started on a sitcom, and went on to a decade of comedy films -- Splash, The Money Pit, Big, The 'Burbs, Turner & Hooch, Joe Versus the Volcano. H*ll, he even plays a stand-up comedian in Punchline. Then the 90's came, and bam, Oscar for Philadelphia. Bam, Oscar for Forrest Gump. A League of Their Own, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, Green Mile. He closed out the decade with his physically transformative performance in Cast Away. All of Gen Z and the younger half of millennials might think he's only a drama actor, but it was a complete 180* for him.
His performance in One Hour Photo is creepy as h*ll. Dude was absolutely a phenomenal actor no matter the genre. Insomnia has another great performance of his as well.
He was a magnificent actor. I loved his voice acting as the Genie in Aladdin (1992). He was also amazing in Good Will Hunting (1997) and The Fisher King (1991). I'm so glad he won a well deserved Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in Good Will Hunting.
His performance in 10 Cloverfield Lane was nothing short of perfection. The look of pure evil in his eyes when he k*lled that guy was horror at its finest.
The fact that he was seen as a comedian was precisely why fans of the comic book version of the Batman character (NOT the campy Adam West TV version), were initially extremely ticked off that Keaton was selected to play Batman. They thought it was going to be another 'Adam West'-type performance. Needless to say, Keaton easily won them over with his broody performance.
Hugh Laurie. Went from A Bit of Fry and Laurie to Blackadder and then out of nowhere, House MD and then again with Night Manager. That man knows acting!
That early episode of Malcolm when their house is getting fumigated and Hal/Lois want to go in to have sex…if I remember correctly, he comes out of an RV in underwear and a gas mask.
Me: “oh look Hal is making a show about cooking M*th! That ought to be fun!” Me, five seasons later, curled up in the fetal position sobbing at the bottom of the shower.
