Comedians who can act

[Guest]

Comedians who can act

Ooh no. People go on and on about his accent, but I think you can hear Bertie Wooster behind every vowel. I don't really like the show anyway, it's beyond formulaic, and the writing seems to just use the anger & the pill addiction &c as shorthand for a 'depth' that isn't there. all only imho ofc.

[My Name Is Ian]

Comedians who can act

I'm not fussed by House either way, but I had always thought that his accent was pretty poor - Americans that I have spoken to about before, however, have begged to differ.

[Levin]

Comedians who can act

Could it be that Laurie is actually speaking with his voice but in an American accent rather than borrowing someone elses voice? Or rather, impersonating an American voice?

[dotmund]

Comedians who can act

Billy Connolly.

[erwin]

Comedians who can act

Mel Smith and Jim Bowen in Muck and Brass (1982), which was fantastic.

[Nefertiti2]

Comedians who can act

Meet the Parents was pretty good I thought and De Niro's performance in both was excellent- He's really bad in [i]Analyse This[/i.

Other comedians who can act (if we mean playing exceptionally well straight parts in non-comic films)

John Goodman

Alan Bennett

Bill Murray

Lily Tomlin

[Eggchaser]

Comedians who can act

Lyra wrote:

Ooh no. People go on and on about his accent, but I think you can hear Bertie Wooster behind every vowel.

No, not Wooster, if you listen to his speech pattern in Jeeves & Wooster it's very different to that in House. Some Americans were stunned to discover he was British, but then some Americans think Sarah Palin is a good thing.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Comedians who can act

This thread reminds me of the Arthur Atkinson does Samuel Beckett sketch from The Fast Show.

[Guest]

Comedians who can act

I'm not saying it's the same. Just that to my ear his American is overlaid on top of his real accent and it shows through.

[Mr Beast]

Comedians who can act

barndoorio wrote:

Some comedians that are rubbish actors:

Simon Amstell, worst sitcom acting you can ever imagine.

Eddie Izzard, I don't find him particuarly bad, but his presence in a film seems to be a kiss of death.

Alan Davies can't act - though he is a far better actor than he is a comedian.

However, he is sound on the BBC scab issue, so grudging credit for that.

[Gerontophile]

Comedians who can act

If no one else has mentioned Billy Connolly, then him.

I LOVE the first thing he was ever in (Just Another Saturday), and he got better and better, and I cant fault his thing in 'Mrs Brown' (although Judi Dench makes EVERYONE around her, better).

Alan Davies is rather good in 'Whites'. Although the guy who plays his sous chef is fucking phenomenal, so see 'Judi Dench' comment above.

[ian.64]

Comedians who can act

Jim Carrey usually does well in dramatic roles that gently demands hints of his comic abilities to provide spark - I'd choose The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind as major examples.

When he does 'tortured and haunted' serious stuff like the manky waste of time called Number 23, then it's like watching a Chuckle Brother trying to do Travis Bickle.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Comedians who can act

… it's like watching a Chuckle Brother trying to do Travis Bickle.

You know one day, some upstart director – trying to make a name for himself – is going to cast Paul or Barry as some sort of psychopathic gangland boss. Personally, I can't wait.

[blameless]

Comedians who can act

Richard Pryor. Blue Collar alone gets him onto the list.