The best comedians bring an actorly flourish to the stand-up stage.
George Carlin’s comic inflections made every keen observation sharper. Sebastian Maniscalco’s physical shtick magnifies his funniest punchlines.
Many stand-ups move on to the big screen, like Jo Koy in the recent culture clash comedy “Easter Sunday.”
The best of the best are as proficient with dramatic moments as they are with killer punchlines.
Jamie Foxx
He’s one of Hollywood’s most versatile stars, turning the heads of A-list directors like Quentin Tarantino (“Django Unchained”) and Oliver Stone (“Any Given Sunday”). Foxx, whose real name is Eric Marlon Bishop, started his career by slinging jokes on the stand-up circuit.
The industry quickly noted his outsized skill set. His versatility powered his run on “In Living Color” and landed him his own, self-titled sitcom.
At the Oscar ceremony in 2005, Foxx got the ultimate honor for his acting in 2004 with not one but two Oscar nominations.
His performance in “Collateral” earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but veteran Morgan Freeman took home the golden statue in that night. It was Foxx’s powerhouse performance in “Ray” that earned him the ultimate Best Actor prize.
Since then, he’s bounced from serious fare to horror-comedies like Netflix’s “Day Shift,” making every project he’s in brighter.
Jim Carrey
The fellow “In Living Color” alum became that show’s breakout star, but he cut his teeth on comedy stages prior to the sketch series. That rubbery face and knack for impressions gave his stand-up material snap.
It also made him a natural for big-screen comedies like “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and “Dumb and Dumber.” He wasn’t satisfied with mindless comic romps, and pursued richer roles to flash his range.
Films like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Man on the Moon” proved Carrey could pull off dramatic work with equal finesse, even if he’s still awaiting his first Oscar nomination. In between, Carrey published garish caricatures that showcased conservative stars at the very worst. Perhaps that inner rage gave him an edge when the film cameras pointed his way.
Whoopi Goldberg
We know her these days for her factually-challenged work on “The View,” but during the 1980s her one-woman show grabbed Hollywood by the scruff of its neck. “The Spook Show” became an off-Broadway sensation, and it was only a matter of time before she brought her comedic chops to the Great White Way.
There was no one else quite like Whoopi, something that got Steven Spielberg’s attention. Goldberg’s performance in the director’s 1985 drama “The Color Purple” snagged her an Oscar nomination. Many thought Goldberg got robbed, but she made the most of her second chance. Her comically charged performance in 1990’s “Ghost” wouldn’t be denied by Oscar voters.
Goldberg’s career eventually cooled off, leading her to join Barbara Walters in what’s become TV’s most embarrassing talk show.
Steve Martin
The wild and crazy comic became a stand-up sensation in the late 1970s before he quit to focus on other ventures. (His 2008 book “Born Standing Up” recalls that iconic, but short-lived, career arc.)
He quickly found success with big-screen comedies like “The Jerk,” “The Man with Two Brains,” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” but Martin’s creativity eventually moved beyond pratfalls and sight gags. Films like 1989’s “Parenthood” let him gently stretch beyond his comic persona, suggesting an evolving talent that was eager to take some risks.
Two years later, he joined the sharp ensemble drama “Grand Canyon,” playing a movie producer who gets a hard dose of reality.
He later co-starred in “The Spanish Prisoner,” David Mamet’s well-received noir about a tech inventor (Campbell Scott) accused of murder. Martin co-starred as a mysterious man whose initial kindness may be masking something more sinister.
Martin’s latest triumph, Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” leans on both his comedic and serious adroitness and adaptability.
Sarah Silverman
The far-Left comic began her show biz career as the potty-mouthed comic with the kewpie doll image. She looked so innocent, so sweet, but she could belt out the bawdy bits like the big boys.
She eventually added sitcom star to her resume, starring in Comedy Central’s “The Sarah Silverman Program.” She proved she could carry a show on her own, which led to more acting gigs.
She found steady work via smaller roles in both dramatic and humorous fare, but her turn in 2015’s “I Smile Back” briefly buried her comic impulses. She credibly played an addicted housewife trying to hold her life, and family, together.
Robin Williams
Mork from Ork could have been a one-hit wonder, and his ABC sitcom “Mork and Mindy” had all the trappings of a gimmicky sensation.
He was only warming up, creatively speaking.
The comic genius leaned heavily on his instincts for comedies like “Popeye,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and “Good Morning, Vietnam.” The latter film gave him plenty of dramatic moments, a side of the chameleon we’d see more of in the years to come.
He previewed his dramatic turn with a film made at the end of his “Mork” moment.
He played the title character in the adaptation of John Irving’s “The World According to Garp” in 1982, unafraid of the film’s darker themes.
Straight dramas like “Dead Poets Society” and “Awakenings” proved he was far more than a mile-a-minute joke teller. His 1997 Best Supporting Actor award for “Good Will Hunting” confirmed what everyone knew by then. Williams could do it all.
The late actor’s most surprising work may be “World’s Greatest Dad.” The bleak 2009 dramedy, from the mind of Bobcat Goldthwaite, cast Williams as a father who finds fame by turning his son’s accidental death into a writing career.
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at @HollywoodInToto.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.