Are there any well-known actors who have worked exclusively in drama?
April 14, 2017 7:05 PM Subscribe
This evening the missus was watching a DVD of a mid-seventies episode of Columbo and the twenty-year-old of the house chortled to see Leslie Neilsen in a dramatic role. I told the youngster that Neilsen had been a stern dramatic actor for the first half of his career (which gave him gravitas that served him well in his circa-Airplane! shift to comedy) and began to compare him with.... well, who? I tried and, I think, failed to come up with any major performer today who has steered clear of comedy entirely. Is there anyone?
After a few minutes' reflection, my first thought was Denzel Washington: while he hasn't done an out-and-out comedy in probably 25 years, he has done some somewhat whimsical action-comedy things like Two Guns. Then I thought Tilda Swinton, but she has done three turns with Wes Anderson, and is even kind of comedic in Snowpiercer. Mark Ruffalo? Liam Neeson? A few romcoms in their past. Djimon Hounsou? Pretty solid, but Guardians of the Galaxy was at least somewhat a comic role. Al Pacino? I haven't seen the film in question, but appearing as oneself in an Adam Sandler movie that doesn't rate high even among Adam Sandler movies would seem a disqualification.
Mrs Biscuit suggested Forest Whittaker (but he began his career in things like Stakeout and Good Morning Vietnam), Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder, lots of movies where he grins and chuckles), Viola Davis (but there was a Madea movie in there) and Michael Fassbender, which I think is the closest one yet. A few other names come to mind, but for people who are not really well-known (the late William Hutt was a great Canadian stage actor, but not onscreen very much at all; Chow Yun-Fat is a contender, but I do not know enough of his filmography in China to really say).
After another half-hour of pondering, the best I can come up with for someone who has become famous but has never really done comedy is Daniel Day-Lewis. Is there a better example? It is possible this question is null these days because of Hollywood's four-quadrant, all-things-to-all-people drive, but I am curious to see if there are people who are exclusively dramatic actors any more.
After a few minutes' reflection, my first thought was Denzel Washington: while he hasn't done an out-and-out comedy in probably 25 years, he has done some somewhat whimsical action-comedy things like Two Guns. Then I thought Tilda Swinton, but she has done three turns with Wes Anderson, and is even kind of comedic in Snowpiercer. Mark Ruffalo? Liam Neeson? A few romcoms in their past. Djimon Hounsou? Pretty solid, but Guardians of the Galaxy was at least somewhat a comic role. Al Pacino? I haven't seen the film in question, but appearing as oneself in an Adam Sandler movie that doesn't rate high even among Adam Sandler movies would seem a disqualification.
Mrs Biscuit suggested Forest Whittaker (but he began his career in things like Stakeout and Good Morning Vietnam), Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder, lots of movies where he grins and chuckles), Viola Davis (but there was a Madea movie in there) and Michael Fassbender, which I think is the closest one yet. A few other names come to mind, but for people who are not really well-known (the late William Hutt was a great Canadian stage actor, but not onscreen very much at all; Chow Yun-Fat is a contender, but I do not know enough of his filmography in China to really say).
After another half-hour of pondering, the best I can come up with for someone who has become famous but has never really done comedy is Daniel Day-Lewis. Is there a better example? It is possible this question is null these days because of Hollywood's four-quadrant, all-things-to-all-people drive, but I am curious to see if there are people who are exclusively dramatic actors any more.
Frank Langella might come close. Other than doing Noel Coward on Broadway about 20 years ago, I think he's been pretty exclusively a dramatic actor, both onstage and on screen.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 7:23 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 7:23 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
My first thought was Russell Crowe but have not delved deeply into his filmography.
posted by Threeve at 7:23 PM on April 14, 2017
posted by Threeve at 7:23 PM on April 14, 2017
Response by poster: My first thought was Russell Crowe
Ah, but Mystery, Alaska – as well, the first thing I ever saw him in, 25 years ago, was Proof (admittedly not well-known in North America) which has some recognizable proportion of comedy to it.
Frank Langella had not occurred to me – I don't know his work that well, but IMDB has him as Beefeater Vicar in Muppets Most Wanted, which might rule him out.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:35 PM on April 14, 2017
Ah, but Mystery, Alaska – as well, the first thing I ever saw him in, 25 years ago, was Proof (admittedly not well-known in North America) which has some recognizable proportion of comedy to it.
Frank Langella had not occurred to me – I don't know his work that well, but IMDB has him as Beefeater Vicar in Muppets Most Wanted, which might rule him out.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:35 PM on April 14, 2017
And Crowe was just in The Good Guys which had a lot of funny bits.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:47 PM on April 14, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:47 PM on April 14, 2017 [4 favorites]
I've admittedly not seen most of his work, but browsing through DeCaprio's filmography on Wikipedia, and no comedies leap out?
posted by librarianamy at 8:11 PM on April 14, 2017
posted by librarianamy at 8:11 PM on April 14, 2017
Well DeCaprio was in growing pains which was a sitcom.
posted by Carillon at 8:58 PM on April 14, 2017
posted by Carillon at 8:58 PM on April 14, 2017
Viola Davis's role in Madea Goes to Jail is not comedic at all. The film itself is pretty melodramatic, with the Madea scenes as comic relief.
I recommend it.
posted by themanwho at 9:13 PM on April 14, 2017
I recommend it.
posted by themanwho at 9:13 PM on April 14, 2017
Chow Yun-Fat is a contender
I'd say, nope, he's out. I know he's done at least a couple of rom-coms, and a bunch of his HK films are really "action-comedy" where the comedy is at least as important as the action. (Let The Bullets Fly from 2010 is a good example of this, or a whole series of 5 "God of Gamblers" films which are more comedy than action, and the last three came out in the last 3 years as From Vegas To Macau I, II, & III)
posted by soundguy99 at 9:20 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'd say, nope, he's out. I know he's done at least a couple of rom-coms, and a bunch of his HK films are really "action-comedy" where the comedy is at least as important as the action. (Let The Bullets Fly from 2010 is a good example of this, or a whole series of 5 "God of Gamblers" films which are more comedy than action, and the last three came out in the last 3 years as From Vegas To Macau I, II, & III)
posted by soundguy99 at 9:20 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Michael Madsen has 275 acting credits with a few comedies.
posted by Homer42 at 9:28 PM on April 14, 2017
posted by Homer42 at 9:28 PM on April 14, 2017
Anthony Hopkins, perhaps?
posted by praemunire at 9:36 PM on April 14, 2017
posted by praemunire at 9:36 PM on April 14, 2017
Cillian Murphy seems real close but was apparently in some rom-com called Watching the Detectives in 2007.
posted by The Minotaur at 9:41 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by The Minotaur at 9:41 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Frank Langella has been in a few comedies, most notably Dave.
If you are accepting deceased actors, John Cazale probably fits your criteria, although he most likely would have made some comedy features like his peers if he had lived longer. If you go back further there are probably a number of actors and actresses that never made comedies.
A more modern contender would be Sam Worthington who was in a few comedies back in Australia but has kept his trademark scowl through most of his mainstream films. I'm not sure if you would count fantasy films as comedies.
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 9:41 PM on April 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
If you are accepting deceased actors, John Cazale probably fits your criteria, although he most likely would have made some comedy features like his peers if he had lived longer. If you go back further there are probably a number of actors and actresses that never made comedies.
A more modern contender would be Sam Worthington who was in a few comedies back in Australia but has kept his trademark scowl through most of his mainstream films. I'm not sure if you would count fantasy films as comedies.
posted by Short End Of A Wishbone at 9:41 PM on April 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
Tom Wilkinson is almost entirely drama. No comedy jumps out at me for Joseph Cotten either. Other possibilities:
Burt Lancaster
Viggo Mortenson
Ed Harris
Lance Henriksen
Charles Bronson
Pete Postlethwaite
posted by sapere aude at 10:20 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Burt Lancaster
Viggo Mortenson
Ed Harris
Lance Henriksen
Charles Bronson
Pete Postlethwaite
posted by sapere aude at 10:20 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: There are some excellent suggestions here, but a few that I have to call foul on: Not to pick on sapere aude, but yeah, Joseph Cotten stayed pretty serious at his peak but I am trying to locate purely dramatic actors who have become famous in the modern era. Cotten's peak would have been the forties, he has been dead for almost a quarter century, and there was a lot of Love Boat and and Fantasy Island in his later years. And ultimately, remember, I am trying to give someone born in the year Fargo and Trainspotting came out an example she can intuitively grasp. I bounced a couple of earlier candidates off her and got shrugs: she knows the names but not necessarily who they are or what they are famous for.
Some of these are really good, only to get punctured by a trip to IMDB. Quite a few good actors paid the bills with some straight-to-video horror comedies in the early days, and even some of the ones who struck me at first glance as perfect turn out to be iffy – I have not seen the Sandra Bullock comedy-drama 28 Days but Viggo Mortensen being second-billed there sounds like he might be dubious.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:02 PM on April 14, 2017
Some of these are really good, only to get punctured by a trip to IMDB. Quite a few good actors paid the bills with some straight-to-video horror comedies in the early days, and even some of the ones who struck me at first glance as perfect turn out to be iffy – I have not seen the Sandra Bullock comedy-drama 28 Days but Viggo Mortensen being second-billed there sounds like he might be dubious.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:02 PM on April 14, 2017
James Dean comes close but is long gone. Do you mean a living performer who has never played anything, ever, for laughs? That's a tough ask.
posted by esto-again at 11:49 PM on April 14, 2017
posted by esto-again at 11:49 PM on April 14, 2017
Fassbender?
posted by esto-again at 12:15 AM on April 15, 2017
posted by esto-again at 12:15 AM on April 15, 2017
William Hurt?
posted by bookmammal at 1:19 AM on April 15, 2017
posted by bookmammal at 1:19 AM on April 15, 2017
Tom Cruise got his big break in comedy, Risky Business and Losin' It
Forest Whitaker was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Stakeout and Battlefield Earth
Chow Yun-Fat definitely no. A number of Hong Kong comedy/adventure/romance roles
Anthony Hopkins was in The Girl from Petrovka, a Goldie Hawn Romantic comedy, Change of Seasons, a comedy drama, The Efficiency Expert and The Road to Wellville among others,
Daniel Day Lewis made a few mild comedies in addition to his role in Room with a View, which is a comedic character at the least. Stars and Bars, Eversmile New Jersey, and as an edge case, My Beautiful Laudrette, which is a mix of comedy and drama, though perhaps not disqualifyingly so depending on where you want to draw lines.
Tom Wilkinson is a no, Importance of Being Earnest, The Grand Hotel Budapest, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Lancaster is a no, lots of comedic performances
Viggo, like Day Lewis has some comedy-dramas, like Captain Fantastic and Gospel According to Harry, but like Day Lewis, isn't a bad choice given the performance style. Sam Shepard would come close in that way, with a few comedies, but less of a comedic persona.
Ed Harris was the star of Milk Money, a romantic comedy, and in Truman Show.
Lance Henricksen was in Super Mario Bros, which was alleged comedic at some point, and too many movies I know nothing about, but seems a relatively promising choice if one discounts comedy horror stuff as edge cases as he was in a number of those kinds of films.
Bronson was in some comedies, though he was often used as a tough looking straightman to the actual comedic action, while Joseph Cotten wasn't really in many, other than Too Much Johnson, which probably shouldn't count, and The Abominable Dr Phibes, but often played characters with a comedic flair to them in dramas, his role in The Magnificent Ambersons was essentially a light romantic comedy one in that sense.
Sam Worthington appears to have been in some early comedies, Thunderstruck, Gettin' Square, and Dirty Deeds
William Hurt's been in a few comedies Broadcast News being foremost perhaps
I haven't been able to come up with anyone myself yet that would fit the criteria either, but I'll keep looking.
posted by gusottertrout at 1:29 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Forest Whitaker was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Stakeout and Battlefield Earth
Chow Yun-Fat definitely no. A number of Hong Kong comedy/adventure/romance roles
Anthony Hopkins was in The Girl from Petrovka, a Goldie Hawn Romantic comedy, Change of Seasons, a comedy drama, The Efficiency Expert and The Road to Wellville among others,
Daniel Day Lewis made a few mild comedies in addition to his role in Room with a View, which is a comedic character at the least. Stars and Bars, Eversmile New Jersey, and as an edge case, My Beautiful Laudrette, which is a mix of comedy and drama, though perhaps not disqualifyingly so depending on where you want to draw lines.
Tom Wilkinson is a no, Importance of Being Earnest, The Grand Hotel Budapest, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Lancaster is a no, lots of comedic performances
Viggo, like Day Lewis has some comedy-dramas, like Captain Fantastic and Gospel According to Harry, but like Day Lewis, isn't a bad choice given the performance style. Sam Shepard would come close in that way, with a few comedies, but less of a comedic persona.
Ed Harris was the star of Milk Money, a romantic comedy, and in Truman Show.
Lance Henricksen was in Super Mario Bros, which was alleged comedic at some point, and too many movies I know nothing about, but seems a relatively promising choice if one discounts comedy horror stuff as edge cases as he was in a number of those kinds of films.
Bronson was in some comedies, though he was often used as a tough looking straightman to the actual comedic action, while Joseph Cotten wasn't really in many, other than Too Much Johnson, which probably shouldn't count, and The Abominable Dr Phibes, but often played characters with a comedic flair to them in dramas, his role in The Magnificent Ambersons was essentially a light romantic comedy one in that sense.
Sam Worthington appears to have been in some early comedies, Thunderstruck, Gettin' Square, and Dirty Deeds
William Hurt's been in a few comedies Broadcast News being foremost perhaps
I haven't been able to come up with anyone myself yet that would fit the criteria either, but I'll keep looking.
posted by gusottertrout at 1:29 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Tom Hardy seemed close, but was in something called This is War, which sounds horrible, but is alleged to be a comedy.
Unless I missed something, it doesn't appear that Jessica Chastain has been in a comedy as yet
posted by gusottertrout at 2:22 AM on April 15, 2017
Unless I missed something, it doesn't appear that Jessica Chastain has been in a comedy as yet
posted by gusottertrout at 2:22 AM on April 15, 2017
Joaquin Phoenix, Daniel Craig, Clive Owen, Christian Bale?
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 3:33 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 3:33 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Bale was in a version of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
posted by esto-again at 4:37 AM on April 15, 2017
posted by esto-again at 4:37 AM on April 15, 2017
My first thought was Russell Crowe but have not delved deeply into his filmography.Casting him in Les Misérables was pure comedy. Or was it tragedy? The two are sometimes difficult to differentiate.
posted by santry at 4:40 AM on April 15, 2017 [6 favorites]
Unless my reading of the film is off, both William Hurt and Ed Harris are darkly comical in A History of Violence.
posted by Hugobaron at 4:47 AM on April 15, 2017
posted by Hugobaron at 4:47 AM on April 15, 2017
Clive Owen was in The Pink Panther reboot
Daniel Craig was in A Kid in King Arthur's Court and Hotel Splendide
Christian Bale was in some genre crossers like Metroland, The Big Short, and to some, American Psycho as a really dark comedy of sorts. I'm not sure about American Hustle
Joaquin Phoenix also in some mixed genre stuff like I'm Not Here, billed as sort of comedy, Her, Inherent Vice, and as a kid was in Parenthood
posted by gusottertrout at 5:33 AM on April 15, 2017
Daniel Craig was in A Kid in King Arthur's Court and Hotel Splendide
Christian Bale was in some genre crossers like Metroland, The Big Short, and to some, American Psycho as a really dark comedy of sorts. I'm not sure about American Hustle
Joaquin Phoenix also in some mixed genre stuff like I'm Not Here, billed as sort of comedy, Her, Inherent Vice, and as a kid was in Parenthood
posted by gusottertrout at 5:33 AM on April 15, 2017
JT Walsh was in Crazy People an alleged comedy, Tin Men and Loaded Weapon 1 in maybe a small role as desk clerk, or maybe it wasn't so small, I didn't see it myself.
posted by gusottertrout at 5:36 AM on April 15, 2017
posted by gusottertrout at 5:36 AM on April 15, 2017
I think it would be easier if we excluded black humour from the list because it's often a mixer in "serious" genres.
Bale was in American Psycho, a black comedy, as mentioned. DiCaprio on Wolf of Wall Street also goes into black comedy (yoooou faaaaaahhk). Tom Hardy was in Bronson that often veers into surreal black comedy. Phoenix was on Inherent Vice that was more funny than a bunch of straight comedies I've seen.
posted by lmfsilva at 8:04 AM on April 15, 2017
Bale was in American Psycho, a black comedy, as mentioned. DiCaprio on Wolf of Wall Street also goes into black comedy (yoooou faaaaaahhk). Tom Hardy was in Bronson that often veers into surreal black comedy. Phoenix was on Inherent Vice that was more funny than a bunch of straight comedies I've seen.
posted by lmfsilva at 8:04 AM on April 15, 2017
Best answer: I think you (we?) are making this too hard.
On the Leslie Nielsen side, he was not exclusively in drama. IMDB reveals he was in the comedy Tammy and the Bachelor in the '50s and second billing in a Don Knotts(!) movie in the '60s. And heck this started when you saw him in Colombo which is not exactly devoid of humor. I'd say what actually makes his zany career surprising to people who knew him earlier is that he was not just known best for drama but he was somehow so stiff you could call him "the straight man" in those dramas.
Then I feel we're excluding people both on the grounds that they were in a comedy even if it was a straight role or supporting pay-the-bills bit; and if they were in a semi-comedic role in a drama.
If you relax your standards to be closer to Nielsen's actual bio I think Washington, Langella, Bale and Hurt (assuming Hurt isn't too old) all work in both filmography and spirit. Other action stars might work but for me it's easy to imagine many of them doing a semi-comedic role, even if they haven't yet.
OTOH if you want someone as consistently stiff as Nielsen usually was it'd be hard--making his career that way kept him a second or third rater until he got the comedy stuff going, and that approach is even more out of style now.
posted by mark k at 8:10 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
On the Leslie Nielsen side, he was not exclusively in drama. IMDB reveals he was in the comedy Tammy and the Bachelor in the '50s and second billing in a Don Knotts(!) movie in the '60s. And heck this started when you saw him in Colombo which is not exactly devoid of humor. I'd say what actually makes his zany career surprising to people who knew him earlier is that he was not just known best for drama but he was somehow so stiff you could call him "the straight man" in those dramas.
Then I feel we're excluding people both on the grounds that they were in a comedy even if it was a straight role or supporting pay-the-bills bit; and if they were in a semi-comedic role in a drama.
If you relax your standards to be closer to Nielsen's actual bio I think Washington, Langella, Bale and Hurt (assuming Hurt isn't too old) all work in both filmography and spirit. Other action stars might work but for me it's easy to imagine many of them doing a semi-comedic role, even if they haven't yet.
OTOH if you want someone as consistently stiff as Nielsen usually was it'd be hard--making his career that way kept him a second or third rater until he got the comedy stuff going, and that approach is even more out of style now.
posted by mark k at 8:10 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Christian Bale was also the lead in Newsies, so deeeeefinitely out.
posted by yeahlikethat at 9:49 AM on April 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by yeahlikethat at 9:49 AM on April 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
Chow Yun Fat was originally known as a romantic interest/funny guy until John Woo got his hands on him, kind of like Bruce Willis until Die Hard.
I was going to posit Jim Caviezel but he had a (small?) part in Ed.
Nicole Kidman?
Sean Bean?
Aside from Fast Times, Sean Penn?
A lot of serious actors have done cameos/small parts in comedies or done voice work for animated comedies (or like Lawrence Fishburne, comedy on TV).
posted by porpoise at 10:30 AM on April 15, 2017
I was going to posit Jim Caviezel but he had a (small?) part in Ed.
Nicole Kidman?
Sean Bean?
Aside from Fast Times, Sean Penn?
A lot of serious actors have done cameos/small parts in comedies or done voice work for animated comedies (or like Lawrence Fishburne, comedy on TV).
posted by porpoise at 10:30 AM on April 15, 2017
John Malkovich?
posted by Crystal Fox at 10:50 AM on April 15, 2017
posted by Crystal Fox at 10:50 AM on April 15, 2017
Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich? Malkovich.
posted by lmfsilva at 10:55 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by lmfsilva at 10:55 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
The juxtaposition of gravitas and comedy is so deeply funny that it's really hard to think of a dramatic actor who hasn't done at least one humorous role.
People upthread have already mentioned Chow Yun Fat's early comedic roles, so it's not strictly necessary to mention that even his bad ass action hero role in the John Woo action film, Hard Boiled, contains the best example of the "Badass and a baby" visual joke.
posted by photoelectric at 11:26 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
People upthread have already mentioned Chow Yun Fat's early comedic roles, so it's not strictly necessary to mention that even his bad ass action hero role in the John Woo action film, Hard Boiled, contains the best example of the "Badass and a baby" visual joke.
posted by photoelectric at 11:26 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I think you (we?) are making this too hard.
That might well be the case. I admitted at the outset that I am looking for an answer that might not even be there. I am just trying to think of someone whose public perception is so grave and somber that revealing a mid-career knack for comedy could pull off a Leslie-Nielsen-like shift.
Of course, even my model to work form is imperfect: I freely admit that I did not know about Nielsen's early appearances in a few comedies. However, in my defense, I was still a decade away from being born when Tammy and The Bachelor was released. I learn with some surprise today that it spawned a franchise of three more movies and a TV series, as well as a number one song which I had heard but never knew it was from a film. My pop-culture credentials stand revealed as embarrassingly threadbare.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:35 AM on April 15, 2017
That might well be the case. I admitted at the outset that I am looking for an answer that might not even be there. I am just trying to think of someone whose public perception is so grave and somber that revealing a mid-career knack for comedy could pull off a Leslie-Nielsen-like shift.
Of course, even my model to work form is imperfect: I freely admit that I did not know about Nielsen's early appearances in a few comedies. However, in my defense, I was still a decade away from being born when Tammy and The Bachelor was released. I learn with some surprise today that it spawned a franchise of three more movies and a TV series, as well as a number one song which I had heard but never knew it was from a film. My pop-culture credentials stand revealed as embarrassingly threadbare.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:35 AM on April 15, 2017
Scouring my brain (and imdb) -- whoulda thunk John Wayne was on the Beverly Hillbillies??
posted by raider at 1:11 PM on April 15, 2017
posted by raider at 1:11 PM on April 15, 2017
Best answer: I could have sworn I saw or read an interview with the creators of Brooklyn Nine-Nine talking about how they cast Andre Braugher as the lieutenant. They thought they might get some push-back from the network so they went looking for clips from previous roles that Braugher had done to show his comedic side... and they found none. Not a one. If he was funny before, it had always been outside the view of cameras.
posted by mhum at 11:29 AM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mhum at 11:29 AM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]
mhum: "and they found none"
Ah, dang it. Braugher was in Men of a Certain Age (which was apparently a comic drama on TNT) in 2009, well before Brooklyn Nine-Nine. So, I guess the producers must have been exaggerating or something.
posted by mhum at 11:41 AM on April 17, 2017
Ah, dang it. Braugher was in Men of a Certain Age (which was apparently a comic drama on TNT) in 2009, well before Brooklyn Nine-Nine. So, I guess the producers must have been exaggerating or something.
posted by mhum at 11:41 AM on April 17, 2017
Response by poster: If you are accepting deceased actors, John Cazale probably fits your criteria, although he most likely would have made some comedy features like his peers if he had lived longer. If you go back further there are probably a number of actors and actresses that never made comedies.
John Cazale is the answer to almost every question about unlikely career arcs in film. He's not a perfect answer to the question I had – he has been nearly forty years in his grave now – but I suspect there's no one else with that short a filmography who could qualify as being as recognizable as he is.
Anyway, thanks all for some interesting suggestions and a few whom I would nevrr have thought of on my own.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:05 AM on May 8, 2017
John Cazale is the answer to almost every question about unlikely career arcs in film. He's not a perfect answer to the question I had – he has been nearly forty years in his grave now – but I suspect there's no one else with that short a filmography who could qualify as being as recognizable as he is.
Anyway, thanks all for some interesting suggestions and a few whom I would nevrr have thought of on my own.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:05 AM on May 8, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
I suspect Viola Davis has not done comedy but her career is young and also I'm just saying that without thinking very hard about it because she's so intense the thought of her in comedy is a bit odd.
posted by Smearcase at 7:16 PM on April 14, 2017 [1 favorite]