| 1 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1307322681055360100 |
| 2 | %% Please do not change or replace without starting a new thread. |
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| 4 | [[quoteright:350:[[Creator/TomHanks https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tomhankstake3_9152.jpg]]]] |
| 5 | [-[[caption-width-right:350:{{That|ManIsDead}} ''Film/{{Big}}'' [[ThatManIsDead man is dead]]. Only ''Film/ForrestGump'' and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'' remain in [[Film/ALeagueOfTheirOwn a league of his own]].[[note]]Top: ''Series/BosomBuddies'', ''Film/BachelorParty'', ''Film/TheMoneyPit''; Bottom: ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'', ''Film/CastAway'', ''Film/RoadToPerdition''.]]-][[/note]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | ->''"Every clown wants to play Theatre/{{Hamlet}}."'' |
| 8 | -->-- '''Showbiz proverb''' |
| 9 | |
| 10 | %%One quotation is sufficient. Please place additional entries on the quotes tab. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | The casting opposite of LeslieNielsenSyndrome. It's a story found time and time again: a successful comedian, usually a film actor, suddenly tries to [[PlayingAgainstType play against type]] and stars in a big, heavily dramatic movie, playing a dramatic role and generally acting all dramatic. Oddly enough, this shift has a pretty high chance of actually ''working'', and becoming a permanent shift in the actor's roles. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | The first question a viewer might have would be, "Why does this happen so often?" Well, AsYouKnow, TrueArtIsAngsty. Many comic performers begin to feel they cannot get the acclaim and respect their dramatic counterparts do unless they start doing more dramatic films. In addition, comedic films almost never win Oscars, leading stars to resort to more dramatic fare. It's instructive that most examples are film stars, since television's Emmys have separate categories for comedy and drama. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | The second would be, "You say this has a good chance of ''working''. How can that be true?" Well, what most non-actors aren't aware of is the fact that comedy is ''more difficult'' to act in successfully than drama. A mediocre performance is much more readable/watchable in a drama than in a comedy, because once comedy starts to fall apart, it's very hard to pull it back together again. Hence, a sufficiently good comic actor usually has the talent -- the knowledge of their body, of timing, of the effects of subtle gestures -- that can serve to make them brilliant at serious works as well. In some cases, when an actor does this long enough and successfully enough, they can become ''better'' known as a dramatic actor than a comedic one (just look at the {{Trope Namer|s}}). |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Compare CerebusSyndrome, where a series does this rather than an actor. As the examples below show, this doesn't always work well, but when the actor in question manages to do a really good job, it can lead to a surprised reaction: SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct! Contrast LeslieNielsenSyndrome, where a successful drama actor becomes an equally successful comedian. Can be related to ComedyGhetto. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | When including examples, don't add Administrivia/{{natter}} saying they weren't funny in the first place. |
| 21 | ---- |
| 22 | !!Examples: |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[folder:Tom Hanks]] |
| 27 | * The {{Trope Namer|s}} of course, Creator/TomHanks first rose to fame with a series of comedies in the 1980s, with a handful of dramatic roles like playing an alcoholic uncle at a VerySpecialEpisode of ''Series/FamilyTies''. Then, in 1993, he won critical praise and a Best Actor Oscar for his dramatic turn in ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}''; the following year he won again for ''Film/ForrestGump'', becoming only the second man to win leading-role Oscars in consecutive years since Creator/SpencerTracy in 1937 and 1938. Since then his stock-in-trade has largely been in dramatic roles with a comedic bent. The trope was hilariously {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in RealLife on his ''Series/InsideTheActorsStudio'' appearance when he spent forty-five minutes discussing his art, only for a fan to gush that ''Film/TurnerAndHooch'' was her favorite movie ever!!! during the Q&A period. During a "Year In Review" for 2009, MSN [[http://movies.msn.com/movies/year-in-review/bummers/?photoidx=3 stated]] how much they miss the funny Tom Hanks. |
| 28 | ** ''Film/NothingInCommon'' was Hanks' equivalent of Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Film/AnnieHall'': a comedy that was interjected with real pathos and drama, and the {{Deconstruction}} of a ManChild having to deal with serious life issues. |
| 29 | ** ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' hit the nail on the head in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlcZ2zXvLgM its first episode]] (which Creator/SethMacFarlane had already used as a joke in his student film, "The Life of Larry"), when Peter mistakenly assumes that ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}'' is in the same vein as Hanks' earlier work and laughs uncontrollably at the line "I have AIDS". |
| 30 | ** Hanks tried to return to comedy with Creator/TheCoenBrothers' remake of ''Film/TheLadykillers2004'' and, years later, ''Film/LarryCrowne'', but neither of those movies was critically or financially successful. |
| 31 | ** ''Film/ThatThingYouDo'' was a successful comedy post-''Philadelphia''. However, he was not only a supporting cast member but also the director. |
| 32 | ** Hanks also tries to be funny offscreen: he takes part in an annual fundraiser by the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles where a Shakespeare play gets a comedic SettingUpdate (i.e. ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor'' as a country-Western, and ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' as a psychedelic Sixties musical; just read [[http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/a-league-of-his-own-tom-hanks-american-icon-20121210?page=2 this]] for Hanks in the latter...). |
| 33 | ** Hanks has also hosted ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' eight times, '''six''' of them from 1985 to 1992 (roughly one a season). He even has recurring characters, cameos on some latter-day episodes, and, like Creator/ChristopherWalken, Creator/SteveMartin, and Creator/AlecBaldwin, has his own "Best Of" clip show special. |
| 34 | [[/folder]] |
| 35 | |
| 36 | [[folder:Specific Examples]] |
| 37 | !!Actors |
| 38 | |
| 39 | * Creator/AdamSandler is notorious for his low-brow comedies such as ''Film/HappyGilmore'', ''Film/TheWaterBoy'', and ''Film/LittleNicky''. He soft transitioned to a romantic dramedy with 2004's ''Film/{{Spanglish}}'' before coming out with a serious role in 2019's crime thriller ''Film/UncutGems''. While promoting the film, he threatened that he would make a film that was "so bad on purpose" if it didn't win an Oscar. (He made good on that threat with ''Film/HubieHalloween''.) |
| 40 | ** Mind you, Sandler had dipped into more serious fare with ''Film/ReignOverMe'' and (to a lesser extent) ''Film/PunchDrunkLove''. However, it could be argued that those performances, while very good, were more Sandler doing more serious versions of his usual characters, while ''Gems'' is one of the few times that he's played a role that's out-and-out different to his usual roles. |
| 41 | * Creator/AlanArkin was one of the founding members of [[Creator/TheSecondCity Second City]] before playing a sadistic villain in ''Theatre/WaitUntilDark''. |
| 42 | * Creator/AmandaSeyfried, after starting her acting career in {{soap opera}}s, had her breakout role as the ditzy blonde airhead Karen Smith in ''Film/MeanGirls'', and her career for the rest of the decade was characterized by teen movies and lighthearted {{Chick Flick}}s. Once those started drying up in the early 2010s, she began to pivot to more serious acting roles like ''Film/{{Lovelace}}'', ''Film/FirstReformed'', and ''Film/{{Mank}}'', with the tipping point coming in 2022 when she won an Emmy for her work in ''Series/TheDropout'', a docudrama series about the disgraced businesswoman Elizabeth Holmes. |
| 43 | * Amiah Miller who became famous for ''Film/WarForThePlanetOfTheApes'' was mostly stuck with one-time roles in sitcom shows often playing a mean-hearted bratty girl. In her breakout role, she plays a mute, delicate angel. |
| 44 | * Creator/AmyAdams, in her early career, starred in light-hearted or comedic features like ''Film/DropDeadGorgeous'', ''Film/PsychoBeachParty'', ''Film/ServingSara'', ''Film/{{Junebug}}'', and ''Film/TalladegaNightsTheBalladOfRickyBobby'' before rising to fame with ''{{Film/Enchanted}}'' becoming Hollywood's favorite go-to girl for TheCutie and ManicPixieDreamGirl. Starting with ''{{Film/Doubt}}'' and ''Film/TheFighter'' she began to veer towards different roles showcasing her dramatic potential. She expressed a bit of distaste for this when promoting ''Film/AmericanHustle'', saying she missed playing innocent characters. |
| 45 | * Russian actor Andrey Burkovsky had a successful run in LiveActionTV/{{KVN}} with Tomsk team [=MaximuM=] and went on to play some major recurring roles in SketchComedy series ''Dayosh molodyozh!'' and other comedic productions. Parallel to that, he entered the Moscow Art Theater School in 2010 to study acting and later joined the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater troupe in 2014. Since then, he has taken increasingly more dramatic roles on television and in film as well, such as failed actor Lev Ivanovsky in ''Call [=DiCaprio=]!'' |
| 46 | * Creator/AnneHathaway, another Disney veteran, successfully made the jump from ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Hoodwinked}}'' and ''Film/EllaEnchanted'' to ''Film/RachelGettingMarried'', ''Film/BecomingJane'', ''Film/{{Havoc}}'', ''Film/BrokebackMountain'', and ''Literature/TheDevilWearsPrada''. She has slightly returned to {{Creator/Disney}} with Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'' remake as the White Queen. She has also performed as Viola in ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'' with the New York Shakespeare Festival in 2009 in Central Park, almost a literal example of the above quote. She eventually won an Oscar for her role as Fantine in ''Film/LesMiserables2012''. Even though Hathaway does drama now, she does occasionally break into comedy (like the three times she hosted ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''). |
| 47 | * Creator/AnthonyAnderson is starting down this road as well. First in straight comedies (some of which, such as ''Film/KangarooJack'', were poorly received), then he was the comic relief in action flicks. Later on, he did dramatic work as a cop on ''Series/KVille'' and ''Series/LawAndOrder'', and as a villain on ''Series/TheShield''. |
| 48 | ** Anderson returned to comedy by taking the lead role in the sitcom ''Blackish'', which debuted in 2014. |
| 49 | * Creator/AshtonKutcher gained big fame for playing the resident [[TheDitz ditzy]] hunk, Michael Kelso, on ''Series/That70sShow''. During his run on the show, he was also known for other roles such as one of the leads in ''Film/DudeWheresMyCar'' and the MTV prank reality show ''Series/{{Punkd}}''. His career took a turn so sharp, it got whiplash when he starred in ''Film/TheButterflyEffect'', a psychological thriller, then followed it up in 2006 with the noticeably more light-hearted, but still quite dramatic ''The Guardian''. Since then, however he has returned to comedy by joining the cast of ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' and ''Series/TheRanch''. While he tried to return to serious stuff by playing Creator/SteveJobs in the biopic ''Film/{{Jobs}}'', it wasn't really successful. |
| 50 | * Creator/AubreyPlaza had her breakthrough as April Ludgate on ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', which got her typecast in dry-witted, {{emotionless|Girl}} DeadpanSnarker roles to the point that she was a popular fan casting to play a live-action [[WesternAnimation/{{Daria}} Daria Morgendorffer]] (which she herself acknowledged in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBQXugKu8L4 fake trailer]] for Website/CollegeHumor) or a grown-up [[Franchise/TheAddamsFamily Wednesday Addams]].[[note]]Years later, after Creator/JennaOrtega had her StarMakingRole playing that character on ''Series/{{Wednesday}}'', Plaza and Ortega, presenting an award together at the SAG Awards, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6nnL_iTDmQ joked]] about the similarities in their public images and the roles they played.[[/note]] In 2017, however, she won acclaim for her dramatic role on ''Series/{{Legion|2017}}'' as Lenny, PlayingAgainstType [[spoiler:as a swaggering and terrifying villain based on Music/DavidBowie]], as well as for her role as the AntiVillain title character in ''Film/IngridGoesWest''. Since then, she's increasingly taken on more dramatic roles in films like ''Film/ChildsPlay2019'', ''Film/BlackBear'', and ''Film/EmilyTheCriminal''. |
| 51 | * For Japanese voice actress Creator/AyakoKawasumi, the role of Chikane in ''Manga/DestinyOfTheShrineMaiden'' allowed her to ''finally'' break her (albeit beloved) typecast as "the sweet and nice GirlNextDoor with a soft voice" (such as a Aoi of ''Manga/AiYoriAoshi'' and Akari of ''VisualNovel/ToHeart'') in romantic comedies; henceforth, she is as a '''rule''' cast as the serious, mature badass lady with a deep and sexy voice such as Saber of ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. She went on to pass this syndrome onto fellow actresses she mentored, and the actresses ''they'' mentored as well (in order, [[MasterApprenticeChain like a chain:]] Creator/MamikoNoto, Creator/KanaHanazawa, Creator/SaoriHayami) |
| 52 | * Australian actor Creator/BarryHumphries, best known for his characters Sir Les Patterson and Dame Edna Everage and as the voice of Bruce in ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', is cast in the entirely non-comedic role of Rev. Strachey in the 1977 film ''Film/TheGettingOfWisdom''. |
| 53 | * Creator/BenAffleck's roles in the comedic ''Film/DazedAndConfused'' [[Film/TheViewAskewniverse View Askewniverse]] made him notable. While he did try to branch out, none of these attempts really took until the latter half of UsefulNotes/The2000s, when he directed an adaptation of ''Literature/GoneBabyGone'' to good reviews. He has since become a respect dramatic director, repeating the trick twice more with ''Film/TheTown'' and ''Film/{{Argo}}''. His role in the latter, as well as his subsequent roles as [[Film/GoneGirl Nick Dunne]] and [[Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse Batman]], have led to him becoming primarily known as a dramatic actor in TheNewTens. |
| 54 | * Creator/BenFoster is perhaps initially remembered, at least by millennials, for starring in the Creator/DisneyChannel sitcom ''Series/FlashForward1996'' as well as later lighthearted or comedic fare like ''Film/GetOverIt'', ''Film/BigTrouble'' and also for playing "Warren Worthington III/Angel" from ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''. Foster is now deemed an absolute, if kinda underrated, dramatic powerhouse actor for gritty, hard-hitting material such as ''Bang Bang You're Dead'' (which dealt with {{school shooting}}s), ''Film/{{Hostage}}'', ''Film/AlphaDog'', ''Film/ThreeTenToYuma2007'', ''Film/{{Pandorum}}'' and ''Film/HellOrHighWater'', particularly specializing in moody, psychologically deranged characters if not straight-up villains or {{Anti Hero}}es. |
| 55 | * Early film star Bert Lahr, best known as the Cowardly Lion in ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', deliberately invoked this trope. After wrapping ''Wizard'', he realized that he'd typecast himself and, rather than stay in Hollywood, headed east for Broadway, where he starred in and won rave reviews for the American premiere of Beckett's absurdist masterpiece ''Theatre/WaitingForGodot.'' Lahr later joked that he left the silver screen because "there weren't a lot of roles for lions." |
| 56 | * Creator/BillCosby proved that he was, for a comedian, excellent at drama and won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series for each of the three seasons of ''Series/ISpy'', making him the first African-American actor to do so. Though comedy remains his forte, making this more akin to the LeslieNielsenSyndrome, Cosby would also do other dramatic material. |
| 57 | * Creator/BillMurray: After his stint as a ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (both the unknown ABC version and the more popular NBC version) cast member, Murray attempted to do drama early in his career with ''The Razor's Edge'', but quickly returned to comedy when the film was a critical and financial disaster. He tried again later with dramedies and found more success, first ''Film/{{Rushmore}}'', then his Oscar-nominated turn in ''Film/LostInTranslation'' and later in ''Broken Flowers'', ''The Lost City'' and several of Creator/WesAnderson's films. |
| 58 | * Another British example is Bill Oddie, formerly one third of ''Series/TheGoodies'', was also a member of the Cambridge Footlights. Now he's known for presenting [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springwatch_with_Bill_Oddie Springwatch]] and other nature shows. |
| 59 | * Creator/BobOdenkirk has the distinction of the doing this with a single character. Odenkirk, whose almost entire career beforehand was in sketch and improv comedy, was cast as Saul Goodman in ''Series/BreakingBad'' to act as PluckyComicRelief for a show that was only going to get darker and outright said that he often didn't know what he was doing. Saul became a BreakoutCharacter enough to get his own spinoff. ''Series/BetterCallSaul'' sees the character with his trademark charm and sleaziness, but also has Odenkirk playing him far more dramatically as an incredibly sympathetic and TragicVillain, a SadClown using his AmoralAttorney persona to distract himself from his past guilts, horrific trauma and deep feelings of self-loathing. |
| 60 | * Creator/BradleyCooper: Zigzagged between comedies and dramas until ''Film/TheHangover'' after which he did more comedies than dramas (some of which were romantic comedies) -- at least until his starring role in ''Film/SilverLiningsPlaybook'' for which he was nominated for an Oscar and his appearance in ''Film/ThePlaceBeyondThePines''. Cooper then did Creator/DavidORussell's ''Film/AmericanHustle'' and Creator/CameronCrowe's ''Film/{{Aloha}}'', in between which he provided the voice of Rocket Raccoon in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014''. |
| 61 | * Another comedian in voice acting: Creator/BrianPosehn as Octus in ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan''. Although the character is goofy at times, he does have his DoAndroidsDream episode and PapaWolf moments [[spoiler:including his HeroicSacrifice]]. |
| 62 | * Creator/BruceWillis started off as a comedic actor in shows such as ''Series/{{Moonlighting}}'' and movies like ''Film/BlindDate''. His casting as the lead of ''Film/DieHard'' made Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox executives nervous: [[AndYouThoughtItWouldFail they were sure a comedic actor could never play an action hero]]. He finally got the part and soon became one of America's most famous action stars. |
| 63 | ** And then proved in ''Film/TheSixthSense'' that he could handle non-action dramatic roles just as well. |
| 64 | ** He'd already done several non-action dramatic roles including ''In Country'', ''Mortal Thoughts'', ''Film/TwelveMonkeys'', and ''Film/PulpFiction'', he just ''keeps'' having to prove it. |
| 65 | * Creator/BryanCranston: Although Cranston alternated dramatic and comedy roles for much of his career, the latter overshadowed the former until relatively recently. In ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', his earlier best-known role, Cranston was a neurotic, bumbling father. He also played recurring roles on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' and ''Series/TheKingOfQueens''. Starring in ''Series/BreakingBad'', he was a terminally ill methamphetamine cook, eventually turning into a VillainProtagonist. In ''{{Film/Argo}}'', he was a CIA supervisor handling part of the Iran hostage crisis. |
| 66 | * Creator/CaroleLombard mostly starred in comedies and gained fame with the ScrewballComedy classic, ''Film/TwentiethCentury''. In the late 30s, she tried to get into dramas, but they were critical and commercial failures. She returned to comedies until her untimely death in 1942. |
| 67 | * Creator/ChrisEvans used to consistently try doing smaller-budget dramatic movies, but was much better known as a comedic JerkWithAHeartOfGold in various big-budget dreck. Then he was cast as the more serious and complex (though still, you know, a comic-book character) [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger Captain America]], and the next thing you know, ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'' and [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier Marvel's Cerebus moment]]. |
| 68 | * ''[=SNL=]'' alumnus Creator/DanAykroyd nabbed an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1989 light drama ''Film/DrivingMissDaisy'' (as Jessica Tandy's character's son) and he successfully pulled off his role in another light drama, 1991's ''Film/MyGirl''. |
| 69 | * Dave Gorman ''attempted'' to do this by writing a book. {{Hilarity Ensue|s}}d. |
| 70 | * Ah, Creator/DavidHayter. As shown with his role history as seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6ph-zPTn0g here]], he seemed more into either heroic everymen or pretty boys. And then he got the taste of his StarMakingRole, [[VideoGame/MetalGear Solid Snake]], and the new rule is that henceforth, he's more likely use his Snake-style voice for his future roles. |
| 71 | * Method actor, multiple Oscar winner and A-list celebrity Creator/DenzelWashington[[note]]Interestingly, he was also Tom Hanks' co-star in ''Philadelphia'', the movie that named this trope, playing Hanks' character's professional rival-turned-advocate.[[/note]] got his first Hollywood gig in the 1981 racial comedy ''CarbonCopy''. |
| 72 | * Music/DianaRoss, largely known as a singer and occasional guest-star on variety shows, ''attempted'' to do this by lobbying extremely hard for the role of Dorothy in ''Film/TheWiz''; historian and author Pauline Kael cites this as "the strongest example of sheer will in film history." Unfortunately, in addition to a notoriously troubled production, Ross herself was largely considered a terrible choice for the part -- she was far too old to play a little girl or even a teenager--which forced the creative team to do extensive rewrites of the original script -- but still acted hysterical and childish throughout the film. ''The Wiz'' was a massive box-office bomb, and nearly every critic blamed Ross for it, which put the final nail in her coffin as a serious actress. |
| 73 | * Prior to playing Literature/PhilipMarlowe in the 1944 film ''Film/MurderMySweet'', Creator/DickPowell was best known for starring in lightweight musicals. Indeed, the film was originally named ''Farewell, My Lovely'' (as was [[Literature/FarewellMyLovely the novel it was based on]]), but was changed so that it would sound less like a musical. Because of his success in this role he played several more such roles and became better known for them than for he had been for his musical roles. |
| 74 | * Filipino "King of Comedy" Dolphy has been doing this way before Tom Hanks with roles in "Gigolo" in 1956, and as a gay character in the comedy-drama "Facifica Falayfay". It has been noticed that through his experience in starring in different mediums of entertainment, he was granted the insight of how a comedian can use his strengths to play various characters and how malleable emotions can be when you have to find different ways of cracking jokes to be filled with as much zest as when it was first shown. |
| 75 | * Creator/DonaldGlover got his big breaks through comedy, from the online series Derrick Comedy and a breakthrough starring role in ''{{Series/Community}}'', to his stand-up routines to releasing upbeat rap mixtapes and albums as "Childish Gambino". As of the mid-2010's, while he's not averse to doing more lighthearted roles, he's become increasingly well-known for acting, directing, and producing much more dramatic work, such as the surrealist dramedy series ''Series/{{Atlanta}}'', the heavily introspective and cynical ConceptAlbum ''because the internet'', and the politically-charged single/music video "Music/ThisIsAmerica". |
| 76 | * Throughout the run of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', Creator/EdONeill tried to show he had range by taking on various bit parts in dramatic films. This was a bit of a struggle as everyone saw him as Al Bundy (to the point where his role in ''Film/FlightOfTheIntruder'' was recast because test audiences burst out laughing when he appeared). He finally hit an inflection point when he took on the role of Joe Friday in a reboot of ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}''. Although the show was short-lived, his performance was praised and he started being taken seriously as a dramatic actor. This led to a recurring role on ''Series/TheWestWing'' and a well-received run on the critically acclaimed ''Series/JohnFromCincinnati''. He even became a part of Creator/DavidMamet's stable of actors[[note]]They got to know each other through their mutual passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu[[/note]]. He eventually got to show his full range as a comedic and dramatic actor on ''Series/ModernFamily'' where he could go from being the butt of the joke in one episode and drive an emotional plotline the next. |
| 77 | * Creator/EdWynn was known for most of his life for comedic roles and even doubted his own ability to perform in any other way. Nonetheless, in 1956 his [[Creator/KeenanWynn son]] pushed him to appear in a Series/Playhouse90 production called "Requiem for a Heavyweight". Despite the studio's misgiving -- not helped at all by Wynn frequently flubbing and comedically ad-libbing during rehersals for what was to be a ''live'' production -- his performance in the final product was highly praised which actually led to a made-for-tv movie about the production itself (in which [[AsHimself Wynn and his son starred]]) and revitalized Ed's career. |
| 78 | * Starting her career as a street busker, Creator/EddieIzzard always maintained that her ambition was to be an actor, not a comedian, but it was her stand-up comedy that first opened the doors to stardom. Since that time, she has begun taking more dramatic roles, such as starring in ''Series/TheRiches'' and playing resistance fighter Erich Fellgiebel in ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}''. She has also gotten great critical response as failed surgeon-turned-SerialKiller Abel Gideon in ''Series/{{Hannibal}}''. |
| 79 | * Music/{{Eminem}} rebranded from a LargeHam [[ShockJock shock-comedy]] rapper to a serious rapper via his role in ''Film/EightMile'', a dark social realist movie in which he plays a [[LowerClassLout trailer-trash]] battle rapper (with a lot of {{Actor Inspired Element}}s). The single he wrote for the movie, "Lose Yourself", ended up being the biggest hit of his career and becoming his SignatureSong. Em continued making comedic songs and most of his later movie roles have been comedy, but the "serious, inspiring pump-up anthem" became a stock single template for him and his later comedy acting became more deadpan. |
| 80 | * Creator/EmmaRoberts started her career as a TeenIdol, starring as Addie Singer on the Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} KidCom ''Series/{{Unfabulous}}'' and doing various family films and teen comedies. The turning point came with ''Film/Scream4'', an R-rated horror movie in which she plays [[spoiler:a SerialKiller with [[AttentionWhore disgustingly selfish motivations]] who [[TheFakeCutie poses as a "good girl"]] in the mold of the characters Roberts normally played]]. Soon after, she joined the cast of ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCoven'' as the AlphaBitch Madison Montgomery, and never looked back. These days, she's best known for horror movies and dark dramas, often in villainous roles. |
| 81 | * Creator/EmmaStone first broke onto the scene making teen movies and comedies like ''Film/{{Superbad}}'', ''Film/TheRocker'', ''Film/TheHouseBunny'', ''Film/GhostsOfGirlfriendsPast'', ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'', and ''Film/EasyA'', but following ''Film/TheHelp'', she shifted from less comedy roles to more dramatic roles, though she hasn't completely abandoned comedy. Stone's dramatic arc continued with ''Film/GangsterSquad'' and ''Film/{{Aloha}}'' along with Oscar nominations for her roles in ''Film/BirdmanOrTheUnexpectedVirtueOfIgnorance'' and, especially, ''Film/TheFavourite''. By the time she finally won Best Actress for ''Film/LaLaLand'', she'd become firmly established as one of Hollywood's brightest young stars for serious films. |
| 82 | * In her early TV career, Creator/EmmaThompson was known mainly for comedy. Her shift to drama started with the 1987 series ''Fortunes of War'' and was pretty much complete by 1991. Her early work is rarely repeated, so by the time ''Film/NannyMcPhee'' came out in 2005, many people were surprised to find out she could do comedy as well. |
| 83 | * Creator/EricBana started his career in Australia in stand-up and sketch comedy. He was a cast member on ''Full Frontal'' and headlined his own sketch series, creatively titled ''Eric''. A small role on ''Film/TheCastle'' led his casting as the notorious criminal Chopper Read in ''Film/{{Chopper}}''. Creator/RussellCrowe was impressed by the latter performance and recommended that Creator/RidleyScott cast Bana in ''Film/BlackHawkDown'', which introduced him to global audiences, followed by ''Film/{{Hulk}}'' and a long series of serious roles. In fact, most people outside fo Australia have no idea he has a flair for comedy[[note]]Creator/RickyGervais thought he'd have to put Bana through a comedy boot camp for ''Film/SpecialCorrespondents'' only to be floored at how funny Bana was[[/note]]. |
| 84 | * Creator/FredMacMurray was mostly known for comic roles until Billy Wilder cast him against type in ''Film/DoubleIndemnity'' and ''Film/TheApartment''. [=MacMurray=] reckoned these were his best performances. |
| 85 | * From Fred Stone's dramatic performance in ''Literature/AliceAdams'' (though not in a starring role), one might not suspect that he had been famous for starring in a long series of musical extravaganzas (a forgotten genre of shows very similar to English {{pantomime}}s), starting with the 1903 production of ''[[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz The Wizard of Oz]]'', in which he played the Scarecrow. |
| 86 | * Creator/GeneKelly was best known for doing musical comedies like ''An American in Paris'' and ''Film/SinginInTheRain'' but was greatly praised for ''Inherit the Wind''. |
| 87 | * Creator/GingerRogers, who had made her name starring in frothy Creator/BusbyBerkeley musicals and dance movies with Creator/FredAstaire, tried to remake herself in the 1940s as a serious actress. Her 1940s dramatic roles are largely ignored today, but at the time her makeover was a great success. She won the MediaNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actress of 1940 for her performance in the melodrama ''Film/KittyFoyle''. |
| 88 | * Music/GioachinoRossini is an unusual operatic example whose career changed after ''La gazzetta'' (his only comedy written for Naples) flopped. While he '''did''' keep a mix of ''buffa'' and ''seria'' in his operas throughout his career, it was mostly comedic before ''Theatre/TheBarberOfSeville'' and virtually all dramatic after he set music to an adaptation of [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare you-know-who's]] ''Theatre/{{Othello}}''. |
| 89 | ** The failure of ''Un giorno di regno'' did the same to Music/GiuseppeVerdi, whose sole comedy thereafter was ''Falstaff''. |
| 90 | * Onetime ''Series/TalkSoup'' host Creator/GregKinnear has trended more towards serious film roles, including murdered comic Bob Crane as a troubled sex addict in ''Autofocus''. Even in ''Film/LittleMissSunshine'' he was somewhat pathological. He has always retained his comedic edge, however. He hilariously spoofed his Oscar-nominated performance in ''As Good As It Gets'' on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' by claiming he lost the actual Oscar win because of a breakfast scene where he "uses the wrong hand" to eat his breakfast. If he had used the other hand, he would have won. |
| 91 | * [[Creator/MarxBrothers Groucho Marx]] discusses the phenomenon in his memoir ''Groucho and Me''. |
| 92 | * [[Music/HilaryDuff Hilary]] "Series/LizzieMcGuire" [[Music/HilaryDuff Duff]] seems to be trying her hand at this. After the show ended, she was type-cast in her typical tween-appealing roles before venturing for slightly more dramatic territory in ''Film/RaiseYourVoice''. Ultimately it backfired as the film did rather poorly at the box-office and was not well received by critics, afterwards she went back to doing comedies and turned down DarkerAndEdgier roles, stating that she felt that doing those types of roles would be a betrayal to her teen fanbase. In spite of that there was talk of her starring in a remake of Bonnie and Clyde, though that was delayed due to her pregnancy, and after she gave birth the filmmakers considered re-casting but the film ultimately went into DevelopmentHell and little has been heard since, though Hilary has since starred in some more serious DirectToVideo films and was in ''Series/GossipGirl''. |
| 93 | * Creator/HughLaurie was not only a member of the legendary Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Group but served as its president, then went on to great comedic success in shows like ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'', ''Series/JeevesAndWooster'' and ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie'', among other projects. Outside of Europe and the Commonwealth, however, most audiences first became aware of him in the dramatic medical series ''Series/{{House}}'', though he puts his comic delivery to good use for the character's razor-sharp wit. |
| 94 | * To some extent, this is happening to Creator/JackieChan. He gained his fame the world over for mix of heavy-duty martial arts and slapstick stunts (inspired by his heroes, Creator/HaroldLloyd and Creator/BusterKeaton) that he does ''himself'', but as age and injury start to catch up with him-he's begun to dial back the amount of life-threatening stunts and started to flex his other acting chops. For most Americans the best display of this was his take as a mentor figure in ''Film/TheKarateKid2010''. He resisted the impulse to do dramatic films for years, having been stung by his notorious bomb ''Film/TheProtector'', until playing the titular character in the dark action thriller ''Film/TheForeigner2017''. |
| 95 | ** Chan, feeling he had sufficiently stepped out of Creator/BruceLee's shadow in 2003, began making increasingly dramatic movies such as ''New Police Story'', ''The Myth'', and ''Film/TheForbiddenKingdom''. |
| 96 | * Jackie Gleason, famous for portraying Ralph Kramden on ''Series/TheHoneymooners,'' gave a widely acclaimed performance in the drama ''Film/TheHustler1961'' for which he was nominated for an Oscar. He was also praised for ''Film/RequiemForAHeavyweight.'' |
| 97 | * For most of Creator/JamesMcAvoy's career, he has portrayed {{Wide Eyed Idealist}}s, but as of 2013, his roles have taken a much darker turn, as many of his characters have severe psychological issues (e.g. ''Film/{{Trance}}'', ''Film/{{Filth}}'', ''Film/WelcomeToThePunch'', ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', ''Film/VictorFrankenstein'' and ''Film/{{Split}}''). |
| 98 | * Creator/JamieFoxx got his start on ''Series/InLivingColor'' [[note]] He was added during the third season. His most popular recurring character was AbhorrentAdmirer Ugly Wanda and his celebrity impressions included Music/LittleRichard, Music/LionelRichie, and Music/{{Prince}} (though, ironically, not Ray Charles). [[/note]] and was best known for his comedic film roles (anyone remember him from ''Booty Call''?), though he also had several dramatic supporting roles as well. Then in 2004, he starred in the very successful ''Film/{{Collateral}}'' and followed up with an Oscar-winning role in ''Film/{{Ray}},'' turning him into a bonafide dramatic movie star, rarely having done a comedic film role since. |
| 99 | * Creator/JenniferAniston has tried her hand at this. In the 2000s she was in umpteen romantic comedies and tried to go against type as TheVamp in ''Derailed'' -- but it didn't work out. ''Film/TheGoodGirl'' was another attempt that won her lots of critical acclaim. The crowner seems to be the 2014 drama ''Cake'', which critics called her finest hour. She still does plenty of comedy though. |
| 100 | * Creator/JerryLewis appeared in ''Series/{{Wiseguy}}'' as rag trade businessman Eli Sternberg in the "Garment Industry" story arc. Before that, he appeared in the infamous Holocaust drama ''Film/TheDayTheClownCried'', which was never released. He did better in Martin Scorsese's ''Film/TheKingOfComedy'', in a part which was less of a stretch for him. He also [[AdamWesting Adam Wested]] his own deteriorating mental state in what was debatedly the best episode of ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''. |
| 101 | * Creator/JimCarrey is an odd case -- he started as a standup comic and eventually found fame as a comedic actor in ''Series/InLivingColor'' before breaking out in ''Film/AceVenturaPetDetective'' as a spastic clown, but prior to those a surprising amount of the film work he did was ''dramatic''. Once he was an A-lister, it took a little while and a few more comedic roles before he earnestly pursued dramatic work again, such as his acclaimed performances in ''Film/TheTrumanShow'' and ''Film/EternalSunshineOfTheSpotlessMind'', though he always kept his comic edge. He lampshaded the trope in his first Golden Globe acceptance speech: |
| 102 | -->Wow...it's gonna be so hard to talk out of my ass after this. [''Audience laughter''] But I'll manage. |
| 103 | * Creator/JohnDiehl began his career in mostly PluckyComicRelief roles such as ''Film/{{Stripes}}'', ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'', and ''Series/MiamiVice''. After the DarkerAndEdgier third season of the latter where he was killed off halfway through it, he has since primarily taken on much more serious roles and usually portraying morally ambiguous characters, such as in ''Series/TheShield'', ''Film/JurassicParkIII'', and ''Film/BurnNoticeTheFallOfSamAxe''. |
| 104 | * Much like Laurie Metcalf (listed below) early roles, Creator/JohnGoodman was known throughout the 80's and early 90's as [[FatComicRelief "funny fat guy"]] Dan Conner on ''Series/{{Roseanne}}.'' He's also appeared in several Disney films, including ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' and the ''Franchise/MonstersInc'' movies. But Goodman is also renowned for his work in dramas. He's a Coen Brothers mainstay, appearing in both ''Film/BartonFink'' and ''Film/TheBigLebowski'' (the latter has him play Vietnam vet Walter); had supporting roles in ''Film/{{Argo}}'' and ''Film/TheArtist'' (both of which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards); and garnered serious Oscar buzz for his turn as a terrifying survivalist in ''Film/TenCloverfieldLane.'' |
| 105 | * Creator/JohnKrasinski made a name for himself as the very silly Jim Halpert on the ''Series/{{The Office|US}}'', but his other comedic works throughout that era (e.g. ''Film/{{Leatherheads}}'', ''License to Wed'') weren't very successful. It wasn't until after ''The Office'' ended and he began taking more dramatic roles when he started gaining traction as a leading man in Hollywood. ''Film/ThirteenHoursTheSecretSoldiersOfBenghazi'' (which also involved a ''[[MrFanservice very]]'' noticeable [[DyeingForYourArt physical transformation]]) is credited as the being the start of this shift. Then ''Film/AQuietPlace'' (which he also directed and co-wrote) was both a financial and critical success, while his television adaptation of ''Series/JackRyan'' received good reviews, and was renewed for a second season before the first even aired. |
| 106 | * Creator/JonPertwee is best known as Doctor #3 in ''Series/DoctorWho''. He played the role as a serious action oriented Film/JamesBond expy. However, he was known for comedies before being cast as the Doctor. After the Doctor he return to comedy for Literature/WorzelGummidge which isn't too unusual, however, when you think about it. |
| 107 | * Kal Penn also rose to fame through ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'' as well, but has largely put aside comedy roles as a popular supporting character on ''House'' ([[spoiler:before they DroppedABridgeOnHim]]). He has followed up with some puzzling choices, like playing a random {{mook}} in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' and briefly working for the [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Obama Administration]]. |
| 108 | * Double subverted with Creator/KateHudson. Previously known for light romantic comedies such as ''Raising Helen'' (though that did have a bit of drama) and ''Film/HowToLoseAGuyIn10Days'' she took up a role completely against type in ''Film/TheSkeletonKey'' but she returned to comedies after that. |
| 109 | * Creator/KeanuReeves was mostly known for playing [[Franchise/BillAndTed Theodore "Ted" Logan]] before 1995. Nobody, but nobody, saw his future as an action star in films such as ''Film/{{Speed}}'', ''Film/TheMatrix'', and ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' coming. This is emphasized even more in the 2010s with his famous role in the ''Film/JohnWick'' trilogy as the titular character and in CD Projekt Red's ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'', so much so that younger audience were surprised in 2020 when ''Film/BillAndTedFaceTheMusic'' was announced starring him. |
| 110 | * Keiju Kobayashi: Mainly goofy but grumpy salaryman characters in the 50s and 60s, feared authority figure typecast in the 70s and 80s with roles as UsefulNotes/HidekiTojo in ''The Militarists'', General Ushijima in BattleOfOkinawa, and IsorokuYamamoto in The Imperial Navy. |
| 111 | * The career of the Turkish actor Kemal Sunal was an evolving version of this trope. He started in the 1970s, playing the ButtMonkey IdiotHero. Over the years, his characters became less idiotic and more SkilledButNaive. By the time the 1990s arrived, his characters [[LonelyAtTheTop were]] [[BeleagueredBureaucrat downright]] [[SadClown tragic]] and his films less lighthearted in tone. His last film was supposed to continue this trend but he died just before filming started. |
| 112 | * Stand-up comedian and actor Kevin Pollak has several comedy movies and shows under his belt, he is perhaps best known for playing Lt. Weinberg in the suspenseful drama ''Film/AFewGoodMen'' and Todd Hockney in thriller ''Film/TheUsualSuspects''. |
| 113 | ** He has arguably come full circle since then, appearing in ''Film/TheWholeNineYards'' and its less-successful sequel ''Film/TheWholeTenYards'' amongst others. |
| 114 | * Creator/KurtRussell spent TheSeventies as a family-friendly comedy actor and one of the biggest stars of Creator/{{Disney}}'s live-action films. In 1979, he played Music/ElvisPresley in a [[MadeForTVMovie made-for-TV]] biopic that got him nominated for an MediaNotes/EmmyAward, but more importantly, it also marked the first of many [[ProductionPosse collaborations]] between him and the film's director, Creator/JohnCarpenter. Their next collaboration, ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'', put Russell on the map as an ActionHero, and while he'd still do the occasional comedy like ''Film/Overboard1987'' and ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', it otherwise marked the start of his typecasting going from "clean-cut Disney kid" to "rugged roughneck badass". |
| 115 | * Creator/LarryHagman had made a brief cameo in ''Film/FailSafe,'' but he really became well-known as Major Tony Nelson on ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie.'' However, his next two series, ''Series/TheGoodLife'' and ''Here We Go Again,'' both comedies, failed to last more than half a season, and his role of J.R. Ewing on the much longer-running ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' restricted him specifically to dramatic material. |
| 116 | * Creator/LauraPrepon was primarily known for her role as Donna on ''Series/That70sShow''. Today, many more people would recognize her as drug smuggler Alex Vause on ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack''. |
| 117 | * Creator/LaurieMetcalf received national attention for her role as the [[CloudCuckoolander wacky Aunt Jackie]] on ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', which won her several Emmys (although she did have several more dramatic arcs on the show, including being abused by her boyfriend); she also appeared in comic guest starring roles on other sitcoms and small parts in films including ''Film/UncleBuck.'' Since then, she's become known for more serious parts, culminating in an Oscar nod for her turn as a conflicted, overbearing mother in ''Film/LadyBird.'' |
| 118 | ** Interestingly, though Metcalf went through this trope in film and television, her theatre experience has always tended toward the dramatic. She got her start as a member of Chicago's legendary Steppenwolf company, and has played many serious roles in everything from Edward Albee's ''Theatre/ThreeTallWomen'' (which won her a Tony) to the stage adaptation of Stephen King's ''Misery.'' |
| 119 | * Lee Evans, a madcap comedian known for his physical humor and over the top routines. He has had several parts in movies such as ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'', ''Film/TheFifthElement'' and ''Film/MouseHunt'', where he continued to use his energetic, wacky performance. Then in 2004 he played the role of a paranoid conspiracy theorist and murderer in the PsychologicalThriller ''Freeze Frame''. Also in 2004, his performance of Clov (opposite Michael Gambon as Hamm) in Matthew Warchus's production of Samuel Beckett's ''Endgame'' was critically well received. |
| 120 | * Creator/LennyHenry, impressionist and stand-up, took a serious role as "Superhead" Ian George in 1999's ''Series/HopeAndGlory'', which was generally well-received. Since then, he's taken a number of other dramatic roles, such as ''Series/{{Broadchurch}}'', ''Series/TheSyndicate'' and ''Series/DoctorWho'', as well as writing and appearing in the semi-autobigraphical ''Danny and the Human Zoo'', while continuing his comedy career. |
| 121 | * Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio, best known for his Shakespearean gravitas in ''Film/Critters3''! |
| 122 | ** Before Oscar nominations and critical acclaim in stuff like ''{{Film/Titanic|1997}}'', ''{{Film/Inception}}'', ''Film/TheDeparted'', and ''Film/TheAviator'', he had a recurring role on ''Series/GrowingPains''. |
| 123 | ** Just after ''Growing Pains'' he did ''This Boy's Life'' with Creator/RobertDeNiro. It's a movie about an abusive stepfather. That was his ticket to serious movie roles, along with ''Film/WhatsEatingGilbertGrape''. ''Titanic'' was just the block buster. |
| 124 | *** Since his movies before ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'' were all roles where his characters' youth -- [[DawsonCasting or at least appearance of it]] -- were important to the part, it's more that he took years to be accepted as an adult actor. ''Film/TheManInTheIronMask'', which he starred in right after ''Titanic'', flopped. |
| 125 | * Comedian Creator/LewisBlack as Mr. E [[spoiler:Ricky Owens]] in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' who although playing a FatBastard, lets out some serious acting [[CerebusSyndrome as the show goes on]]. |
| 126 | * Creator/LindsayLohan tried to break away from her family-friendly image several times, and his zig-zagged from comedy to drama several times with mixed results. She rather blew it with ''Film/IKnowWhoKilledMe''; nothing short of Oscar will bury the memory of ''that'' turkey. |
| 127 | * Creator/MarilynMonroe's earlier roles tended to be in films that were not just serious, but rather dark, as in her bit roles in ''Film/TheAsphaltJungle'', ''Film/AllAboutEve'' and ''Don't Bother to Knock'' (though admitedly around that time she also had bit roles in the comedies ''Film/LoveHappy'' and ''Monkey Business''), and the film that first put her on the map in a starring role, ''Film/{{Niagara}}'', as a straight-up FilmNoir. TheDitz came later. She later tried Tom Hanks Syndrome because in real life people only saw her as the dumb blonde persona she was constantly cast as. Didn't quite work out. |
| 128 | * The heavyset Mark Addy originally made a name for himself as a BigFun type of actor; his film roles included the comedies ''Film/TheFullMonty'', ''Film/AKnightsTale'', and Fred Flintstone himself in ''Film/TheFlintstonesInVivaRockVegas'', while he anchored the CBS sitcom ''Series/StillStanding'' for five years. All memory of that went out the window, though, when he took the job of the tragic, doomed, FormerlyFit King Robert Baratheon in ''Series/GameOfThrones.'' Though he only appeared in the first season, his turn in the part was lauded by critics; the creators of the show even declared that Addy was the easiest of all the actors to cast. |
| 129 | * [[Creator/MatthewMcConaughey Matthew "Awight Awight" McConaughey]] is something of an inverter. He was in fairly serious films such as ''Film/ATimeToKill'', ''Film/{{Amistad}}'', and ''Film/{{Contact}}'', before cementing himself as the go-to leading man for romantic comedies and {{Shirtless Scene}}s. He has tried being an action star is films like ''Film/{{Sahara 2005}}'' and ''Film/FoolsGold'', but those were leavened with comedy and romance too. |
| 130 | ** He seems to be playing it straight (or possibly [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig Zagging it]]) now, because his acclaimed performance in ''Film/TheLincolnLawyer'' seems to have opened up a plethora of new dramatic roles, including a hitman in [[Film/TheFrenchConnection William]] [[Film/TheExorcist Friedkin's]] ''Killer Joe'', an ex-stripper in Creator/StevenSoderbergh's ''Magic Mike'', an astronaut in ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'', and other dramatic films by Jeff Nichols and [[{{FIlm/Precious}} Lee Daniels]]. In 2014, he had a staring role in {{Creator/HBO}}'s acclaimed anthology crime-drama series, ''Series/TrueDetective'', before snagging an Academy Award for Best Actor for ''Film/DallasBuyersClub'', giving his rejuvenated career even more momentum. He also played an absolutely chilling villain in ''Film/TheDarkTower''. |
| 131 | ** With [=McConaughey=], the description of why a comedic actor goes into drama (true art is angsty, comedies don't get respect, etc.) doesn't apply at all. In a BBC interview he mentioned that he was simply sick of doing comedy and didn't have any feeling for them anymore. It got to the point that he was mostly just phoning in his efforts and was planning on retiring as an actor until he started getting dramatic roles again. He feels a sense of nervousness when he's in a dramatic role and for him, that's a good thing. |
| 132 | * Max Wall was a famous music hall (vaudeville) comedian and dancer who later in his life became a leading interpreter of Samuel Beckett's plays. Not totally surprising because Beckett's plays, despite their nihilistic absurdity, were influenced by music hall comedy. |
| 133 | * Creator/MichaelCrawford, once known for the BBC comedy ''Series/SomeMothersDoAveEm'' and the title character of the musical ''Barnum'', made a complete turnaround playing the very serious and sexual Phantom in Creator/AndrewLloydWebber's ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera''. |
| 134 | * Creator/MichaelJFox was on a hot streak in the mid-eighties with comedies like ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' and ''Film/TeenWolf,'' but by 1987 he was looking for greener pastures. Creator/BrianDePalma offered him the lead role in his melodrama ''Film/CasualtiesOfWar.'' Fox acquitted himself well, but it really did come off like a forgotten ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' sequel where Marty [[IAmNotSpock traveled back in time to Vietnam!]] He had better luck a year later, playing a cokehead in ''Film/BrightLightsBigCity.'' Fox returned to his comedic roots in ''Film/DocHollywood'' and was shortly diagnosed with Parkinson's; he only starred in comedies after that. He confessed in his autobiography ''Lucky Man'' that [[MoneyDearBoy he needed the quick buck.]] His TV appearances in the 2000's have been a mix of slapstick and pathos, owing to his deteriorating health. |
| 135 | * Creator/MichaelKeaton began as a comedic actor, and raised an outcry when he was cast as the {{superhero}} Film/{{Batman|1989}} despite playing a darker role in Clean and Sober. Since then, he's stuck to mostly comedy roles, but has played darker roles, such as a serial killer in ''Film/DesperateMeasures'' . He was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his lead role in ''Film/BirdmanOrTheUnexpectedVirtueOfIgnorance'' and appeared in the Oscar-winning ensemble drama ''Film/{{Spotlight}}'' |
| 136 | * Creator/MichaelPalin went from Creator/MontyPython to a series of travelogues, ''Around the World in 80 Days'' and ''Pole to Pole'', though his funnyman persona in exotic locales was part of the appeal. After first playing against type in dystopian fantasy ''Film/{{Brazil}}'', he went on to other straight roles including a persecuted, mentally fragile headmaster (of a school for children with mental problems, no less) in Alan Bleasdale's dark semi-political TV drama ''GBH''. |
| 137 | * Music/MileyCyrus' ''Series/HannahMontana'' co-star Creator/EmilyOsment, also known for appearing in kids' movies like the second and third ''Film/SpyKids'' movies, ''Film/SoccerMom'' and ''Film/TheHauntingHourDontThinkAboutIt'', has shifted gears to more dramatic and adult fare like ''Film/Cyberbully2011'', the action-adventure Crackle web series ''WebVideo/{{Cleaners}}'' and indie dramas like''Film/KissMe'', a far cry from her zanier childhood roles. |
| 138 | ** Her current starring role in the sitcom comedy ''Series/YoungAndHungry'' seems to be a return to form though as she's playing a food blogger who gets a job as a personal chef, a role she's entirely unqualified for (and of course, hijinks ensue). |
| 139 | ** Miley Cyrus tried to do this with the movie adaption of the Nicholas Sparks book ''Literature/TheLastSong'' which though a critical dissapointment was succesful at the box-office, she went to comedy with ''Film/SoUndercover'' (which would not see release until 2013) and drama again with the remake of ''LOL'' neither of which were particularly well-received, though she was praised for her guest-starring role on ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen''. In the end, she has currently abandoned her acting career to focus on her music. |
| 140 | * For another example of Japanese Voice Actress that wasn't on the chain created by Kawasumi, there's Creator/NanaMizuki. Early in her voice acting careers, she's mostly voicing sweet, sometimes ditzy or mostly shy young girls with soft voice as well (exemplified with [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Colette Brunel]] and [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Hinata Hyuuga]], the last one was her breakout role). Then comes her role as [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha Fate Testarossa]], who, while having similar elements as her previous portfolio, is a lot more subdued and tragic... and along with that, [[StarMakingRole her ticket to ultimate stardom]] thanks to her singing skills being noticed. Ever since then, there was only a few times that Nana returned for 'sweet, ditzy, shy' young girls (notably [[Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure Tsubomi Hanasaki/Cure Blossom]]), most of her roles tends to be either more confident, outgoing or even sports her own low voice. |
| 141 | * Creator/OliviaColman came to fame in sketch comedies, sitcoms, and comedy films. Then came critically acclaimed turns in heavy dramas like ''Series/{{Broadchurch}}'', ''Series/TheNightManager'', and ''Film/TheLobster'' that eventually led to a Oscar win for ''Film/TheFavourite''. Her filmography has skewed toward drama rather than comedy since. |
| 142 | * Creator/PattonOswalt in ''Film/BigFan.'' |
| 143 | * Creator/PeterLorre was a comedian before achieving infamy as a serial killer on ''Film/{{M}}''. He was typecast since then as creep characters. |
| 144 | * Creator/PeterSellers attempted this. Of his more than fifty films, his dramatic leads were all in small-scale British-made efforts: ''Never Let Go'', ''Hoffman'', ''The Optimists'', and ''The Blockhouse''. After ''Never Let Go'' (an outright villainous role) flopped, he never tried so blatantly again to defy his comic reputation; he did the other films during a career slump. Some of his other films, such as ''Lolita'' and ''Film/BeingThere'', do incorporate dramatic elements (especially the former). He managed two Best Actor Oscar nominations over his career, for ''Film/DrStrangelove'' and ''Film/BeingThere'', but lost both. In any case, he never stopped doing comedy (until [[HesDeadJim he died]], of course!). |
| 145 | * Creator/RedButtons was an early role model for this. He started out as one of the most popular BorschtBelt comedians, then won an Oscar for a serious role in ''Film/{{Sayonara}}'', then mostly did drama for the rest of his career. |
| 146 | * Creator/RickMoranis did this once for the action-packed ''Film/StreetsOfFire'', but he hated his experience doing the movie because he wasn't allowed to improvise, so he goes back to doing funny movies. However, 5 years later, he did appear in the hilarious and heartwarming dramedy ''Film/{{Parenthood}}'' with Creator/SteveMartin. |
| 147 | * Creator/RobbieColtrane was primarily known as a comedic actor -- until his work as the title character in the original British version of ''Series/{{Cracker}}'' cemented him as an actor. Now, you'll see him in everything from ''Film/GoldenEye'' to ''Film/FromHell'' to the ''Film/HarryPotter'' films as half-giant Rubeus Hagrid -- a character Creator/JKRowling says was based on Coltrane's likeness. Add to that various documentaries on ITV focusing on his love of travel and means there of -- yes, he really can act. And inform. |
| 148 | * Swedish comedian Robert Gustafsson, more than once dubbed nationally as the country's funniest man. While he still does plenty of comedy roles, he has started playing completely serious, dramatic roles in recent years, including a police detective in the crime drama ''Det som göms i snö''. |
| 149 | * Although Creator/RobinWilliams went to Juilliard for four years and trained with John Houseman, he became famous as a high-energy clown, first starting in ''Series/MorkAndMindy''. He started turning his comedic talents toward more dramatic subjects in ''Film/GoodMorningVietnam'' and ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'', to critical acclaim and an Oscar win for ''Film/GoodWillHunting''. Afterwards, he freely bounced between straight comedies, dramedies, and outright dark dramatic roles such as ''Film/{{Insomnia}}'' and ''Film/OneHourPhoto''. He claimed to never want to do a 'funny' movie again after ''Film/PatchAdams'', but that didn't last, either. |
| 150 | ** Interestingly, he's still generally seen as a high energy clown, probably because that's how he usually acted in real life. |
| 151 | * Creator/RodneyDangerfield was one of the greatest comedians of the mid-to-late twentieth century, and, after a wildly successful stand-up career, became a film star with 80's hits like ''Film/BackToSchool'' and ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}''. He did, however, try his hand at drama by playing an abusive father in 1995's controversial ''Film/NaturalBornKillers'', and even wrote his own lines for the part. Critics hailed the performance as genius, and Dangerfield, hoping to be nominated for an Oscar, applied to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; unfortunately, Roddy [=MacDowell=], then the president of the Actors' wing of the AMPAS, rejected the application, leaving the hurt Dangerfield to swear off the Academy for good and go back to comedy. |
| 152 | * Roy Hudd, a British comedian best known for his radio work, went on to do dark and seedy performances in Creator/DennisPotter dramas. |
| 153 | * Creator/SallyField got started in sitcoms like ''Gidget'', ''Series/TheFlyingNun'', ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit'', and ''The Girl with Something Extra''. Fed up with doing nothing but comedy, she fought for and won the title role in ''Sybil'', opposite Joanne Woodward, as a girl with multiple personalities. The role won her an Emmy. Her next venture into drama was her gritty, Academy Award-winning turn as textile worker ''Norma Rae'', but she was still considered a "flash in the pan" until she won her second Oscar as Edna Spalding in ''Film/PlacesInTheHeart'', which cemented her as one of America's greatest actresses and silenced the skeptics for good. |
| 154 | * Creator/SeanPenn's earliest acting consisted of mostly comedic roles such as Jeff Spicoli from ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'' but afterwards his career took a dramatic turn starting with the film ''Bad Boys''. He also plays TheHeavy in the aforementioned war pic with Michael J. Fox, still very young then. |
| 155 | * Music/SelenaGomez successfully broke out of her child friendly image with ''Film/SpringBreakers'' which was critically acclaimed, though her followup ''Film/{{Getaway}}'' was, well, a bomb by every metric. |
| 156 | * Creator/ShiaLaBeouf is most remembered for starting off as the goofy younger brother from ''Series/EvenStevens''. One of his other popular roles as a child was his work as Stanley from ''Literature/{{Holes}}'', which isn't a comedy but isn't completely solemn either. As an adult he's most well-known for his action or dramatic roles such as the ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'', ''Film/{{Lawless}}'', ''Film/Fury2014'' and ''Film/HoneyBoy''. |
| 157 | * Creator/SimonPegg broke out with ''Series/{{Spaced}}'' and the ''Film/ThreeFlavoursCornettoTrilogy'', and is predominantly known to audiences for his comedy work. Even if he's in a more serious film, such as the ''[[Film/MissionImpossibleFilmSeries Mission: Impossible]]'' series, he's still generally the comic relief. He started playing darker with his likeable comedy persona in films such as ''Film/BigNothing'' and ''Kill Me Three Times'', but even these were more black comedic roles. Then he did the back-to-back thrillers ''Film/{{Terminal}}'' and ''Film/{{Inheritance}}'', both films marking the first time audiences got to see him play straight-up dark, dramatic characters. Given the reception to his performance in these films, it's likely we're going to see a lot more dramatic roles for Pegg in the future. |
| 158 | * Creator/SteveCarell started out in sketch comedy and first made a splash as a correspondent on ''Series/TheDailyShow'' before stealing scenes in major projects like ''Film/BruceAlmight'' and ''Film/AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy''. Then he surprised audiences by starring in ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' and giving dramatic depth to Michael Scott and turning a character written as a buffoon into a sympathetic protagonist people rooted for. Around this time, he appeared in ''Film/LittleMissSunshine'' and wowed critics by how well he did in a purely dramatic role alongside more established acting heavyweights. This led to a gradual shift in his filmography as it began being filled by dramedies like ''Film/CrazyStupidLove'' and ''Film/SeekingAFriendForTheEndOfTheWorld''. Then came ''Film/{{Foxcatcher}}'', a bleak drama where he played a dark and disturbed character and showed that there was humanity beneath the monstrosity, which earned him an Oscar nomination. From here, he began appearing in more straight dramas and started earning a host of major award nominations that showed that critics were noticing and appreciating his versatility. |
| 159 | * In an aversion to the trope, Creator/SteveMartin has peppered his career with dramatic roles as early as his second starring role, in 1981's ''Pennies From Heaven'', but has always focused on comedy. |
| 160 | * Creator/SylvesterStallone had his first starring role in the softcore pornography feature film ''The Party at Kitty and Stud's'' (1970). Then he moved on to more broadcast and 'serious' entertainment. |
| 161 | * Creator/TakeshiKitano was first known as a wildly popular slapstick TV comedian Beat Takeshi. He then suddenly went on to direct and act in a number of extremely dark, dramatic crime films playing badass yakuza characters (years later, he embraced his reputation of Japanese Charles Bronson, playing in several successful yakuza films by other directors'). Even though he continued to brandish his own brand of irreverent, absurdist comedy in his later films, he still managed to go even ''darker'' –- directing a couple of heart-rending tragedies after a near-fatal bike accident. Western viewers who were first exposed to his bloody yakuza films (or a suicidal ''Film/{{Fireworks}}'', or hipsterific and elegiac ''Dolls'') were quite surprised to see the old scarface in old reruns of the loopy game show ''Series/TakeshisCastle''. |
| 162 | * After leaving ''Saturday Night Live'' in 2002, Will Ferrell branched out to more dramatic roles, such as ''Film/StrangerThanFiction'', ''Winter Passing'', and ''Everything Must Go'', but has mostly stuck with comedy. |
| 163 | ** Ferrell went back to drama for the TV movie ''A Deadly Adoption'', which also stars Kristen Wiig, another former ''SNL'' cast member. |
| 164 | * Creator/WillSmith was first known for his humorous rapping and as a sitcom star in ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir''. After ''Film/BadBoys1995'' paired him with fellow comedian Martin Lawrence as {{action hero}}es, Smith continued his action turn in the blockbuster ''Film/IndependenceDay'', cementing him as a full-fledged movie star able to do action, comedy, and romance. ''Film/ThePursuitOfHappyness'' and ''Film/SevenPounds'' added drama to the repertoire. 1993's ''Film/SixDegreesOfSeparation'' was critically acclaimed and earned an Oscar nod. |
| 165 | ** In a double subversion, Smith's earliest critical praise for a dramatic role came '''before''' ''Bad Boys'' and ''Independence Day'', but he's not really remembered for it. |
| 166 | * Creator/WoodyAllen: Before ''Film/AnnieHall'', he made slapstick comedies. After, he started with ''Interiors'' and went from there. Even {{lampshaded}} in ''Film/StardustMemories'' when an alien (voiced by Allen, no less!) tells the AuthorAvatar of Allen to stop making serious films and just tell jokes. Until 2000, even his "comedies" were laced with seriousness, like ''Hannah and Her Sisters''. Allen started making out-and-out comedies again with films like ''Small Time Crooks''. |
| 167 | * Creator/ZacEfron started his career as a MrFanservice TeenIdol in comedies and light romantic dramas, most notably the Creator/DisneyChannel's ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' trilogy, which made him a household name among a generation of adolescent and teenage girls. Around the mid-2010s, he started doing more raunchy comedies like ''Film/Neighbors2014'', ''Film/DirtyGrandpa'', ''Film/MikeAndDaveNeedWeddingDates'', and ''Film/Baywatch2017'' that gave him more of a {{Fratbro}} image, but it wasn't until 2019, when he won accolades for playing the notorious SerialKiller UsefulNotes/TedBundy in ''Film/ExtremelyWickedShockinglyEvilAndVile'', that he was taken seriously as a dramatic actor. (Even then, he's portrayed in-universe as [[DracoInLeatherPants very handsome]], and a lot of viewers had the same reaction to the point that Creator/{{Netflix}}, which produced the film, [[https://www.thewrap.com/netflix-begs-people-to-stop-calling-serial-killer-ted-bundy-hot/ tweeted out]] that they were disturbed by the "hot Ted Bundy" memes going around.) After that, his performance as [[Wrestling/VonErichFamily Kevin von Erich]] in 2023's ''Film/TheIronClaw'' became an awards contender. |
| 168 | |
| 169 | !!Directors |
| 170 | * Creator/AdamMcKay began as a writer for ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and later made a living making Creator/WillFerrell[=/=]Creator/JohnCReilly-driven slapstick comedies like ''[[Film/AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy Anchorman 1]]'' ''[[Film/Anchorman2TheLegendContinues and 2]]'', ''[[Film/TalladegaNightsTheBalladOfRickyBobby Talladega Nights]]'' and ''Film/StepBrothers''. He later began to display symptoms of this making films like ''Film/TheBigShort'' and ''Film/{{Vice|2018}}'' which were highly dramatic features (albeit with ''some'' comedic flair) and have been nominated for Oscars. These were then followed up with ''Film/DontLookUp'', a sci-fi BlackComedy that teeters the line at moments. |
| 171 | * Chris Weitz started his early career working with his brother Paul directing films like ''Film/AmericanPie'' and ''Film/DownToEarth2001'', which were decidedly comedic in tone. However, after they wrote ''Film/AboutABoy'' together, Chris parted ways with his brother and his solo directorial efforts, like ''A Better Life'' and ''Film/OperationFinale'', are serious dramas containing little of the comedy that he became known for. By contrast, Paul has been able to stick with comedy films outside of a couple exceptions. |
| 172 | * Jay Roach was usually associated with directing goofball comedies like the ''Film/AustinPowers'' trilogy, ''Film/MeetTheParents'' and the sequel, ''Film/DinnerForSchmucks'' and ''Film/TheCampaign''. Over time though, he's seems to have taken a gradually serious turn with biopics like ''Film/{{Trumbo}}'' and ''Film/Bombshell2019'' as well as Creator/{{HBO}} political dramas like ''Recount'', ''Film/GameChange'', and ''Theatre/AllTheWay''. |
| 173 | * Creator/JonathanDemme did comedies such as ''Melvin and Howard'' and ''Film/MarriedToTheMob'' in [[TheEighties the 1980s]], then moved on to the Oscar-winning ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' and ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}''. Did Tom Hanks learn something from Demme? |
| 174 | ** Demme started out by subverting the [[GirlsBehindBars Women In Prison]] films he made for Creator/RogerCorman, raising their standard by introducing intelligent and artistic elements. These weren't comedies, but were far from what would be considered "serious". ''Film/CagedHeat'' actually has quite a bit in common with ''Film/SilenceOfTheLambs'': a thriller with strong feminist overtones, that features a prison break and an apparent distrust of the medical establishment. |
| 175 | * Creator/JordanPeele started off with ''Series/MADTv'' and then rose to fame as one half of the title duo on the sketch series ''Series/KeyAndPeele'', which showcased his comic talent, skill in impressions, and penchant for mocking aspects of Black culture. Then, in 2017, he wrote and directed the absolutely terrifying ''Film/{{Get Out|2017}}'', which, in addition to being straight-up horrifying, was a serious, gripping sociocultural study on contemporary Black life in the United States. He followed ''Get Out'' with the equally disturbing and socially-conscious ''Film/{{Us}}'', which cemented his new career as a master of psychological horror; there's a reason that Peele was selected to produce and star in the latest revival of ''Series/TheTwilightZone2019.'' |
| 176 | * Creator/JossWhedon likes to cast according to this trope; his justification is that it's harder to be convincingly funny than it is to be convincingly unfunny. |
| 177 | * Creator/KevinSmith has penned an entire rant about the sequence in which actors/directors must do artsy, comic, and "money" films in order to maintain optimal popularity and funding while still being allowed to enjoy at least some of the roles or films they are involved in. Certainty that that was the case with Smith's career up until ''{{Film/Tusk|2014}}'' (which is still a comedy, albeit a dark one). |
| 178 | * Maybe Demme (see above) learned from Martin Brest. Brest hit big with the 80's landmark comedy ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' with Creator/EddieMurphy. He then got an Oscar nomination in 1992 for ''Film/ScentOfAWoman'' with Creator/AlPacino. |
| 179 | * Peter Farrelly (of the Farrelly Brothers): Though time will tell if it's just a CreatorsOddball, ''Film/GreenBook'' was a major far cry from the sort of "low-brow", slapstick humor he and his brother were known for (''Film/DumbAndDumber'', ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'', ''Film/ShallowHal''), and it was not only a critical success, but it also won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2019. It's also his first film in which his brother Bobby was not involved. |
| 180 | * Creator/RobertZemeckis, a protégé of Steven Spielberg at one point, broke out as a director making comedies like ''Film/IWannaHoldYourHand'' and ''Film/UsedCars'' and then action-adventure/fantasy special effects blockbusters like ''Film/RomancingTheStone'', the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy, ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' and ''Film/DeathBecomesHer''. But after winning the Best Director Oscar for ''Film/ForrestGump'', he began to take a major turn for darker and more serious fare even with sci-fi like ''Film/{{Contact}}'' and the supernatural thriller ''Film/WhatLiesBeneath''. Now, he's mostly known for making hardcore dramas (''Film/CastAway'', ''Film/{{Flight}}'', ''Film/TheWalk'', ''Film/{{Allied}}'', ''Film/WelcomeToMarwen'', etc). It's almost at a point where people have seemingly forgotten his initial stuff, though he did briefly return to fantasy during his [[MotionCapture mo-cap]] phase with ''WesternAnimation/ThePolarExpress'', ''[[WesternAnimation/Beowulf2007 Beowulf]]'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/AChristmasCarol2009 A Christmas Carol]]''. |
| 181 | * Prior to the 2010s, Creator/TheRussoBrothers were mainly known for directing and producing critically acclaimed but always-on-the-verge-of-cancellation TV sitcoms ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' and ''Series/{{Community}}'', as well as the unmemorable and poorly received (but still profit-earning) comedy ''Film/YouMeAndDupree''. So imagine everyone's surprise when the brothers were not only chosen to direct an [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier MCU movie]] that was following up on [[Film/TheAvengers2012 a billion dollar film]], but that it went on to be one of the most praised and tone-setting movies of the franchise at the time. Then they went on to direct [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar the sequel to that movie]], and ''then'' they directed the [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar two most complex]] and [[Film/AvengersEndgame biggest earning films of all time]]. Altogether, the four films they worked on for Marvel earned a combined total of around 5 billion dollars, with a combined production cost of around 1 billion. Not bad for two sitcom directors. |
| 182 | * Creator/StevenSpielberg. It's easy to forget that in 1993 there was some skepticism when it was announced that he was going to direct an adaptation of ''Film/SchindlersList'', a dark Thomas Keneally NonFiction novel about UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, particularly since he was working on the more characteristic ''Film/{{Jurassic Park|1993}}'' at the same time. At that point, he was firmly established as a master of lighthearted family films and popcorn blockbusters. Since he'd failed to win Best Picture or Best Director at the MediaNotes/{{Academy Award}}s for ''any'' of his iconic popcorn movies (''Film/{{Jaws}}'', ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'', ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', and ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''), he'd spent much of TheEighties trying to prove he could be a Serious Director. ''Film/TheColorPurple1985'' was very blatant OscarBait (which, ironically, won ''zero'' Oscars -- and Spielberg wasn't even nominated), but was still well-regarded. But his subsequent "serious" films ''Film/EmpireOfTheSun'' and ''Film/{{Always}}'' didn't do as well with either critics or audiences. So ''Schindler's List'' was initially anticipated to be another well-meaning, but probably misguided, grasp at credibility for Spielberg. Instead, it marked a major GrowingTheBeard moment for him as a filmmaker and finally netted him an Oscar. And then, just to prove ''Schindler's List'' wasn't a fluke, he gave the world ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''. Sure, he still makes lighthearted family films and popcorn blockbusters, but those two movies established him as an auteur. |
| 183 | * Creator/TerryGilliam started off doing comedies such as ''Film/TimeBandits'' and ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail.'' Gradually, starting with ''Film/{{Brazil}},'' he went into darker territory with movies such as ''Film/TwelveMonkeys'' and ''Film/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas.'' |
| 184 | * Creator/ToddPhillips was initially a maestro of raunchy, comedic material like ''Film/RoadTrip'', ''Film/OldSchool'', ''Film/StarskyAndHutch'', ''School for Scoundrels'', and the ''[[Film/TheHangover The Hangover Trilogy]]''. Beginning with ''Hangover'' though, Phillips began to slowly and gradually display a knack for the crime and {{black comedy}} genres with films like ''Film/DueDate'' and ''Film/WarDogs''. His "full transition" would eventually manifest with ''Film/{{Joker}}'', an intense {{darker and grittier}} [[PsychologicalThriller psychological]] crime thriller far removed from anything he'd done prior. |
| 185 | [[/folder]] |
| 186 | |
| 187 | [[folder:General Examples]] |
| 188 | * Creator/JackBlack, Creator/WillFerrell, and Creator/JohnCReilly sang [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5JAPkvnyso this number]] about their plight at the 2006 Oscars. |
| 189 | * Comediennes Creator/MaryLynnRajskub and Creator/CamrynManheim are best known for their dramatic roles in ''Series/TwentyFour'' and ''Series/ThePractice'', respectively. |
| 190 | ** And ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' further reinforces that for Manheim, with her role of the NobleDemon government official known as Control. |
| 191 | * Several Hong Kong actors have moved on from otherwise lighthearted comedies to full-blown critical acclaim in this manner. Case in point, the two leads of ''Film/InfernalAffairs'', Tony Leung and Andy Lau -- both even co-starred in a '70s period dramedy, "The Royal Tramp", and Andy's Guiness Record for starring in the most movies was a direct result of padding his resume with dozens of comedic roles. Recently, one such actor, Alfred Cheung, who made his name as the PluckyComicRelief, even won an award for his first serious role. |
| 192 | ** It should be noted here that Andy and Tony first got into show business as part of a FiveManBand of ''teen idols'', while Alfred... let's just say he's got the PluckyComicRelief look down pat. |
| 193 | * Tom Hanks Syndrome is parodied in ''Film/TropicThunder'' by Jack Black and Ben Stiller's characters, Jeff Portnoy and Tug Speedman respectively. Jeff is a comedic actor trying to get out of his typecasting through a more serious role, and Tug is an action star who'd previously starred in a dramatic OscarBait bomb. |
| 194 | * Many of the best-known actors from Spanish '60s comedies (José Luis López Vázquez, Alfredo Landa, Concha Velasco, José Sacristan et al.) started sweeping awards and praise when they played breakthrough dramatic roles in the '70s, with audiences not having noticed until then they were pretty good actors. |
| 195 | * This went as far back as the movie ''Show People'' about a silent film actress who wanted to be taken seriously but instead got her start as a comedienne. |
| 196 | * Meta example: The classic movie ''Film/ToBeOrNotToBe'' (both versions) is a dramedy about a comedian who wants to play Hamlet who is actually played by "a comedian who wants to play Hamlet" -- Jack Benny in the original and Creator/MelBrooks in the remake. |
| 197 | ** The comedian does play Hamlet -- very, very badly. So badly that in Mel Brooks' version, he needs to be fed the lines from the "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy of Act 3, Scene 1 of ''Hamlet''. |
| 198 | ** "Meta" in that the comedy ''genre'' expands to take on a serious subject: the original movie is a very funny comedy about Hitler's invasion of Poland. |
| 199 | * Cited in ''Series/ThirtyRock''. Tracy is afraid of losing his youthful edge because "Do you know what happens to a comedian when he gets old and loses his audience? He starts getting ''offered serious roles''!" |
| 200 | ** Also parodied after Tracey wins an Oscar. He gets sick of being viewed as a serious actor and wants to be seen as a crazy comedian again, so he tries to lose the respect of the media. It backfires when all of his crazy antics are misinterpreted as insightful commentaries on society. Then Jack Donaghy tells him all he has to do is go back to acting on television, and [[SelfDeprecation no one will ever respect him again.]] |
| 201 | *** Tom Hanks himself makes a cameo, telling other A-list actors Tracy is back on TV and no longer in their ranks. [[HypocriticalHumor He then starts humming the theme song to]] ''Series/BosomBuddies''. |
| 202 | * Creator/KevinSpacey, Creator/AlPacino, and Creator/PeterLorre did stand-up comedy before launching their respective film careers. |
| 203 | ** Creator/ShiaLaBeouf also did stand-up before branching out his roles. The change did occur later, however. |
| 204 | * Overlaps with OnlySoManyCanadianActors: almost half the cast of ''Series/{{Degrassi|TheNextGeneration}}'' were formerly KidCom main cast members on shows made for the Canadian Family channel. |
| 205 | * Since [[MediaNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the PS3 era]], Sony's "platformer trio" of Creator/InsomniacGames, Creator/NaughtyDog and Creator/SuckerPunch shifted away from their kid-friendly roots towards a more mature fare. During the [=PS1=] and [=PS2=] eras, these studios developed kid-friendly cartoony platformers ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'', ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'', ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'', ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'', and ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter''. When working on making games for the [=PS3=] though, they began switching to making more serious, photorealistic action-adventure games. While still committed to making light-hearted games, Insomniac created the ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}'' trilogy that depicts humanity fighting a losing war against alien hordes in a bleak alternate timeline. Insomniac's ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'', while still colorful and idealistic, is much darker than previous ''Spider-Man'' games with realistic terrorist attacks and even an uncensored suicide. Naughty Dog underwent an identical transition with ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' and ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUS''; while the the former game was still idealistic and whimsical, it had more realistic violence [[spoiler:along with horror elements involving cursed artifacts]]. The the latter game, meanwhile, went even further with BodyHorror, DeathOfAChild and a bleak post-apocalyptic setting where any amount of idealism or whimsy that Uncharted had was [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids thrown almost completely out the window]]. Sucker Punch experienced a similar albeit less drastic shift. While their VideoGame/{{Infamous}} games are gritty and photorealistic, they are still idealistic and fantastical; even their first M-rated, ''VideoGame/GhostOfTsushima'' didn't have the bleakness or cynicism of ''Resistance'' and ''The Last of Us''. That said, Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad as the several of these darker games by these studios are as well-received as their earlier lighter entries. |
| 206 | * A lot of VoiceActors who primarily do WesternAnimation (as opposed to {{Anime}}) could be seen as this in some roles. Most Western animated shows are comedic, so when they play characters in DC or Marvel superhero cartoons, or action/story-driven series (that are more dramatic and serious in tone), it can be seen as this. Creator/JeffBennett in ''{{WesternAnimation/Gargoyles}}'', Creator/DeeBradleyBaker in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', and Creator/TaraStrong and Creator/JohnDiMaggio in ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan'' could be seen as this. Additional, some more story and drama-driven video game roles can also serve this purpose, such as Creator/RobPaulsen voicing the Cyborg Ninja in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid: [[UpdatedRerelease The Twin Snakes]]''. |
| 207 | ** Some voice actors who normally works in anime can fall into this trope. For example, Creator/YuriLowenthal is [[PigeonholedVoiceActor best-known]] for his WideEyedIdealist KidHero roles such as [[WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce Ben Tennyson]], [[Literature/KyoKaraMaoh Yuri Shibuya]], and [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Simon]]; or flatout comedic ButtMonkey like [[VideoGame/{{Persona4}} Yosuke]]. However, ever since his PlayingAgainstType role as [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sasuke Uchiha]], he has been getting more dramatic roles that are very {{angst}}y such as [[Anime/TigerAndBunny Barnaby Brooks Jr.]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Cecil Harvey]] and [[Anime/CodeGeass Suzaku Kururugi]]. |
| 208 | ** Creator/ToshioFurukawa whose famous early role included Ataru Morobishi from ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' would also star as Sakamoto, goofy sidekick to Godai in ''Manga/MaisonIkkoku''. In ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'', he voices Oliver Poplin, who looks and acts like an older version of Sakamoto. Many of his comedic roles were snarky, cackling, pervy and clueless characters. Kai Shiden from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' started out this way but became more serious (just a little) due to CharacterizationMarchesOn. On the other hand, later on in his career, he also later voiced serious roles such as Shin from ''Anime/FistOfTheNorthStar'' and Freeman from ''Manga/CryingFreeman'' both of which were not only serious roles but handsome, alpha male characters. And then there's the gruff, humorless Piccolo from ''Anime/DragonballZ''. |
| 209 | * Martin Billany, a.k.a. Creator/LittleKuriboh, is an example among [=YouTubers=]. After admitting he suffers from depression, he scaled back his comedic output as seen on ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' and ''WebVideo/TheMarkRemark'' and focused for some time on ''We're Still Here'', a far more serious look at his struggles with depression. He's since returned to doing funny, light-hearted stuff, but ''We're Still Here'' still gets more updates than other [=LittleKuriboh=] segments, and increasing discomfort with what he sees as mean-spirited humor on ''The Mark Remark'' has indirectly resulted in his serious wrestling op-ed segment ''Mark My Words'' becoming more than a one-off thing. |
| 210 | * George Miller is another online example, first gaining widespread memetic popularity as the [[SurrealHumor surreal]], [[VulgarHumor vulgar]] and all-around oddball WebVideo/FilthyFrank series, and during this time Miller had dabbled in expressing himself through music, both as "Pink Guy" (a character in the series) and as himself under the title Music/{{Joji}}, the latter of which was much more personal and serious. By 2017, Filthy Frank concluded due to lacking interest in the project, and since then he's continued on a more sincere and dramatic music trajectory as Joji. |
| 211 | [[/folder]] |
| 212 | |
| 213 | [[folder:In-Universe Examples]] |
| 214 | * ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Baby-Doll. The backstory of Mary Dahl has her leave the successful [[DomCom family sitcom]] where she was the main character so that she could pursue a career as a serious dramatic actress. This failed spectacularly because nobody would take her seriously, partially because of a [[NeverGrewUp genetic disorder that stopped her aging at about age five]], and partially because she [[BadBadActing just wasn't a very good actress]]. She tried to go back to sitcoms, but by this time, she had already [[NiceCharacterMeanActor earned a reputation as a pain to work with]] and her career just ended, driving her to take on her Baby Doll persona as a criminal. |
| 215 | * ''Film/{{Imitation Of Life|1959}}'': Lora has a lot of success on Broadway as a comic actress. She insists on playing a dramatic part, much to the displeasure of David, who is both her lover and the writer of all those comedies. It works, as she gets even more acclaim and lands a part in an Italian art movie. |
| 216 | * Creator/ShelSilverstein's poem "Cloony the Clown" stars the titular clown, who tries his hardest to make people laugh with his circus tricks to no avail, which fills him with grief. Eventually, he gives up on comedy and instead outright tells his audience how miserable his life is. [[spoiler:[[SadClown This is what finally makes them laugh]], making Cloony even more depressed.]] |
| 217 | * In ''Film/ShowPeople'', slapstick comedy actress Peggy Pepper graduates from the ComedyGhetto and starts getting dramatic roles under the name Patricia Pepoire. It actually turns out bad for her career, as audiences find the "Patricia Pepoire" persona to be phony in comparison to plain old Peggy Pepper. |
| 218 | * ''Film/StardustMemories'': Sandy Bates wants to make more serious films. A Martian's advice? "Tell funnier jokes!" |
| 219 | * ''Film/SullivansTravels'': A director of comedies wants to make a serious film ''O Brother Where Art Thou'', and by the end of the film realizes that his comedies ''do'' have just as much of an impact on society as dramas do. |
| 220 | * Jeff Portnoy in ''Film/TropicThunder'' joined the filming of the titular movie because he was tired of being [[PigeonholedActor pigeonholed]] into low-brow ToiletHumor comedy roles (his previous claim to fame is a blatant parody of ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor1996'', with way more fart jokes). Tugg Speedman is a lesser example, with his prior films mostly being schlocky action-comedies, until he tried to play an InspirationallyDisadvantaged character in an OscarBait film, then a serious war biopic. |
| 221 | * In one episode of ''Series/TheBernieMacShow'', [[TheDanza Bernie,]] a famous stand up comedian/comedy actor, wanting to prove that he's a serious actor, was cast in a movie where he played a legendary football player. When Bernie shows his wife and friends a copy of the near finished film, they compliment his acting skills, until the movie gets to the part where the character becomes imobilized, and they laugh at the fact that he looks so ridiculous trying to act as if he were having a stroke. |
| 222 | * ''Series/Reboot2022'': Reed quit the cheesy sitcom ''Step Right Up'' to take serious roles in dramatic films and plays. He considers his comedic roots to be OldShame, and only returns to the show's reboot when he believes it's going to be more high-brow. When Gordon wants it to be shallow comedy again, he nearly quits again, until he realizes how badly he and his castmates need the job. |
| 223 | * ''Film/TheVelvetTouch'': Valerie is a Broadway actress who has starred in a long series of hit comedies produced hy her lover, Gordon. Valerie has gotten tired of comedy and wants to leave Gordon's employ to star in a heavy drama, ''Theatre/HeddaGabler''--and also she wants to break up with Gordon romantically as she's fallen in love with another man. Gordon refuses to let her leave him either professionaly or personally, and there's a violent confrontation. |
| 224 | [[/folder]] |
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