Comedy movies may not garner the critical reception that other genres receive. However, many of them possess thriving fandoms and eventually become cinematic landmarks. Beginning in the early 20th century, comedians and comedic actors started popping up everywhere. Whether it was Charlie Chaplin, Moms Mabley, Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, or several others, comedy performers have been going strong for over 100 years.

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The comedy world continued to grow throughout the century, introducing a new generation of comedic actors with each passing decade. After many successes in the 1960s and 1970s, comedy movies entered the 1980s with a lot of momentum and some of the funniest actors of all time. While some actors found more success than others, there's no denying who the best of the best was during the 80s.

Updated on November 30th, 2022 by Ajay Aravind: The comedy genre is stronger than ever. There are hundreds of stand-up specials on Netflix, Hulu, and various other streaming platforms, not to mention the dozens of new sitcoms released each year. That said, funny movies have taken somewhat of a backseat in the last ten years. However, Gen X viewers still remember their favorite comedy superstars from the 1980s. These names will always remain a permanent part of pop culture.

15 Lily Tomlin's Harsh Deadpan Style Of Humor Remains Her Calling Card To This Day

Lily Tomlin Dolly Parton Jane Fonda 9 to 5

Lily Tomlin's calling came during the sixties, when she starred in Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In before moving on to greener comedy pastures. She's had a long and fruitful career since then, including award-winning performances in The Late Show and Grandma. Tomlin's harsh deadpan style of humor remains her calling card to this day.

She's acted in several comedy movies throughout the 80s, such as Big Business, All of Me, and the wildly popular 9 to 5, starring alongside acting powerhouses Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. Tomlin has also won the Best Actress Tony Award for The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (1985), a hilarious one-woman stage comedy.

14 Arnold Schwarzenegger Was More Unintentionally Funny

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Twins

Arnold Schwarzenegger's big acting break came in 1984 with the science fiction blockbuster, The Terminator. While Arnold found success with Conan The Barbarian and its sequel earlier in the decade, The Terminator was the launching pad for the "Austrian Oak." Arnold would continue to dominate the action genre with hits like The Running Man and Predator, but his performance in Twins brought out the comedian in the former Mr. Olympia.

Playing an aloof and lovable man who finds out he has a twin brother, Arnold leaves his deserted island and travels to America. Twins may have been his only comedy of the decade, but Schwarzenegger's performances in nearly all his movies are filled with hilarious one-liners, enhanced by his unmistakable Austrian accent.

13 Eddie Murphy's Breakout Performance On SNL Led To High Profile Movie Parts

Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop

While Saturday Night Live had been running for several successful seasons before Eddie Murphy joined the cast, he singlehandedly changed the comedy landscape forever. Creating and playing characters like Mr. Robinson and Gumby, Murphy dominated the late-night show and used it as a launching pad to the silver screen.

Eddie's charisma was undeniable, and he ended up starring in some of the funniest comedy movies of the 80s. 48 Hrs. was released in 1982 and was Eddie Murphy's first major movie role, mixing his wild sense of humor with non-stop action. He followed it up with Trading Places, Coming to America, and the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, all beloved movies that featured Murphy at his best.

12 Bill Murray Capitalized On His SNL Success And Became A Comedy Legend

Bill Murray In Ghostbusters

Another legendary Saturday Night Live performer, Bill Murray was so funny that moving to the silver screen was all but inevitable. Murray's dry humor and quick wit made him a celebrity overnight, starring in Stripes and Caddyshack in the early 1980s. Both films are considered two of the best comedy films of all time and helped rocket Murray into the stratosphere.

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Murray played a supporting role in the hit movie Tootsie, following that with a starring role in one of the greatest sci-fi comedy films ever, Ghostbusters. Murray continued his dominance in the 1980s, finishing the decade with solid performances in Scrooged and Ghostbusters II.

11 Steve Martin Is A Legendary Comedian, Actor, Musician, And Writer

Steve Martin in Roxanne with bird on his nose

Steve Martin is a legendary comedian, actor, musician, and writer, consistently producing some of the funniest content of the 20th and 21st centuries. He earned the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, an incredibly prestigious comedy award. Comedy Central even listed Martin among the top ten stand-up comics in history.

His humorous '80s movies include Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Three Amigos, The Man with Two Brains, Parenthood, and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. Steve Martin's latest endeavor has also proven to be exceptionally successful — he stars in the 2021 sitcom Only Murders in the Building, along with the equally talented Selena Gomez and Martin Short.

10 Chevy Chase's Physical Performances And Deadpan Comedy Landed Him Big Roles

Chevy Chase in Vacation

Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy are two of the greatest Saturday Night Live alums. However, Chevy Chase was the first megastar on the legendary late-night TV show. Chase's physical comedy and deadpan reactions were second to none. That said, he left SNL after only a season and a half.

Chase later co-starred alongside Murray and Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack, stealing every scene in the legendary golf film. Chase's momentum subsequently led him to National Lampoon's Vacation and Fletch, two of the most underrated comedy movies ever written. Chase was consistently successful throughout the 80s with Spies Like Us, Three Amigos!, and several sequels in the Vacation and Fletch franchises.

9 Michael J. Fox Has Been Incredibly Successful As Both A TV and Movie Actor

Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future

Michael J. Fox was crushing it on the small screen with Family Ties in the early 1980s, which led to the actor starring in Back to the Future. Interestingly, Fox's breakout role in Back To The Future almost never happened because of his busy schedule on Family Ties. However, after Eric Stoltz was released from Back To The Future, director Robert Zemeckis pleaded with the Family Ties creators to share Fox.

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Thankfully, Fox was able to take on the film, marking his first huge movie role. Fox acted in Family Ties for 172 episodes and found additional success on the big screen with Teen Wolf and Back To The Future sequels. For a time, Fox dominated the small and big screens in the 1980s, cementing him as an acting icon of his generation.

8 Jamie Lee Curtis Is A Brilliant Comic Genius In Her Own Right

Jamie Lee Curtis A Fish Called Wanda

Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of Janet Leigh, who made a name for herself playing Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Her father Tony Curtis was one of the finest comedy actors in Hollywood history. Jamie Lee Curtis began her journey with Operation Petticoat, a '70s sitcom, but later became known for her iconic roles in horror movies like Halloween.

Curtis' performance as the titular character in 1988's A Fish Called Wanda garnered her widespread acclaim. This comedy actress eventually earned a Golden Globe for playing Helen Tasker in True Lies (1994), but she deserved this award long before she finally got it.

7 Rodney Dangerfield Stole Every Scene With His Booming Voice And Reactions

Rodney Dangerfield Caddyshack

Although his movie credentials not be as long as other actors, Rodney Dangerfield's performances in each film always stole the show. Dangerfield began as a stand-up comic and had memorable performances on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1948, making the legendary host laugh out loud.

He would become one of the best stand-up comics of all time, portraying himself as a regular guy who's dissatisfied with his life. Rodney would have several guest spots on SNL and The Tonight Show, eventually leading to his first movie, Caddyshack. In addition to his stand-up success, Dangerfield would star in two underrated 80s comedies, Back To School and Easy Money.

6 Leslie Nielsen's Deadpan Helped Make Spoofs The Funniest Comedies On The Big Screen

Leslie Nielsen in Airplane!

A well-respected dramatic actor from the 1950s to 1970s, Leslie Nielsen changed course and focused on comedies during the 1980s. His first major breakout comedy performance came in the 1980 spoof movie, Airplane! Nielsen plays the hysterical Dr. Rumack, one of the best supporting comedy roles of the decade.

Nielsen would also star in the short-lived TV series, Police Squad! as Detective Frank Drebin. The show served as a basis for The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!, one of the greatest parody movies ever made. Nielsen's performance as Frank Drebin was perfect and is still one of the greatest deadpan comedy performances.

5 John Candy's Lovable Personality Made His On-Screen Performances Unforgettable

John Candy in The Great Outdoors

John Candy is considered one of the funniest Canadian character actors ever, starting out in drama clubs at his community college. Candy rose to fame upon joining the Toronto-based comedy group Second City, which included future stars Catherine O'Hara and Rick Moranis. Candy quickly became a fan favorite on SCTV, thanks to his quirky sense of humor and perfect impersonations.

His early movie roles included Stripes, Splash, and National Lampoon's Vacation, which garnered the attention of other filmmakers. His larger-than-life performances in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Spaceballs, and The Great Outdoors are still beloved to this day.

4 Kathleen Turner Is Unquestionably Among the Funniest Performers Of Her Generation

Kathleen Turner Peggy Sue Got Married

Mary Kathleen Turner is best known for portraying Chandler Bing's father Charles in Friends, but the actress' comedy career originally started in the 1980s. With numerous Golden Globe and Tony Awards under her belt, Turner is unquestionably among the finest performers of her generation.

She has acted in countless comedies and genre hybrids, from Body Heat and Crimes of Passion to Romancing the Stone and Peggy Sue Got Married. Arguably Turner's most famous role is Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Despite her character's animated origins, Turner turns Jessica into a truly memorable 1980s landmark.

3 Tom Hanks Starred In A Hilarious 80s Sitcom And Several Buddy Comedies Before His Dramatic Turn

Tom Hanks in Bachelor Party

Before Tom Hanks nailed his roles in Forrest Gump and Philadelphia, the young actor starred in the hit sitcom Bosom Buddies, as well as several lighthearted comedy movies. After his television success in the early 1980s, Hanks landed the lead role in Splash despite auditioning for a supporting role.

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Splash was a financial success and served as Hanks' jumping-off point, leading to comedies such as Bachelor Party, Volunteers, and The Money Pit. However, Hanks' best performances in the 80s would come towards the end of the decade with hits like Big, The Burbs, and Turner & Hooch.

2 Gene Wilder's Domination Of 1970s Comedy Films Trickled Into The 1980s

Gene Wilder in See No Evil Hear No Evil

After impressive performances in the 1970s, such as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Gene Wilder brought his success into the 80s. Continuing his perfect pairing with comedian Richard Pryor from the prior decade, Wilder began the 80s with the hilarious film Stir Crazy.

Wilder's solo success continued with underrated comedies such as Hanky Panky, The Woman in Red, and Haunted Honeymoon. However, his best film of the decade reunited him with Richard Pryor in the timeless comedy, See No Evil, Hear No Evil. This movie was the last time these two actors shared the screen.

1 Jackie Chan Is One Of The Most Influential Comedy Actors Of All Time

Jackie Chan Movie Still

Nobody has shaped the action-comedy genre as much as Jackie Chan, who effectively ensured the rise of martial arts movies on a global scale. Chan's innovative combat style incorporates everything from circus acrobatics to Charlie Chaplin-esque slapstick, making him one of the most influential comedy actors of the 20th century.

That said, Jackie Chan failed to make headway among Western audiences until well into the 1980s, beginning with movies like Wheels on Meals and Armour of God. Chan remains universally popular to this day — Andrew Willis, a noted movie critic and scholar, referred to him as "the most recognized film star in the world."

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