Comedy movies have been around since the inception of film. While many highly-valued actors have come and gone through the comedy genre, a lot of the most talented performers are still going strong. Although many of these talents have ventured off into action and or dramatic films, they seem to always return to what brought them to the dance.
Whether they have found success in Oscar-contending movies or major studio action movie franchises, these actors have shown that they can do it all. No matter how successful they've become, these thespians either return to comedy movies or have brought their comedic chops to their respective projects.
10 Chris Pratt's Comedic Start On TV Helped Him Launch A Movie Star Career
Many fans may not have thought that the funny guy from Parks And Recreation would become one of the biggest movie stars. Pratt had small roles in Moneyball and Zero Dark Thirty, but his true breakout performance came in 2014's Guardians Of The Galaxy.
Pratt's Star-Lord proved he could mix comedy with action in both of Guardians films. Pratt would also bring his humor and action to the Jurassic World films, plus he continued his MCU journey as Star-Lord in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
9 Ryan Reynolds Early TV Success Transitioned Into One Of Hollywood's Biggest Careers
Ryan Reynolds got his first big break on the TV show 2 Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place. Reynolds would move on to comedies such as Van Wilder and Waiting, where he played the fast-talking boy who didn't care about anything except himself. He also starred in romantic comedies Just Friends, The Proposal, and Definitely, Maybe, all entertaining films that cemented him as a leading man.
Reynolds would also go on to star in several successful action movies, including Smokin' Aces and Deadpool, the latter of which became the highest-grossing R-rated superhero movie of all time.
8 Steve Carell's Early Movies & The Office Made Him A Big Time Player On The Silver Screen
Steve Carell had some minor roles in the early 2000s, such as Evan in Bruce Almighty. He eventually hit the TV jackpot with The Office. Carell would find major success with his roles in Anchorman and The 40-Year Old Virgin, with the latter being the first movie he headlined.
Carell would venture into more dramatic and action roles. Most fans associate Carell with his dry humor. He became even bigger as the voice of Gru, the villain turned hero in the animated franchise, Despicable Me.
7 Vince Vaughn's Mid-'90s Success Guided Him To Some Of The Funniest Roles In Movie History
Vince Vaughn's first breakout role came in the mid-1990s hit, Swingers. He's since become a staple of comedy movies in the 21st Century. Returning to his comedy routes in 2003 with Old School, Vaughn also made a cameo in Anchorman and Starsky And Hutch. 2005's Wedding Crashers remains his greatest performance to date.
Wedding Crashers starred Vaughn and Owen Wilson as two single guys who crash weddings to meet women. Vaughn would continue his comedic dominance with hits like The Break-Up, Couples Retreat, The Internship, The Watch, and many more that left viewers in stitches.
6 Will Ferrell Started As An SNL Cast Member But Is Now Considered One Of The Funniest Actors
One of the greatest cast members of Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell's TV success would lead him into countless memorable movie roles over the past 20 years. Ferrell would star in Old School and Anchorman, in addition to having two hilarious cameos in Starsky And Hutch and Wedding Crashers.
Ferrell would co-star in goofball comedy movies such as Blades Of Glory, Step Brothers, Semi-Pro, Talladega Nights, and Get Hard. These films proved Ferrell can bring the laughs no matter what the comedic challenge is.
5 Owen Wilson's Laid Back Persona Comes Across Hilariously
Owen Wilson had minor roles in Anaconda, Meet The Parents and several other semi-successful movies in the late 20th century and early 21st century. Wilson would co-star in Starsky And Hutch, Wedding Crashers, and You, Me, And Dupree, three of the best comedy movies of the past 20 years.
Wilson would also venture into some dramatic roles, such as Midnight In Paris and No Escape. He would continue his comedic ways in comedy hits such as Hall Pass, The Internship, and Masterminds. Wilson even joined the MCU in 2021s Loki, playing Agent Mobius and becoming an ally of the God Mischief.
4 Ben Stiller Came From Comedic Parents But Made The Big Time On His Own Accord
Ben Stiller, following in his parents' footsteps, has been going strong on television and movies since the early 1990s. Stiller would co-star in Starsky And Hutch, Meet The Fockers, and Along Came Polly, as well as having a hilarious cameo in Anchorman.
Stiller starred in and directed the legendary comedy, Tropic Thunder, which featured a huge cast of A-list celebrities. In addition to starring in The Heartbreak Kid and Little Fockers, Stiller would also lend his voice to Megamind. Stiller also starred in several movies in the Night At The Museum franchise.
3 Jason Bateman Is A Rare Child Actor That Broke The Mold
Jason Bateman was a young teenage star throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s but would later find success in some early 21st-century comedy movies. Bateman had memorable supporting roles, such as The Break-Up. Bateman also featured in dramatic movies such as Smokin' Aces and The Kingdom.
Bateman would co-star in some of the best comedies of the century, including The Change-Up, Horrible Bosses 1 and 2, Identity Thief, and Bad Words. He also returned to his breakout TV show, Arrested Development, and is currently starring in the Netflix hit, Ozark.
2 Seth Rogen Found Early TV Success But Would Break Through In Judd Apatow Movies
Seth Rogen had a modest beginning on television in the late 1990s. This led the Freaks And Geeks star to find minor roles in films such as Anchorman and You, Me, And Dupree. His first big role was in Judd Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which led him to star in Apatow's follow-up movie, Knocked Up.
After Knocked Up, Rogen became a made man in the comedy movie world, co-starring in Superbad, Observe And Report, Pineapple Express, This Is The End, Sausage Party, and several more. Recently, Rogen brought Pumbaa to life in The Lion King and co-starred with Charlize Theron in the underrated political comedy, Long Shot.
1 Jonah Hill Is An Award-Winning Actor That Has Flourished In Drama & Comedy
Jonah Hill's first memorable role was as a befuddled young customer in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which helped get him a role as Seth Rogen's friend in Knocked Up. After another small, yet funny role in Accepted, Hill would co-star in the teenage megahit comedy, Superbad.
Hill would star in several other successful projects before taking a role in the baseball drama, Moneyball, earning him an Oscar nomination. Hill would play a huge role in the Martin Scorcese dramedy, The Wolf Of Wall Street, where he shared all his scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio. Hill balanced his dramatic roles with comedic movies such as This Is The End, 21 and 22 Jump Street, War Dogs, and Don't Look Up.