12 Times Comedy Actors Surprised Us With A Serious Role

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It takes a unique set of skills to pull off comedy. Making audiences laugh requires a delicate balance of timing, poise, sharp line delivery, and, often, the right personality. So, when an actor manages to secure their place as a staple of the comedy business, it's a major feat in and of itself. And if that actor then goes on to prove that they've also got dramatic chops? In entertainment, that's close to a miracle.

Accomplished actor and stand-up comedian Kevin Hart is the latest funnyman to take a more dramatic turn, putting up a masterclass in searing emotional vulnerability in "Fatherhood." In the film, Hart plays Matt, a successful businessman whose picture-perfect life is shattered when his wife dies after giving birth to their first child. Although Matt is completely unprepared to go it alone as a single parent, especially given the extreme grief he's suffering after losing his wife, he decides to step up for the sake of his daughter and experiences all of the highs and lows of parenthood. Sure, some of Matt's experiences as a new dad are quite comical, taking full advantage of Hart's expert timing and quick wit, but there are also many, many moments of tenderness, self-reflection, and outright despair that show just how well Hart can tug on our heartstrings.

Hart's ability to transcend his already-impressive status as an all-star comedic talent makes his "Fatherhood" performance truly unforgettable. It also catapults Hart onto an impressive list of fellow comedians who've also managed to excel in dramatic roles. Here's a look at some of the other times well-known comedy actors managed to surprise us with their more serious sides.

"Happy Gilmore" star Adam Sandler is one of the most prolific comedic actors of all time. After graduating from comedy clubs to Studio 8H as an all-star cast member of "Saturday Night Live," Sandler became an instant A-lister thanks to leading roles in "Gilmore" and "Billy Madison," and went on to keep the hits coming for decades. "The Wedding Singer," "The Waterboy," and the surprisingly heartfelt "Big Daddy" cemented Sandler's reputation as one of the most popular on-screen comedians, while his recent output, which includes "The Ridiculous 6," "The Do-Over," "Sandy Wexler," "The Week Of," "Murder Mystery," and "Hubie Halloween," still makes audiences laugh. 

Along the way, though, Sandler has also impressed critics with his more dramatic roles. As a serious actor, Sandler first turned heads with his stirring turn as anxiety-riddled Barry Egan in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Punch-Drunk Love," which proved that Sandler didn't need to rely on any of his signature bits to make an impression. The performance netted Sandler a Golden Globe nomination and an all-new level of respect from the critical crowd. Sandler continued to blend humor with heart in Noah Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories," and he really blew folks away with his work in the Safdie Brothers' "Uncut Gems." There, Sandler plays Howard Ratner, an ambitious jeweler who hopes to make a big score with a rare stone and some key sports wagers in order to stave off dangerous debt collectors. Sandler's performance in the film is absolutely chaotic and electric, and assured his status as a multi-faceted screen talent forevermore.

Whenever Hollywood needs someone to commit to the wackiest performances imaginable, it calls Jim Carrey. Ever since his early days in standup and sketch comedy, Carrey has been a performer like no other. From his wild character work on "In Living Color" to his uniquely bonkers performances in films like "The Mask," "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," "Dumb and Dumber," and "Bruce Almighty," Carrey has proven himself again and again to be a singular screen presence with no limits to how well he can sell absurdist comedy.

And yet, Carrey has also managed to impress with stellar work in a few dramas. In "The Truman Show," for example, Carrey managed to blend his physical comedy gifts with a resonant, heartfelt, and genuine performance. Similarly, he delivered a touching and eerily accurate portrayal of the enigmatic Andy Kaufman in the biopic "Man on the Moon." Both performances earned Carrey Golden Globes.

Carrey's most arresting dramatic turn, though, came in the 2004 sci-fi drama "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," in which he starred opposite Kate Winslet. In "Eternal Sunshine," Carrey plays a man in a relationship so broken that both halves of the couple undergo an experimental procedure that erases their memories of one another. Carrey's Joel Barish, however, has second thoughts after the procedure is already underway, and the movie follows his mental journey as he tries to hide memories of his love in the corners of his mind as he relives his best and worst experiences with Winslet's Clementine. Not only is "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" incredibly original and bittersweet, thanks largely to the script by Charlie Kaufman, but Carrey's performance is riveting. Afterwards, no one would think of Carrey as being beholden to comedy ever again.

Speaking of actors with endless talent, Robin Williams began his career as another supernova on the comedy scene, performing delightfully rowdy standup routines in California. The talented comedian quickly made it into the mainstream, however, with his starring role in ABC's "Mork & Mindy" in the late '70s. From there, Williams proved to be one of the most electrifying voices in entertainment, cementing his status as a perpetual tour de force in films like "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Aladdin," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Jumanji," "The Birdcage," and so many others.

But as wacky as Williams could be, he was also more than capable of delivering the goods in dramas, as evidenced in 1997's "Good Will Hunting." Though Williams had previously shown off his dramatic chops in "Dead Poets Society," "The Fisher King," and "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Good Will Hunting" came on the heels of a seriously silly performance in "Flubber," and showcased a starkly different set of skills. Williams played a doting, deeply thoughtful therapist who finds solace speaking with his troubled, but brilliant, patient, and won an Oscar for his trouble. There was never any doubt of Williams' value, but "Good Will Hunting" proved once and for all that Williams was a true treasure.

Whether you've been a fan of Melissa McCarthy since her days as Sookie St. James on "Gilmore Girls" and Dena on "Samantha Who?" or if you came to know her thanks to her laugh-out-loud performances in more recent projects like "Bridesmaids," "Spy," and "Thunder Force," you already know that she is a commanding comic presence in any project she tackles.

You may not know, however, that McCarthy has a knack for drama as well. In 2018 crime drama "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" McCarthy plays struggling biographer Lee Israel, who turns to a life of authorial forgery after her book sales plummet. Not only does McCarthy truly own the character's desperation, but she also brings an elegant sensibility to the screen. McCarthy might've broken out with her riotous role in "Bridesmaids" — she even earned an Oscar nomination for it — but the critics were so stunned by her revelatory work in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" that the Academy gave her a second nod.

Another sitcom legend who has flexed his dramatic muscle with great success is Ray Romano. Romano might have become a household name because of his eponymous family sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," but in Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman," his character is no laughing matter.

Romano starred in the gangster epic as Bill Bufalino, a union lawyer with loose morals who defends crooked Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa and helps Robert De Niro's Frank Sheeran get an "in" with his cousin's crime family. Romano has also been a reliable dramatic presence in films like "The Big Sick," "Paddleton," and "Bad Education," but his performance in "The Irishman" is particularly poised and sharp, showing that Romano doesn't even need to crack a smile on-screen to steal a scene.

Kevin Hart has come a long way since competing at amateur comedy contests back in the early '00s. After paying his dues on the comedy club circuit, then breaking into the screen scene with early roles in TV's "Undeclared" and "The Big House," Hart became a marquee name for his work in buddy-comedy films like "Ride Along," "Central Intelligence," and the "Jumanji" series, although he's kept his standup skills sharp with his recent Netflix special.

As such, even before "Fatherhood," Hart had already established himself as one of Tinseltown's premiere talents. Now, audiences get to see an all-new side of him. As Matt, Hart takes the unexpected challenge of playing a father raising a child alone as a chance to show just how much he can do. In "Fatherhood," Hart's character soon finds that there's more to being a dad than sheer determination. He has to make some very hard decisions about what's best for his daughter, and learns to put her above his own emotional needs. Between the scenes showing Mike experiencing the unthinkable and those in which he has to make some truly tough choices, Hart's ability to reach deep and convey so much emotional truth through his performance makes this a role — and a movie — that audiences won't soon forget.