• 2 years ago
These dramatic actors showed off their comedic chops on sitcoms. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for serious actors who are seriously funny when they appear on sitcoms!

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00:00 Annunciation is the mark of a good actor.
00:03 And when you enunciate, you spit.
00:06 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for serious actors who are
00:12 seriously funny when they appear on sitcoms.
00:15 She doesn't know what's happening, but I've seen everything.
00:19 Again.
00:20 Number 20.
00:21 Leonard Nimoy, The Simpsons The Simpsons has a long tradition of celebrity
00:26 guests.
00:27 While there are so many to choose from, our pick goes to Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy.
00:32 The late Star Trek icon appears in the famed episode "Marge vs. the Monorail" as himself.
00:38 Nimoy helps announce Springfield's ill-advised monorail and is mistaken for someone else
00:43 by the mayor.
00:44 And let me say, may the force be with you.
00:48 Do you even know who I am?
00:50 I think I do.
00:51 Weren't you one of the little rascals?
00:53 While taking a trip on the town's new transportation system, Nimoy saves the life of Krusty the
00:58 Clown.
00:59 Although his comments on the solar eclipse aren't appreciated by his fellow passengers,
01:04 we enjoy them.
01:05 Solar eclipse.
01:06 The cosmic ballet goes on.
01:10 Does anyone want to switch seats?
01:12 And if his disappearance at the end of the episode is anything to go by, Mr. Nimoy's
01:17 presence may be more important than they realize.
01:20 Number 19.
01:21 Jon Voight, Seinfeld.
01:23 George Costanza is always eager to stand out.
01:26 So when a used car salesman offers him a car that supposedly belonged to Jon Voight, he
01:32 jumps at the chance.
01:33 I got a LeBaron convertible right here.
01:34 And I. Not interested.
01:35 It's got a few more miles on it, but the previous owner was Jon Voight.
01:42 However, despite his love of LeBaron and its contents, including a chewed up pencil, some
01:48 things don't add up.
01:49 Like the spelling of the previous owner's name.
01:52 However, a new opportunity arises when his friend Kramer runs into Jon Voight on the
01:57 street.
01:58 Kramer chases the actor down only for Voight to bite him.
02:06 And while we get that tested, Kramer and George hatch a scheme to compare the teeth marks
02:11 on the pencil to those on Kramer's arm.
02:13 It's a short but hilariously biting cameo.
02:17 Number 18.
02:19 Anthony LaPaglia – Fraser Anthony LaPaglia may be known primarily for
02:24 appearing in crime dramas, but one of his most acclaimed roles was in this sitcom.
02:29 The Australian actor appears in a recurring part as Daphne Moon's brother Simon.
02:43 In Odious Leck, who's inexplicably popular with women, Simon is an occasional visitor
02:48 to Seattle, where he makes himself an unwanted guest of Niles and Fraser Crane.
02:53 While he may drive the Crane brothers and his sister up the wall, Simon is a wildly
02:58 entertaining character.
03:00 He's funny enough that LaPaglia's performance earned him an Emmy Award.
03:16 Number 17.
03:17 Edward Norton – Modern Family We'll forgive you if you fail to recognize
03:21 that Edward Norton is even in the show, since he's borderline unrecognizable in this role.
03:27 In the first season, Claire Dunphy decides to get her husband Phil an anniversary present
03:41 – a singer from his favorite band.
03:43 The singer, Izzy LaFontaine, is played by Norton, who has a ridiculous hairstyle and
03:49 goatee, not to mention an English accent.
04:00 However, it turns out that Phil has never heard of LaFontaine's band, and that their
04:06 song is something else entirely.
04:09 Nevertheless, husband and wife are brought closer together, and we're treated to a
04:13 great Edward Norton comedic cameo.
04:17 Number 16.
04:18 Charlize Theron – Arrested Development Charlize Theron is an Oscar-winning actress
04:23 known for dramatic and action-oriented films, but her turn on the small screen in a comedic
04:29 part is great too.
04:31 She makes several appearances in Arrested Development's third season, playing Rita
04:35 Leeds.
04:43 Rita is a quirky British woman whom Michael falls for, and surprisingly manages to date.
04:49 The rest of the Bluth family suspects her of being a spy.
04:53 However, the truth is a little different.
04:55 Playing someone with lower-than-average mental faculties can be tricky, but Theron's turn
05:00 as Rita is adorable, sweet, and quite funny.
05:16 Number 15.
05:17 Michael Douglas – Will & Grace As a veteran actor, Michael Douglas has all
05:22 kinds of range, but comedy from him is not as common.
05:26 So it was a real treat when he appeared on Will & Grace.
05:29 Douglas plays Gavin, a detective who assists Will in finding his missing laptop.
05:36 However, Jack learns at a support group that Gavin lied to Will to get closer to him, since
05:48 he came out later in life and isn't comfortable asking men on dates yet.
05:52 Between his and Will's undercover time at a gay bar and Will eventually getting the
05:56 truth out of him, Douglas' performance is pure comedy joy.
06:10 Number 14.
06:11 Bruce Willis – Friends While Bruce Willis is known as an action star,
06:16 most of his work also involves at least some comedy.
06:20 He certainly works those familiar muscles on Friends.
06:23 Willis plays Paul Stevens, who is the father of Elizabeth, the college student Ross is
06:28 dating.
06:37 In just a few episodes, Willis really shows his range, going from the overprotective father
06:42 to letting his emotions out.
06:45 Maybe a little too much.
06:46 The easy highlight of his time on the show, though, is Paul's pep talk to himself in
06:51 the mirror.
06:58 Whether you think he's a love machine or not, Bruce Willis is definitely the man.
07:03 Number 13.
07:04 James Earl Jones – The Big Bang Theory When the rest of his friends go to Comic Con
07:09 without him, Sheldon Cooper is determined to start his own convention, with James Earl
07:14 Jones as a guest.
07:23 While Sheldon's luck with celebrities usually ends with a restraining order, Jones actually
07:28 hits it off with Sheldon.
07:29 The two spend the night hanging out.
07:32 After dinner, karaoke, and pranking Carrie Fisher, the duo ends up in a sauna.
07:37 Bruce does a great job playing an exaggerated version of himself.
07:52 Although his tendency to pontificate does end up annoying Sheldon by the end of the
07:56 night, we'd gladly trade places with him.
08:00 Number 12.
08:01 Colin Farrell – Scrubs Colin Farrell has excellent comedic chops,
08:15 even if many of his roles are in dramas.
08:17 The Irish actor plays Billy Callaghan, a man who accompanies a patient to Sacred Heart
08:22 Hospital.
08:23 He's immediately popular around the hospital, both for his carefree attitude and way with
08:29 women, and Todd.
08:30 However, it eventually comes out that Billy got in a bar fight with the patient in question,
08:35 and he stuck around out of responsibility.
08:38 Although J.D. and Turk are obligated to report him to the police, Billy forgives them, even
08:43 if the rest of the staff don't.
08:55 Number 11.
08:57 J.K. Simmons – Brooklyn Nine-Nine While we were tempted to include Sterling K.
09:01 Brown's appearance, we ultimately elected for J.K.
09:05 Simmons instead, since his role is more traditionally funny.
09:09 Simmons plays Detective Dillman, an old colleague of the 99th Precinct's captain, Raymond
09:14 Holt.
09:26 Brought in to solve a whodunit prank, Dillman immediately proves hyper-competent, if overly
09:32 serious.
09:33 His ability to know everything about someone from a single response is absurd.
09:37 However, he ultimately frames Jake for the crime, hoping to get recommended for a task
09:42 force.
09:43 Jake exposes him, and the fact that he's working at Yarn Barn.
09:56 Simmons brings a hilarious deadpan energy to the role, and we just wish Brooklyn Nine-Nine
10:01 had doubled back on this character.
10:04 Number 10.
10:05 Sam Elliott – Parks and Recreation Most famous for his roles in westerns, Sam
10:24 Elliott's terse demeanor and gravelly voice make him a perfect casting for Ron Dunn, the
10:29 Eagleton counterpart of Parks and Rec regular Ron Swanson.
10:38 However, while the two appear similar at first, their differences soon become apparent and
10:46 hilarious when it's revealed that Dunn is a hippie, contrasting with Swanson's more
10:51 conservative opinions.
10:53 Despite his differences with his counterpart, Dunn remains an occasional dispenser of wise,
10:59 offbeat advice to several characters on the show during his sporadic appearances.
11:16 Number 9.
11:17 Martin Sheen – Two and a Half Men Given that the show stars Charlie Sheen, it
11:31 only seems natural for Two and a Half Men to have had his father Martin Sheen guest
11:35 star at some point.
11:37 The elder Sheen, known for his weighty dramatic roles in film and TV alike, plays Harvey,
11:42 the dad of Charlie's neighbor.
11:44 At first appearing to be overbearing, Harvey soon manages to romance Charlie's mother
11:49 and eventually reveals that he's every bit as kooky as his daughter is.
12:05 Sheen's serious reputation and acting only make Harvey's absurd turn that much funnier.
12:12 Number 8.
12:13 Jonathan Banks – Modern Family In a single guest appearance in the show's
12:18 second season, Jonathan Banks portrays Donnie Pritchett, the brother of the family's patriarch
12:23 Jay.
12:24 Contrary to Banks' reputation for stoic and laconic roles, Donnie is loud and prone
12:38 to getting into petty, immature fights with his brother.
12:50 While the role does have some dramatic weight to it, as Donnie reveals to Jay that he has
12:55 cancer, there's no getting around how hilarious some of his pranks and other altercations
12:59 with his sibling are.
13:00 Like that wet willy.
13:02 Number 7.
13:03 Brad Pitt – Friends Thanksgiving episodes were usually special
13:13 occasions on Friends, and season 8 saw a one-off appearance by Brad Pitt as Will Colbert, an
13:19 old friend of Ross and Monica's.
13:21 Because he used to be heavily overweight and was teased in high school, Will resented the
13:26 popular Rachel.
13:35 This led Will and a reluctant Ross to form an "I hate Rachel" green club, while also
13:40 starting a rumor that she was born with both male and female genitalia.
13:51 Brad Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston at the time, so seeing him play completely
13:56 against his real feelings is really funny to see.
14:08 Number 6.
14:09 Matt Damon – Will and Grace Though we considered giving this spot to Matt
14:18 Damon's very funny recurring role on 30 Rock, ultimately we had to go with his singular
14:23 appearance here.
14:25 On Will and Grace, Damon plays Owen, a man contending with Jack to be in the Manhattan
14:30 Gay Men's Chorus.
14:42 Jack discovers Owen is actually straight and seeks to prove it to take out his competition
14:47 for the spot.
14:49 Seeing Damon trade shade with Jack is utterly hysterical, and we'd have loved to see him
14:54 do it more.
15:04 Number 5.
15:05 Jon Hamm – 30 Rock Though Jon Hamm's roles are far from humorless,
15:16 he really gets to stretch his comedic legs with this one.
15:20 Hamm plays Dr. Drew Baird, a pediatrician and the neighbor of protagonist Liz Lemon,
15:25 whom she dates.
15:26 Though quite handsome, Drew is also rather dimwitted and clumsy, only getting by on his
15:32 good looks.
15:33 It's a lot of fun seeing the actor famed for his suave, confident characters play such
15:38 a lovable doofus, one who's dumb enough to lose both hands in two separate yet equally
15:44 idiotic ways.
15:59 Liz herself sums him up best.
16:19 Renowned for his Shakespearean training and weighty dramatic performances, Patrick Stewart
16:24 is no stranger to comedy.
16:26 His guest spot on Frasier was also a contender for our list.
16:32 Still, who knew one of his funniest performances would be as himself?
16:39 Serious protagonist Andy approaches Stewart while working on a production of The Tempest
16:44 in the hopes of getting the actor to help him pitch a script of his.
16:48 However, Stewart shares an idea of his own for a story in which he can remove women's
16:53 clothes with his mind.
17:02 And when viewers watch the acclaimed thespian describe his absurd and lewd idea with a straight
17:07 face, you might then say, "You've seen everything."
17:24 Number 3.
17:25 Idris Elba – The Office Famous for his tough and gritty characters,
17:32 Idris Elba has an equally difficult job in his role on The Office, keeping it together
17:37 opposite the show's hilarious stars.
17:40 Elba plays Charles Miner, paper company Dunder Mifflin's serious vice president, who often
17:45 acts as the straight man to the antics of the Scranton branch's workers, finding himself
17:51 frequently exasperated by their lack of focus on their work.
18:05 Though usually critical and uncompromising, Charles can also be a bit of a suck-up to
18:10 his own boss, which is a funny contrast with his normal demeanor.
18:24 Number 2.
18:44 Michael Keaton – Frasier Though he got his start in comedy on film,
18:45 these days, Michael Keaton is known for his dramatic chops.
18:47 However, his return to comedic form on Frasier was something special.
18:52 Keaton plays Blaine Sternan, the former brother-in-law of the titular psychiatrist and reformed con
18:58 artist apparently turned paraplegic preacher.
19:01 Blaine's shady misdeeds and enthusiastic Bible-thumping are entertaining enough, but
19:14 Frasier's gung-ho attempts to prove that he's still up to his old tricks lead to
19:18 some laugh-out-loud moments, including a rather embarrassing faux pas during Blaine's sermon.
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19:48 Number 1.
19:49 Gary Oldman – Friends Academy Award-winning actor Gary Oldman
20:06 plays Academy Award-winning actor Richard Crosby on Friends.
20:10 Er, actually, we meant nominated.
20:23 Crosby appears opposite Joey in a film in the two-part season 7 finale.
20:28 While his drunken state in the second half is hilarious in its own right, the real crowning
20:33 jewel takes place in part 1 when Crosby attempts to teach Joey how to be a better actor through
20:38 over-enunciation and spitting, parodying Oldman's own distinctive, big acting style.
20:45 The duo's attempts to one-up each other while spraying each other with saliva is absolute
20:49 comic gold.
20:52 What's your fave comedic turn by a dramatic actor?
21:04 Let us know in the comments!
21:26 [music]

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