10 Comedy Performances That Are Perfect (2024)

Way back during the very early years of cinema as a storytelling medium, a distinction was quickly made between dramas and comedies. For over a century, comedies, in all their vastly different presentations, have been among audiences' favorite genres. These movies provide amusing escapism, but their ability to also serve as powerful works of art often goes underappreciated.

As is the case in any well-made drama, good performances are crucial to a comedy movie working properly. Thankfully, throughout the history of cinema, a few comedic performances have been virtually flawless. From purely hilarious efforts, like Robin Williams as the Genie from Aladdin, to portrayals that are much more emotionally layered, like the iconic Marilyn Monroe as Sugar from Some Like It Hot, these are the best comedy performances in movies, unforgettable celebrations of the power of humor as a crucial part of acting.

10 Meg Ryan as Sally Albright

'When Harry Met Sally' (1989)

Written by Nora Ephron, queen of delightful '80s and '90s rom-coms, When Harry Met Sally is one of the all-time best comedies. It's about a man and woman who have known each other for years and become very good friends but fear that sex may ruin their relationship. Some of its elements feel a little dated in hindsight, but the utterly iconic When Harry Met Sally has nevertheless aged like fine wine.

One of the movie's greatest strengths is Meg Ryan's performance as the titular Sally Albright. Smart, sensitive, and idealistic to a fault, Sally has a personality that paradoxically clashes with and is complemented by Billy Crystal's Harry. The two actors' chemistry is off-the-charts, but as an individual performance, Ryan's is unbelievably good. She's a scene-stealer at the forefront of the film's most iconic moments, including the now-iconic restaurant scene, balancing humor and emotion perfectly.

When Harry Met Sally

R

Comedy

Drama

Romance

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

January 12, 1989

Director

Rob Reiner

Cast

Billy Crystal , Meg Ryan , Carrie Fisher , Bruno Kirby , Steven Ford , Lisa Jane Persky

Runtime

96 minutes

Writers

Nora Ephron

9 John Candy as Del Griffith

'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' (1987)

John Candy starred in a number of hilarious and endlessly rewatchable movies, but it would be hard to argue against Planes, Trains and Automobiles being his best film. It's about an advertising man from Chicago (Steve Martin) who struggles to travel home for Thanksgiving, accompanied by a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman (Candy).

It's mainly the hilarious Martin-Candy duo that has helped the movie stand the test of time, but it's primarily Candy's performance that has gone down in history as one of the best and most endlessly entertaining in the comedy genre. Aside from being the main source of life for the audience, he's also the beating heart and shining soul of the film. As endearing as he is irresistibly funny and engaging, Del Griffith is a testament to the brilliance of John Candy as a comedic actor.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

R

Comedy

Drama

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

See Also

10 Kurt Russell Comedy Movies That Prove He's HilariousPrime Video top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching nowThe Best Iconic Movie Performances With Less Than 20 Minutes Of Screentime, Ranked - SlashFilmThe 10 Best Hugh Jackman Movies, Ranked

*Availability in US

Release Date

November 26, 1987

Director

John Hughes

Cast

Steve Martin , John Candy , Laila Robins , Michael McKean , Kevin Bacon , Dylan Baker

Runtime

93

Writers

John Hughes

8 Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Kane

'Some Like It Hot' (1959)

Having been one of the most influential, prolific, and popular filmmakers of Hollywood's Golden Age, it's no surprise that Billy Wilder worked with pretty much every well-known star of the time, including the legendary Marilyn Monroe. The actress's best performance is arguably in Wilder's Some Like It Hot, one of the best-ever comedies of errors about two men who have to dress up as women and hide among an all-female band after they witness a mob hit.

Monroe plays Sugar, an unlucky singer with a heart of gold and the tritagonist of the film. The character is a smart subversion of female character clichés from the era — from the ditzy blonde to the shallow sex symbol — and Monroe handles these twists like only she ever could. In her hands, Sugar is endearing, funny, and absolutely magnetic without losing an ounce of complexity. It's definitely the best work of her career and easily the funniest female performance of the '50s.

Some Like It Hot

Comedy

Music

Romance

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Release Date

March 19, 1959

Cast

Marilyn Monroe , Jack Lemmon , Tony Curtis , George Raft

Runtime

121 minutes

Writers

Billy Wilder , I.A.L. Diamond , Robert Tho*ren

7 Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank

'The Truman Show' (1998)

For the large majority of the '80s and '90s, Jim Carrey spent his career building up a reputation as a purely comedic actor, specializing in creating the most caricaturistic and over-the-top characters in Hollywood. That all changed when he was brilliantly cast as the lead character in The Truman Show, a satire about an insurance salesman who's oblivious to the fact that his entire life is a TV show: the town he lives in is a fabrication, and all of his family and friends are actors.

By taking on a highly meta role that makes narrative use of his theatricality (Truman has been taught to be performative and "fake" because those close to him are actors) while demanding more dramatic juice from him, Carrey completely changed the course of his career. Truman represents Carrey's crowning achievement as an actor: he's funny, emotional, nuanced, and painfully relatable. It's a performance that finds the humor in pain and longing, allowing Carrey the chance to be the most brilliant he's ever been in a comedy.

The Truman Show

PG

Drama

Comedy

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Release Date

June 4, 1998

Director

Peter Weir

Cast

Jim Carrey , Laura Linney , Noah Emmerich , Natascha McElhone , Holland Taylor , Brian Delate

Runtime

103

Writers

Andrew Niccol

6 Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein

'Young Frankenstein' (1974)

By far one of the funniest and most popular comedy movie actors of all time, Gene Wilder delivered many outstanding performances throughout his prolific career. His best work, though, is arguably Young Frankenstein as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the American grandson of the infamous mad scientist. Struggling to prove that his grandfather wasn't as crazy as everyone believes, he travels to Transylvania and discovers the process of reanimating a dead body.

Young Frankenstein isn't only Wilder's best work but one of cinematic history's greatest comedic achievements. The visuals are great, the story is fun, and the humor is by far some of the funniest in Mel Brooks's filmography. But Wilder is the main attraction here, and what an attraction he is. Striking the perfect tone for this goofy spoof of old Universal horror movies, Wilder has perfect timing and some of the best delivery and gesticulation of any comedic performance showcased on the big screen.

Young Frankenstein

PG

Comedy

Sci-Fi

Release Date

December 15, 1974

Director

Mel Brooks

Cast

gene wilder , Peter Boyle , Marty Feldman , Cloris Leachman , Teri Garr , Kenneth Mars

Runtime

106 minutes

Writers

gene wilder , Mel Brooks , Mary Shelley

Buy on Amazon

5 Robin Williams as the Genie

'Aladdin' (1992)

Live-action comedy performances are underappreciated enough, but comedic voice acting for movies is criminally underrated, to say the least. For proof, one needn't look further than what's typically considered the greatest voice performance in animation's history: Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin. The Disney classic follows a street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier fighting for a magic lamp with the power to make their three deepest wishes come true.

Robin Williams was the funniest comedic actor of his generation, so it's no surprise that he was just as outstandingly good at voice acting. The actor reportedly improvised about 16 hours of dialogue for the film worth of hilarious impressions, clever improv, and the sharpest possible reading of his lines. If the Genie is one of Disney's most iconic characters, it's mostly thanks to what's easily one of Robin Williams's best and most explosive performances.

Aladdin

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

Musical

Romance

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Release Date

November 25, 1992

Director

Ron Clements , John Musker

Cast

Scott Weinger , Robin Williams , Linda Larkin , Jonathan Freeman , Frank Welker , Gilbert Gottfried

Runtime

90 min

Writers

Ron Clements , John Musker , Ted Elliott , Terry Rossio , Ed Gombert , Burny Mattinson

4 Robin Williams as Daniel Hillard / Mrs. Doubtfire

'Mrs. Doubtfire' (1993)

Mrs. Doubtfire is the story of Daniel Hillard, an actor who, after a bitter divorce, disguises himself as an elderly female housekeeper to spend time with his children, held in custody by his ex-wife. There can be a lot of debate over what Robin Williams's funniest and/or all-around best comedic performance is, but Mrs. Doubtfire is never, ever missing from any such conversation.

Some might say that Mrs. Doubtfire is one of those rare comedies that are perfect from start to finish, and that's in no small measure thanks to Williams's impeccable presence at the helm. Williams perfectly embodies the role of a loving dad willing to go to hilarious lengths to get some more quality time with his kids. He's as endearing and emotionally layered as he is laugh-out-loud funny — a balance that only he could ever strike so flawlessly. The role is challenging and could've easily gone awry, but Williams' sheer enthusiasm and charisma not only saved it — they made it soar.

Mrs. Doubtfire

PG-13

Comedy

Drama

Family

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

Release Date

November 24, 1993

Director

Chris Columbus

Cast

Robin Williams , Sally Field , Pierce Brosnan , Harvey Fierstein , Polly Holliday , Lisa Jakub

Runtime

125 minutes

Writers

Anne Fine , Randi Mayem Singer , Leslie Dixon

3 Peter Sellers as Lionel Mandrake / Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove

'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' (1964)

Peter Sellers is another classic actor who's always considered among the best comedy icons of all time, and for good reason. It's pretty much universally agreed that his best performance is in Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick's satire about a war room full of politicians struggling to avoid a nuclear apocalypse. Sellers plays three characters: the shy president Merkin Muffley, the commanding Captain Lionel Mandrake, and the titular sinister Dr. Strangelove.

Dr. Satire is arguably the best and most influential of all war satire movies, yet it wouldn't work nearly as well as it does without the priceless presence of Peter Sellers. The chameleonic actor delivers the biggest powerhouse performance of '60s comedy, playing his tri-role to a tee. Each of his characters is so distinct, so hilarious in such different ways, and so incredibly alive that it would be easy to forget that they're all played by the same tremendously talented actor.

Rent on Apple

2 Buster Keaton as the Projectionist / Sherlock, Jr.

'Sherlock Jr.' (1924)

Comedy movies would simply not be what they are today without the films of Buster Keaton, the star and director of some of the greatest comedies of the silent era. His most popular work is the delightfully short (well under an hour long) Sherlock Jr., about a film projectionist who longs to be a detective. When he's framed as a thief by a rival, he must put his meager skills to the test in order to solve the mix-up.

Everything that made Keaton so brilliant is on full display in Sherlock Jr.: his hilarious deadpan demeanor, jaw-dropping dedication to doing his own death-defying stunts, and perfect understanding of how to make slapstick the funniest it can possibly be. Keaton is one of the two faces of silent comedic cinema, and this is easily his best performance. To this day, Sherlock Jr. remains riotously funny, and it's all because of the vividness Keaton brings to the screen. Few actors have ever come close to matching his ability for physical comedy.

Sherlock Jr.

Action

Comedy

Romance

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

May 11, 1924

Director

Buster Keaton

Cast

Buster Keaton , Kathryn McGuire , Joe Keaton , Erwin Connelly , Ward Crane , Jane Connelly , George Davis , Doris Deane

Runtime

45 Minutes

Writers

Jean C. Havez , Joseph A. Mitchell , Clyde Bruckman

1 Charlie Chaplin as the Tramp

'The Kid' (1921)

The other face of comedic silent cinema, and by far the most iconic and popular, is Charlie Chaplin. The British multi-hyphenate made his feature debut all the way back in 1921 with The Kid, where his character, the Tramp, takes in an abandoned child, raising him as his own. Years later, certain events put their relationship in jeopardy. Over a century later, this seminal movie is still many cinephiles' favorite Chaplin feature.

The Kid is a perfect introduction to Chaplin's style: it's nice and breezy, the perfect balance of clever slapstick and moving melodrama, showing the artist at his very best acting-wise. His chemistry with little Jackie Coogan (who played the titular role) is incredible, his highly emotional gestures and movements are more expressive than many dialogue-filled performances, and his physicality is some of the funniest it ever was throughout his career. When it comes to comedic performances, Chaplin reigns supreme.

The Kid

NR

Drama

Comedy

Release Date

January 21, 1921

Director

Charlie Chaplin

Cast

Charlie Chaplin , Jackie Coogan , Edna Purviance

Runtime

68 minutes

Writers

Charlie Chaplin

Watch on Max

NEXT: The 10 Best Comedy Movies With the Best Acting