GCanuck 52 points 3 years ago

Anytime a comedian takes on a dramatic role and nails it.

Off the top of my head….

Robin Williams: Dead Poets Society (and many more, I think that was his first) Bill Hader: Barry. Jim Carrey: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

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Pea666 23 points 3 years ago

Don’t forget about Bryan Cranston either! He was that weird but hilarious dentist from Seinfeld and the dad in Malcolm in the Middle way before he ever was Walter White.

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JimmyChanga 16 points 3 years ago

Man, Robin Williams can get to me like no one else. There were moments in Good Morning Vietnam, a couple years before Dead poets, but GMV was def more focused on his big comedic personality. Then his performance in The Fisher King...I don't generally get emotional about celebrities but that dude was different. There's been a few musicians that have been much better than expected. Dolly Paton in 9 to 5, Madonna on A League of their Own, Prince's acting in Purple rain. Ice Cube in Boyz in da hood.

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themeatbridge 3 points 3 years ago

Awakenings was another one, right after Dead Poets Society.

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Coehl 2 points 3 years ago

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Ilflish 11 points 3 years ago

You often hear comedians are the best actors because they learn to act through humour which is is probably the most abrupt emotions to react to

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HobbitFoot 3 points 3 years ago

I've heard it more that both comedy and drama is like a dance, but comedy has a faster tempo.

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lobut 1 point 3 years ago

I figure it's also because they're on stage so much and trying to convey so much to an audience so often. There's gotta be a lot of transferrable skills.

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greensage 10 points 3 years ago

I really loved Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? She nailed that one

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Deftdrummer 2 points 3 years ago

All these dudes are known for their acting though first and foremost...

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JimmyChanga 16 points 3 years ago

They weren't though, they were straight up comedians. After all these years it's obvious they had more to them, but when they first stepped into serious roles it wasn't known and was a surprise to most what they could do outwith comedy.

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Deftdrummer 0 points 3 years ago

I hear you and agree, though for the sake of discussion and argument - let's say OP was referring to unnamed nobodies who nailed it in their acting debut.

Who's your best?

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JimmyChanga 1 point 3 years ago

Probably Whoopi Goldberg in The Colour Purple.

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Stovetop 8 points 3 years ago

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decadentrebel 5 points 3 years ago

Exactly. I remember seeing Liar Liar and Jim Carrey's reaction when the kids were taken away by his client was top-tier drama. And just his line delivery and malleability were signs of great acting, regardless if it's offen "wasted" in comedy.

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Coehl 1 point 3 years ago

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perviouslyiner 38 points 3 years ago

R. Lee Ermey / Full Metal Jacket?

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r0m2 9 points 3 years ago

You best unfuck yourself or I will unscrew your head and shit down your neck!

-- Gunnery Sergeant Hartman

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DLSchichtl 6 points 3 years ago

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Talkurt 33 points 3 years ago

Tricia Helfer comes to mind first. In Battlestar galactica. I forget the story but it’s something like she was brought in for her looks(they wanted a knockout for the first scene cylon). Then she went on to blow them away with her acting. She was a model before if I recall.

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HobbitFoot 3 points 3 years ago

She did a great job in her roles.

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quinnly 28 points 3 years ago

Eminem in 8 Mile. When I first saw it I was convinced he'd become a superstar actor and stop making music, but that never happened. Even so, he's fucking phenomenal in that movie.

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r0m2 25 points 3 years ago

Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born

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Blackdoomax 1 point 3 years ago

Lady Gaga in everything :)

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insaneinthemembrane 19 points 3 years ago

The IT guy in What We Were In The Shadows

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Hadriscus 1 point 3 years ago

Wait, I'm not sure I remember who ? I binged the show last year but that doesn't ring a bell

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JimmyChanga 1 point 3 years ago

The glorious Matt Berry plays Lazlo, BAATTT, and played Denholm Jr, the big boss, in IT Crowd. He's also a pretty good musician.

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lingh0e 1 point 3 years ago

The movie, not the show.

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fernandofig 15 points 3 years ago

Dominique Tipper in The Expanse (E: yeah, not a movie, but still an awesome experience all around)

I mean, not everyone in the community thinks much of her acting, but on Season 5 she puts out a performance that puts a lot of veteran actors to shame.

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JimmyChanga 3 points 3 years ago

I 100% only know her from The Expanse, what else does she do that I've been missing out on?

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fernandofig 6 points 3 years ago

Until The Expanse she was more known as a dancer / singer, although even then she wasn't super famous.

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JimmyChanga 1 point 3 years ago

Cheers, I'll look her up on YouTube or somewhere be interesting to see another side of her talent.

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DickSledge 15 points 3 years ago

Andy Buckley, the guy who played David Wallace on The Office. He was a financial advisor at the time and they wanted him because he looked/sounded like an executive. Totally knocked it out of the park.

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butthead1013 6 points 3 years ago

In the same vein, Phyllis was just working behind the scenes before they decided to put her in the show

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dditty 13 points 3 years ago

Here's another more niche example:

Frank Silva as "Bob" on Twin Peaks. He was a set dresser who worked with David Lynch and Lynch liked his look so much they made the character for him. Now he's regarded as one of the better tv villains.

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LeatherRebel 3 points 3 years ago

fire walk with me

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ABCDE 13 points 3 years ago

The lad who was in Indiana Jones and did so well in Everything, Everywhere.

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JimmyChanga 3 points 3 years ago

Ke Huy Quan. He was Data in The Goonies back then as well.

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themeatbridge 12 points 3 years ago

Vinnie Jones' first acting role was in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and it was probably his best performance.

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PraiseTheSoup 11 points 3 years ago

Tom Waits in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Sure it wasn't his first time acting but I'd argue he's much more well known as a musical artist and his performance was great.

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Hadriscus 2 points 3 years ago

He's also in one or two Jarmusch films. From the 80s or 90s. Too lazy to look it up. Coffee and cigarettes ?

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aleph 1 point 3 years ago

Fuck me. TIL that was Tom Waits.

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Vlhacs 10 points 3 years ago

I thought Anthony Edwards did a great job playing the antagonist in Hustle.

Haven't seen it yet but heard Kevin Garnett killed it in Uncut Gems.

Justin Timberlake usually do a really good job, as a lead i.e. In Time, or in a supporting role like in Social Network.

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ours 8 points 3 years ago

You must watch Uncut Gems. It's a wild ride.

Unless you have problems with anxiety because that is one stressful movie.

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Vlhacs 2 points 3 years ago

I could barely finish Whiplash lol. But I'm always a fan of KG and to a lesser extent Adam Sandler movies, so I'll still give it a shot.

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vinceman 1 point 3 years ago

Yup, couldn't finish it. Just could not deal with the anxiety it created lmao.

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DrinkMonkey 3 points 3 years ago

At first I was like, what is Anthony Edwards famous for if not for his roles as Goose, or Dr. Green?

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shutz 3 points 3 years ago

Revenge of the Nerds?

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Deftdrummer 6 points 3 years ago

Aleksei Kravchenko in the war film Come And See (1985) Russian film from the point of view of a small child.

He easily had the best performance in a movie that is widely considered to be one of the greatest war films of all time.

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angrystego 5 points 3 years ago

Björk in Dancer in the dark. I never want to see the film again (too emotionally taxing for me), but her performance was outstanding.

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Zeth0s 5 points 3 years ago

Eric Cantonà is a surprisingly good actor, considering he was a football player with immigrant working class roots and no formal acting education.

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Blaze 2 points 3 years ago

Very true!

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Spendrill 2 points 3 years ago

For me it was Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante in The Sopranos. His bottom lip is one of the best visual running gags in the series.

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baruchin 2 points 3 years ago

Yalitza Aparicio on Roma

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Fantomas 2 points 3 years ago

David Bradley in Kes.

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perviouslyiner 1 point 3 years ago

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ummthatguy 2 points 3 years ago

Michael Sheen channels 80s era Bowie so well for what little screen time he was given.

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JimmyChanga 2 points 3 years ago

I cannot recall Bowie in Tron: Legacy at all, but he had been acting on and off in pretty big productions since the late 60's. The biggest first one was probably The man who fell to earth, but I think Jareth in Labrynth was his best performance personally.

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Hadriscus 1 point 3 years ago

He's dope as Nikola Tesla in The Prestige

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Speculater 1 point 3 years ago

Miley Cyrus in Black Mirror was amazing.

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SnokenKeekaGuard 2 points 3 years ago

I mean she was a disney kid, so not really a non actor. Hannah Montana I mean.