From Drama to Laughter: 5 Times Serious Actors Delivered Hilarious Performances

An actor's talent is determined not only by the degree of immersion in a role, but also by creative flexibility. And if comedians usually have no problem moving into serious roles, dramatic actors may have problems working on humorous images.

Nevertheless, the history of modern cinema contains several excellent examples.

1. Meet the Parents (2000) – Robert De Niro

In the early '70s, Robert De Niro became perhaps the most outstanding dramatic actor in modern cinema, thanks in large part to Martin Scorsese. Roles in Scorsese's gangster thrillers – Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Raging Bull – brought De Niro worldwide fame and his first major awards.

Throughout the years, De Niro has retained a treasure trove of humorous talent. Analyze This and Meet the Parents, released in the early 2000s, are examples of classic comedies in which De Niro completely departs from his usual dramatic role to deliver humor of varying degrees of absurdity.

2. Galaxy Quest (1999) – Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman has mostly starred in adaptations of literary classics, and since the late 90s, the actor has mostly been offered villainous roles.

Released in 1999, Dogma and Galaxy Quest were Rickman's first and most memorable attempts to venture into comedy territory. And if in the first movie his role is mostly episodic, in the second it is a full-fledged actor's transformation.

Galaxy Quest is a parody comedy about a group of actors who once starred in a popular sci-fi series and are now forced to defend themselves against aliens in real life. Rickman was cast as former theater actor Alexander Dane, who is incredibly annoyed that everyone around him remembers him as the local Spock.

3. Hot Fuzz (2007) – Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton has established himself as an actor of high culture – his filmography includes many adaptations of English classics, from William Shakespeare to Charlotte Bronte. However, Dalton gained international fame for his role as James Bond in the iconic spy franchise.

And although Dalton's career began in 1967, he fully revealed his range only in 2007. That was when Timothy Dalton landed the role of Simon Skinner in Edgar Wright's comedy Hot Fuzz. The transformation into a greedy psychopath was a success: the actor showed how subtly he felt the boundaries between drama and comedy, which in itself is a testament to his skill.

4. The Holiday (2006) – Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet is best known for her roles in such dramatic films as Titanic, Sense and Sensibility and The Reader, for which she won an Oscar.

And yet, like many actors, Kate wanted to try a completely new genre at some point – she had been eyeing the role in the Christmas comedy The Holiday for a long time, worried that she would not be able to demonstrate the necessary professional skills.

Nevertheless, the image of the charming and slightly lost Englishwoman Iris was a perfect match for Winslet's temperament.

5. Death Becomes Her (1992) – Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation, with a collection of more than twenty Academy Award nominations. Meryl began her career as a dramatic actress in the films Julia and The Deer Hunter. And her transition to comedy was flawless.

After a soft comedy debut in the satire Death Becomes Her, Streep transformed herself into the business shark Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Streep's commanding and witty lines gave Priestly a comic sophistication that might have been lost without her.

Then came the role in the musical Mamma Mia!, where Streep finally cemented her status as a master of transformation.