Comedy and Tragedy
I have a series of Stand Up Comedian posts. With a Master List at the end.
Starting us off is a list of Stand Up Comedians that had MORE fame somewhere else, that are more well known for other things, or that I personally know them for their other things. As always, this is completely objective. And of all of the lists, this one was probably the one I rewrote from beginning to end the most times... mainly because I kept forgetting people.
So... let's do this. But... before we do, I need to address the Special Mention with a Disclaimer.
Now... let's do this.
Top 20 Stand Up Comedians More Known For Other Mediums
Special Mention/Disclaimer: Bill Cosby: As we all know now, Bill Cosby turned out to be a vile, horrible, despicable human being. But I cannot deny the impact Bill Cosby had on family friendly television. The Cosby Show changed the game and put a smart black man at the forefront of a family oriented sitcom. All those Jell-O commercials and a handful a pretty good films, he was EVERYWHERE. You can villify the man... but this is a case of separating the art from the artist.
Honorable Mention 1: Drew Carey: A stand out stand-up from the Star Search era. And Hollywood likes to go "I like your stand-up, want a sitcom?"(like Tim Allen and Home Improvement). And they happened to do that for Drew Carey. Since The Drew Carey Show ended, he ended up hosting the US version of Whose Line Is It Anyway, pulling Improv to the mainstream, and become host of The Price is Right, after the passing of Bob Barker. He is a legend.
Honorable Mention 2: Redd Foxx: Did you know Redd Foxx did stand-up? I didn't. I know it now. And now I've seen it, and it pretty good. But Redd Foxx will always be Fred Sanford to me.
Honorable Mention 3: Donald Glover: If German geneticists crossed the DNA of Wayne Brady and Chris Rock, you get Donald Glover. Sitcoms, stand-up, improv, a record deal. The reason he doesn't make the list proper is simple...... we need MORE. He has the potential to be a superstar. And he wiol be someday.
Honorable Mention 4: Janeane Garofalo: Dry humor on stage(which I do like), but makes for a great persona that fits in with various TV and Movies that call for that. With a memorable turn in Mystery Men, she is what if Daria was real. If you know... you know.
Honorable Mention 5: Chris Tucker: Known for his ANNOYING voice, Chris help start the Friday movies... sassed it up as Ruby Rhod in Fifth Element... and paired nicely with Jackie Chan in the Rush Hour franchise. But... his stand-up wasn't the greatest, and he never really became a star. He had potential that he never reached.
20. Paul Reubens: I grew up with Paul Reubens. As Pee-Wee Herman. And Adult sized 8 year old in a HUGE Treehouse. But before it became a Kids show, it was stage show. The Kids show even help launch the careers of Phil Hartman AND Lawrence Fishbourne. And Pee-Wee's first movie was also Tim Burton's first movie. Then Paul got in trouble. Lost the Playhouse. Outside of Pee-Wee, Paul is notable in Mystery Men... a short lived game show based on PC game You Don't Know Jack... and... he played Penguin's dad twice, for Gotham and at the opening of Batman Returns!!!(another Tim Burton flick)
19. David Cross: Cross is a highly talented comedian. Sketch comedy gold with Bob Odenkirk on Mr. Show. Voice work with the Kung Fu Panda trilogy. A legendary cameo in Men In Black. Arrested Development. The villain of the live action Alvin and the Chipmunks movies. And... his stand-up is more than solid. Multi-faceted is how you need to be to success in comedy. And David Cross does it.
18. Amy Poehler: Before her stint on SNL, did you know that Amy was a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre? I did. Her amazing improv skills is what got her the job with SNL. And eventually the gig with Parks & Recreation. And... the voice of Joy in Pixar's Inside Out.
17. Tina Fey: Another SNL alumni that had a big improv start. Tina got her start with the famous Second City Improv group. Then went on to SNL, where she became friends with Amy Poehler... and Tina KILLED it on Weekend Update with Amy and Jimmy Fallon. Her impersonation of Sarah Palin was pretty awesome. And it led to Tina Fey getting 30 Rock. Sometimes SNL leads to a movie career... sometimes SNL leads to an amazing sitcom.
16. Harold Ramis: Alumnus of Second City TV, Harold Ramis isn't know for HIS comedy as much as he facilitated others(though Egon loves forever), by being such a wonderful director. Legendary writer. Meatballs, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Stripes, Back To School, Analyze This/That, and so many others. He was the genius behind the genius. And that makes him THE GENIUS.
15. Phil Hartman: As mentioned about Phil, my first Exposure to him was on Pee-Wee's Playhouse. But he went on to be a VOICE on Saturday Night Live. And what I mean by that is... he was funny as hell, but that voice stood out. So much so, going into the world of voice work was perfect for him. The Simpsons wouldn't be the same without him. Tragic how his life ended.
14. Bob Saget: The late Bob Saget. ONE OF THE DIRTIEST STAND UP COMICS OF ALL TIME... so HOW did he get the role of the clean freak Dad, Danny Tanner, on Full House? Everything you think of Danny Tanner... his stand-up is a 180° turn. And the best part... during his run as Danny Tanner, he was ALSO double fisting ABC with hosting duties for America's Funniest Home Videos. Yes... double fisting. Appropriate for Bob Saget. Now you know why he did both.
13. Gilbert Gottfried: Sad that he is now gone. And I have a piece on WHY he was known for things outside of his stand-up. And it is right here. Check it out if you haven't already.
Gilbert Tribute
12. David Spade: Making his name on Saturday Night Live paired with Chris Farley, they branched out together to make some great movies! Sadly, Farley passed WAAAAAY too soon, and David Spade just didn't have the same career without him. Not that Spade couldn't do it, he had a few good movies too. And TV series. It just wasn't the same. Spade was the funny "straight-man" to Farley's sociopathic "chaos"... and the straight-man just isn't as good without the chaos.
11. Roseanne Barr: This is another instance of "I haven't seen enough of their stand-up." But I cannot deny the impact she has had on entertainment. Her self-titled sitcom changed the industry. Another "hey, you want a sitcom?" But unlike those like Drew Carey and Tim Allen, Roseanne changed everything. A low income family with normal trials and tribulations of the low income families that were watching the series. And... it made John Goodman a household name. But... that voice... and that Tom Arnold... made her infamous.
10. John Ritter: Did you know John Ritter did Stand-Up? I didn't until a few year ago. Back in 1980. And it was pretty good! Of course... you know John's career... Three's Company, 8 Simple Rules, to original IT. John Ritter has a STORIED TV career. R.I.P. (If you are interested... the special is called Of Sound Mind And Body)
9. Wayne Brady: I was first introduced to Wayne Brady with the show Whose Line Is It Anyway? He was a HUGE stand out. Now he is hosting the modern Let's Make A Deal and won a Season of The Masked Singer. He can sing... he can dance... he is a master at improv... and you can just feel his energy on stage when doing what stand-up he has done. He is very talented.
8. Steve Martin: Saturday Night Live Legend. Movie STAR. TV STAR. And high level banjo wizard. You know who Steve Martin is. A genius of comedy. And his stand-up has been pretty epic. It is STEVE MARTIN.
7. Billy Crystal: Here we have Billy Crystal. There isn't a whole lot of him on stage. But he is a bonafide movie star and Disney voice actor. Someone you can say in the same breath as Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg... and it is because that trio hosted HBO's Comic Relief live comedy charity specials.
6. Tim Allen: Here is an entertainer that had a specific target demographic... and he milked the misogynistic character, while being sideways self-deprecating at the same time. The people at ABC thought that was perfect for a sitcom, and Home Improvement was born. And it was a WONDERFUL sitcom. So good. After that, Tim Allen made a name for himself in the Santa Clause movies and as Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies. He had some other good-great movies. And a second successful sitcom named Last Man Standing.
5. Bob Newhart: A legend in Comedy. A master of a Deadpan delivery, and he had this meek stammering speech style that was unmatched. He had some great success as a stand-up comedian... led to a short lived variety show. But he is most knoe for his self-titled sitcom. Again... another comedian given a sitcom. But his fit him like a glove.
4. Mel Brooks: Starting his career in stand up, and then improv on the Sid Caesar variety show, Mel Brooks got into movies. Parodies/satire. And he became one of the BEST Directors in movie history. Responsible for some of the greatest satire/parodies of all time, including but not limited to: Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles, Robin Hood Men In Tights, and his first: The Producers. He directed only 11 films, and 10 are considered some of the best of all time.
3. Chris Rock: It's Chris Rock. You know him. You know him more so now for... the Slap. But on stage, Chris Rock was a comedy genius. Watching his movies, he is annoying, he is crass. But there is just a flow to his genius. To the point he narrated a sitcom based on his CHILDHOOD called Everybody Hates Chris. That says something. Instead of a sitcom given to you based on your adult life... he got one based on his childhood. His influence is seen in many modern comics... especially Donald Glover. Chris Rock. The master of Deadpan and Annoying comedy... at the same time.
2. Eddie Murphy: The man who singlehandedly saved Saturday Night Live after the debacle that was Season 6. He went on to be a household name with Beverly Hills Cop, Donkey in the Shrek movies, Professor Klump in the Nutty Professor movies, Doctor Doolittle, 48 Hours, and so many others. He was a genius from the VERY beginning... and it fueled the rocket for the career of a very funny man... and with all of this, Eddie Murphy: RAW is one of the greatest stand-up specials of all time.
1. Jim Carrey: Rubberfaced Jim Carrey... he even cameoed as a stand-up comic early in his career. But In Living Color launched him into the Atmosphere... and Hollywood caught on. And then he became an icon. And I have recently made a list for Jim Carrey movies. Check it out. Reminisce.
Jim Carrey Top 10 -
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I know there are some that I left out, like the Legendary Jonathon Winters. But my list was getting crowded. It was a great pool.
Anyone that I missed? Anyone that you really loved their career? Share it with us.
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Don't let the Humor Die...
