Doing standup comedy is a challenging proposition. You either get the laughs or the barfs. Comedy can sicken, and it can be sickening. It is certainly not for the faint-hearted.
Many of today’s serious, heavyweight actors, started out as comedians. These include Jamie Fox, Eric Bana, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and John Cho. John Cho has a serious role as an FBI agent in the television series ‘Flash Forward’ (an Armageddon-type plot). Robin Williams did ‘Awakenings’ and ‘Good Will Hunting’, playing psychotherapists. Fox and Williams won Academy Awards. Crystal was serial host for the Oscars.
In comedy, you touch on a universe of issues – some of which are anathema. Controversial issues are approached and broached on, at the comedian’s judgment and risk. If the jokes offend too many people (and audiences do get offended at segments of a stage performance), then the traditional boos of disapproval gets triggered. Yet, comedy is an entertaining way of getting strong and serious messages across. In a humorous way, messages do get across with more influence when audiences relate to the funny perspectives offered. Comedians have a plethora of subjects to select from: politics, social issues, relationships, food, education, parents, and more.
Tickle your funny bone - tickle your thoughts. Love them, or hate them. Thus, comedy is serious business!
Here’s Canadian Russell Peters, at his impressionable best.
2 comments:
"John Cho has a serious role as an FBI agent in the television series ‘Flash Forward’ (an Armageddon-type plot)."
I think John Cho is an odd case, because I've seen interviews where he stated that he specifically did not want to play the "model minority" roles typically offered to Asian actors. So he went for the MILF guy, Harold & Kumar, et cetera. But he's done serious work all along, like "Better Luck Tomorrow."
I suppose what I'm asking is this - is it worth differentiating between someone like Robin Williams who starts out in comedy and later branches out, and an actor who wants to do dramatic roles but gets shunted into comedy out of necessity?
Thank you for yours, Mary.
Yes, I deliberately put John Cho as he stands out distinctly from the other four mentioned: his youth, his comedy cult-status, and his television background. I like Cho; I suspect that he is an actor who found another medium of expression through comedy. Having said that, with Cho as Sulu in Star Trek, and now in a meaty role in Flash Forward - I think Cho can exercise his different chops now. [I will avoid making comments on the Hollywood machinery, models and mechanism, and how things are run due to my ignorance.]
From a fan's point of view, I was making a distinction of versatility, rather than on establishing a pure differentiator. My observations have led me to believe that those actors who do comedy are to be taken seriously, not because they can't act, but more of the fact that they have learnt to play a wide range of characters. They appreciate different types of timing, including comic timing and delivery styles. 30 Rock is an example of where the distinct line between mainstream actors and comedians are blurred, and thankfully so.
I have read a saying: 'It is easier to get an actor to play the part of a comedian, than it is to get a comedian to play the part of an actor.' I don't know how much of that is true, however I think Robert De Niro is one example. Perhaps, it is because he has positioned himself strongly and effectively as a serious, Method actor. Eddie Murphy is certainly 'stuck' in his preferred genre, that he sticks to his core competency.
Let me know what you think, Mary. Thanks for responding.
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