It’s been a while since a comedy was a bonafide hit at the box office and audiences have been seeking humor in superhero blockbusters, instead of full-on comedies.
While the genre has taken a hit in recent years, hopefully, it won’t be killed entirely, because all it really needs is for a handful of idiosyncratic filmmakers who really care about making people laugh to come along and save it. In the meantime, there’s a rich history of hilarious comedies to enjoy, starring some of the funniest people who ever lived.
Steve Martin – L.A. Story (94%)
Steve Martin burst onto the standup scene with one of the most unique acts ever conceived and carried that absurd act with so much confidence that he singlehandedly changed the face of comedy before stepping down from live performance and focusing on movies.
Martin has since starred in some of the funniest movies of all time: The Jerk, Roxanne, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – and L.A. Story, his top-rated movie on the Tomatometer, a satirical rom-com about a TV weatherman.
Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me? (98%)
Ever since Melissa McCarthy’s breakout role in Bridesmaids scored her an Oscar nomination, she’s been one of the few remaining movie stars who can draw crowds with just their name on a poster. McCarthy writes a lot of her own material, too, co-writing Tammy, The Boss, and Life of the Party.
McCarthy has recently proven that her talents aren’t confined to comedy, with a dramatic turn as forger Lee Israel in Can You Ever Forgive Me? which earned her a second Oscar nod, this time for Best Actress.
Leslie Nielsen – Airplane! (97%)
When the Zucker brothers were casting Airplane!, they didn’t want to cast comedic actors. Instead, they wanted to cast dramatic actors to play the dialogue straight (which would make it funnier). Ironically, Leslie Nielsen’s role in Airplane! turned him into one of the comedy genre’s biggest stars.
He’d previously been a respected dramatic actor, but he didn’t become iconic until he became a full-on comedy star, with roles like bumbling detective Frank Drebin.
Will Ferrell – The LEGO Movie (96%)
One of the biggest movie stars to have gotten their start on Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell has starred in some of the most beloved comedies of the 21st century. His satirical collaborations with Adam McKay, like Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, perfectly lampooned Bush’s America, while his supporting turns in Zoolander and Wedding Crashers were unforgettable.
Ferrell’s highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes is The LEGO Movie, a movie no one realized they wanted to see, in which he plays both the strict father of the kid imagining the whole movie and the nefarious villain in the movie.
Gene Wilder – Young Frankenstein (94%)
When Gene Wilder brought the idea of a Frankenstein parody to Mel Brooks on the set of Blazing Saddles, Brooks was hesitant, but he liked the premise of a Frankenstein descendant who wants to distance himself from his crazy ancestors.
The duo penned a script that went on to become one of the greatest spoof movies ever made. Young Frankenstein accurately recreates the look of old Universal Monsters movies, while taking satirical aim at them.
Robin Williams – Good Will Hunting (98%)
Few actors manage to have as many critical and commercial hits as Robin Williams: Good Morning, Vietnam, The Birdcage, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Fisher King, Dead Poets Society, Jumanji – the list goes on.
In addition to being a comedy superstar, Williams was an accomplished dramatic actor. His semi-improvised performance as the title character’s street-smart psychiatrist in Good Will Hunting is a prime example of his uncanny ability to juggle authentic human emotions.
Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name (97%)
From his performance as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop to his unforgettable vocal work in the Shrek franchise, Eddie Murphy is responsible for some of the greatest comic acting of all time.
His top-rated movie is Dolemite is My Name, the affectionate Rudy Ray Moore biopic for which Murphy was seriously snubbed for an Oscar nomination.
Bill Murray – Ghostbusters (97%)
From his beginnings with the National Lampoon and Saturday Night Live to his recent string of sleeper hits from quirky auteurs like Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch, Bill Murray has enjoyed a long career in film comedy.
Murray has starred in some of the greatest comedies ever made – Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, Tootsie, the list goes on – but his highest-rated work on Rotten Tomatoes is his semi-improvised turn in Ivan Reitman’s timeless, near-perfect supernatural comedy masterpiece, Ghostbusters.
Peter Sellers – The Ladykillers (100%)
From his slapstick-heavy portrayal of Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther franchise to his more politically-driven trio of performances in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, Peter Sellers left behind an impeccable body of work that has influenced countless comics over the years.
Sellers’ top-rated movie is The Ladykillers, a pitch-black Ealing comedy about bank robbers who pretend to be classical musicians while they plan their next heist.
Charlie Chaplin – Modern Times (100%)
It’s fair to say that without Charlie Chaplin – and other trailblazers like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and the Marx Brothers – film comedy wouldn’t be what it is today.
Chaplin made a ton of great movies throughout his career, including an incisive satirical takedown of Nazism produced at the height of World War II, but his highest-rated work on Rotten Tomatoes, with a rare perfect 100% score, is Modern Times.
