No laughing matter: comedic actors in serious roles

Plenty of comedic actors have taken on serious roles, like Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems or Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, and given incredibly talented, gripping performances. In fact, it's now considered something of a rite of passage, with more and more looking to try something different and to nail at least one darker role - like Bill Hader who went out of his way to write, direct and star in multiple seasons of his hitman-based TV drama Barry.

I've always found that Jim Carrey's brand of comedic acting has rubbed me the wrong way, with recent assertions that he's been killed and replaced by a clone notwithstanding. Ace Ventura, The Mask, Batman Forever; all of these films sought to showcase the star's talent for being funny - a talent that was evidently lost on me every single time. And yet, his acting in The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is some of my favourite amongst, well, anyone. A thoroughly enjoyable pair of performances helped to bolster two incredible stories. To my mind, there are two Jim Carrey's (no, not a human and a clone), one a hokey, boorish over-actor and the other nuanced, emotive artist. 

Much of the buzz surrounding comedic actors playing serious roles stems from the idea that to do so is to learn an entirely different skill. Of course there's differing elements, but emotional connection, facial expressions and timing, along with many other cornerstones of acting, remain much the same. It's less a different ability and more a reapplication of the abilities the actor already possesses. Unlike cases of musicians or other celebrities attempting to act, these people are trained and just need to test their mettle, and, given that I would've continued publicly disparaging Jim Carrey if I hadn't connected with Truman and Joel and cared about their stories the way I did, many of them should.