Michael McKean, ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ (1984) And it had a lot to do with the freedom you see in the playing.” And that’s something I think he understands, and it’s what I do. … You’ve got to be so solid before you can really be free and be creative. “You’re completely free to come alive and do anything,” Grodin later said. The two actors’ rapport was developed by them going through the script over and over, memorizing the dialogue so intensely that, when it was time to go in front of the cameras, they had it down cold. De Niro was his usual tough-guy self, but the seemingly wimpy Mardukas wasn’t intimidated by this guy at all, allowing Grodin a chance to demonstrate why he was one of his era’s driest wits. The comedian and former talk-show host, who died in 2021 at the age of 86, played Jonathan Mardukas, an accountant who has stolen a bunch of money from the mob, with De Niro as Jack Walsh, the bounty hunter tasked with bringing him in. What a pleasure it was to watch Grodin annoy the living hell out of Robert De Niro in Midnight Run. Also clear is that it doesn’t matter: These performances have stood the test of time, which is way more important than prizes. (In other words, nothing before August 1927 is on my list.) What’s clear is that there’s been so much great comedy that never got any Oscar love. Oh, and one other thing: The first Oscars were held in 1929, so no film that premiered before that ceremony’s eligibility window counted. Also, no movie could have more than one person from it.
I’m sure I’ve left off some that were your all-time favorites - there was simply no way to get them all in.īut first, some quick ground rules.
So consider the below list a jumping-off point, a way to start a conversation rather than pretend this is even close to definitive. But because there have been plenty of worthy contenders who were ignored, picking the 25 best risks omitting myriad excellent performances. Occasionally, the Oscars honor someone like Kevin Kline for A Fish Called Wanda, but by and large, being funny isn’t valued that much during awards season. It’s a daunting task to compile a list of brilliant comedic performances that failed to gain notice from the Academy - not because there are so few but, rather, because there are so many.
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