Can you name a more beloved comic actor today than Martin Short?

[iamwhatiseem]

Thusfar I would have to go with Cosby.
Definitely loved by many. Very successfully crossed the race barrier in the 1970's. Very few black actors did that way back then. Him and Sydney Poitier especially, Poitier in the 60's which was an even greater feat.

 

[ChrisL]

Most did yes. That is what makes this so challenging.

I'm glad SOMEONE has the brains to recognize this.

Darn, I just read that Jim Carrey did do stand up, so that counts him out too. But I have Steve Carell from the office still and Will Smith.

I think Will Smith fits the bill. He is a great comedic actor, and he's never done stand up. Also, he is beloved by many, including myself.

Good.

So that makes Will Smith the first and only one, so far, to reach the heights of beloved comic actordom as Martin Short in this survey.

I've got a couple at least, I think.

Will Smith
Steve Carell
Ben Stiller
Chevy Chase
Julia Louis Dreyfus (your OP doesn't say no females )

Will Smith we agree on.

Ben Stiller is right there, too.

Chevy Chase isn't particularly beloved, is he? I like his "smart ass" persona he has made a career from portraying. But I don't get a sense of him being all that well liked.

Steve Carrell is tough for me.

I wasn't a fan of the Office after giving it several tries. Just not a big yuk fest for me. It is situational humor and its just okay in my book. But O liked him in the 40 Year Old Virgin. He seemed like a likable guy.

I just don't think he has reached the point in his creer where America has taken him into their hearts and minds and his sort of low key, self effacing, dryish, cerebral humor is nice but...I think he needs one buig, huge smash hit. Yeah, I'm biased.

And for the kicker.

My 80 year old Mother LOVES Julia Louis Dreyfus.

She never knew of her from SNL.

She never watched an episode of Seinfeld.

Mother Mojo fell in love with The New Adventures of Old Christine.

And yeah, she has to be given that kind of consideration.

People DO love her!

And what female comic actor is more accomplished than she?

I have an issue with her, personally.

On Seinfeld she felt it was okay to date a Communist.

And she ostracized Puddy because he was a Christian.

Then, in an episode of Old Christine, she (Old Christine) went ape shit when her ex and his new wife (the "New" Christine) took their son to Church.

She is a liberal and she hates Christianity but thinks Communism is okay.

Uh, I have a real problem with her being considered beloved.

I like her and think she's hottish for a bird of her vinatge.

But I will defer to others' opinion of her.

I love her, but personally I preferred her character in Seinfeld as opposed to Christine (even though that's my name - lol). I think she is pretty neurotic character in Christine and I just don't like her as much as I liked Elaine, but she is a great actress regardless. She is awesome.

 

[Mojo2]

Bill Cosby
Chevy Chase

I'm pretty sure Bill Cosby did stand up comedy at one time.

yeaahh...but he is not a stand up comedian.
By far his celebrity is films and TV

This is getting confusing. So what criteria makes one a stand up comic and not a stand up comic?

Even Martin Short has done stand up a couple times.
Cosby did 3 or 4 stand up specials, but overwhelming his career was film and TV.

Sorry, but I BOUGHT several Bill Cosby stand up comedy albums as a kid.

Until he became a standout Black actor on Network TV, with Robert Culp in the hit NBC TV show, I Spy" he had ONLY done stand up.

And recently he went on a stand up comedy tour across America. (Although, if I'm not mistaken, he may have sat in a chair on stage while telling the jokes. After all, the man must be in his 70's.)

You may know him as a comic actor but he is disqualified from this accounting because he is and was a stand up comedian.

if you really don't know the difference between a stand up comedian and a comic actor consult your Google.

If that doesn't clear it up for you there is always USMB Jr.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Then, in an episode of Old Christine, she (Old Christine) went ape shit when her ex and his new wife (the "New" Christine) took their son to Church.

She is a liberal and she hates Christianity but thinks Communism is okay.

Uh, I have a real problem with her being considered beloved.

I like her and think she's hottish for a bird of her vinatge.

But I will defer to others' opinion of her.

I can't disagree with that. Her politics suck

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Bill Cosby
Chevy Chase

I'm pretty sure Bill Cosby did stand up comedy at one time.

yeaahh...but he is not a stand up comedian.
By far his celebrity is films and TV

This is getting confusing. So what criteria makes one a stand up comic and not a stand up comic?

Even Martin Short has done stand up a couple times.
Cosby did 3 or 4 stand up specials, but overwhelming his career was film and TV.

Sorry, I BOUGHT several Bill Cosby stand up comedy albums as a kid.

Until he became a standout Black actor on Network TV, with Robert Ciulp in the hit NBC TV show, I Spy" he had ONLY done stand up.

[/QUOTE]

So did I (bought albums).
It is your thread, and therefore you can make the rules...but I disagree with you here.
Of his 40 plus year career, only...what..3 or 4 of it was stand up?
Still to this day most do not know that he not only wrote the Fat Albert series, but did the voices of every character on the show. That is impressive.

 

[ChrisL]

Bill Cosby
Chevy Chase

I'm pretty sure Bill Cosby did stand up comedy at one time.

yeaahh...but he is not a stand up comedian.
By far his celebrity is films and TV

This is getting confusing. So what criteria makes one a stand up comic and not a stand up comic?

Even Martin Short has done stand up a couple times.
Cosby did 3 or 4 stand up specials, but overwhelming his career was film and TV.

Sorry, I BOUGHT several Bill Cosby stand up comedy albums as a kid.

Until he became a standout Black actor on Network TV, with Robert Ciulp in the hit NBC TV show, I Spy" he had ONLY done stand up.

And recently he went on a comedy tour.

You may know him as a comic actor but he is disqualified from this accounting because he is and was a stand up comedian.

if you really don't know the difference between a stand up comedian and a comic actor consult your Google.

If that doesn't clear it up for you there is always USMB Jr.[/QUOTE]

Okay, well what about actors who sometimes do funny and sometimes do serious movies? Like Nicholas Cage or Arnold Schwarzenegger? Really, even when Arnold is being serious, he's funny with the all the noises he makes. He has a lot of funny one-liners too. Not up to par of some of the actors mentioned, so what do you think?

 

[Mojo2]

I'm pretty sure Bill Cosby did stand up comedy at one time.

yeaahh...but he is not a stand up comedian.
By far his celebrity is films and TV

This is getting confusing. So what criteria makes one a stand up comic and not a stand up comic?

Even Martin Short has done stand up a couple times.
Cosby did 3 or 4 stand up specials, but overwhelming his career was film and TV.

Sorry, I BOUGHT several Bill Cosby stand up comedy albums as a kid.

Until he became a standout Black actor on Network TV, with Robert Ciulp in the hit NBC TV show, I Spy" he had ONLY done stand up.

And recently he went on a comedy tour.

You may know him as a comic actor but he is disqualified from this accounting because he is and was a stand up comedian.

if you really don't know the difference between a stand up comedian and a comic actor consult your Google.

If that doesn't clear it up for you there is always USMB Jr.

Okay, well what about actors who sometimes do funny and sometimes do serious movies? Like Nicholas Cage or Arnold Schwarzenegger? Really, even when Arnold is being serious, he's funny with the all the noises he makes. He has a lot of funny one-liners too. Not up to par of some of the actors mentioned, so what do you think?

Kindergarten Cop was a great script. Some of his lines were terrific and he hit them out of the park. But he's not in the same league as Short, the diminutive Canadian as a comic actor. He is admired and fantasized about as an action hero or he used to be. But beloved? Not really the word I'd use to classify him.

My absolute favorite Nic Cage role was in, "Leaving Las Vegas."

Both he and the phenomenal performance by the Karate Kid's (Ralph Macchio) wholesomely delectable girlfriend, Elizabeth Shue, as a quite damaged Las Vegas hooker, were unbelievably outstanding in this film.

But he'd rate lower on the comedy scale.

What do you think, DL?

 

[Mojo2]

I'm pretty sure Bill Cosby did stand up comedy at one time.

yeaahh...but he is not a stand up comedian.
By far his celebrity is films and TV

This is getting confusing. So what criteria makes one a stand up comic and not a stand up comic?

Even Martin Short has done stand up a couple times.
Cosby did 3 or 4 stand up specials, but overwhelming his career was film and TV.

Sorry, I BOUGHT several Bill Cosby stand up comedy albums as a kid.

Until he became a standout Black actor on Network TV, with Robert Ciulp in the hit NBC TV show, I Spy" he had ONLY done stand up.

So did I (bought albums).
It is your thread, and therefore you can make the rules...but I disagree with you here.
Of his 40 plus year career, only...what..3 or 4 of it was stand up?
Still to this day most do not know that he not only wrote the Fat Albert series, but did the voices of every character on the show. That is impressive.

Not to belabor the point or be a jerk or anything but, yeah.

Some of us knew that.



And if you start your own thread with your rules I promise I will visit it at least once.

 

[Mojo2]

Danny Devito! I love It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Lol!

WOW ChrisL!

You are really coming up with some worthy contenders!

Great one!

Everyone loves Danny DeVito.

And he isn't a stand up but he is funny as hell in most of the films and tv series he's been in.

But he is a VERY successful film producer as well as an actor.

Wow.

Martin Short. Will Smith and Danny DeVito!

The most beloved comic actors in America.

Now we are getting somewhere!

 

[Mojo2]

Mojo2

Leslie Nielsen?

he is dead though

Oops!

He would be lower down the list. He certainly enjoyed a long career as a serious character actor. Only in his later years with the Airplane film(s) and there on as detective Frank Drebbin in a number of comedies was he heralded as the comedic acting sensation of his day. Not so much a beloved comic actor before he entered the phase of his career you might call the Autumn of his years.

Everyone was glad he did well but when he died there was no great outpouring of grief like there was at let's say, Robin William's death.

 

[hjmick]

Martin Short is still alive?

 

[Papageorgio]

What about DeVito's wife:

Rhea Pearlman
George Wendt
John Rattzenberger
Ted Danson
John Goodman

How about:

Dick Van Dyke
Mary Tyler Moore

Then there is:

Betty White

 

[rightwinger]

I had to Google Image his name to know who he is. I know all of the other names mentioned here - so I can say that doesn't bode well for "America's most beloved..."

Maybe his sense of humor or something just ain't yo' cup o tea.

This is a test video.

If you don't chuckle at this then not only are you not a Martin Short fan, but I would advise checking your pulse to make sure you have one!!!

LOLOL



I am not even through with the video and I've already used one Kleenex I'm laughing so hard.

EDIT: I needed a second Kleenex.

I just love the guy.

America's most beloved comic actor?

I think so.

What were his best comic roles?

 

[Papageorgio]

What about John Cleese?


Sent from my iPad using an Android.

 

[Papageorgio]

I had to Google Image his name to know who he is. I know all of the other names mentioned here - so I can say that doesn't bode well for "America's most beloved..."

Maybe his sense of humor or something just ain't yo' cup o tea.

This is a test video.

If you don't chuckle at this then not only are you not a Martin Short fan, but I would advise checking your pulse to make sure you have one!!!

LOLOL



I am not even through with the video and I've already used one Kleenex I'm laughing so hard.

EDIT: I needed a second Kleenex.

I just love the guy.

America's most beloved comic actor?

I think so.

What were his best comic roles?

Jiminy Glick, Pure Luck, Three Amigos, Clifford and several others.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Most people do not even remember who Martin Short was or what was funny about him

Give me Dana Carvey or Rick Moranis any day

Both got started as stand up comedians, I think. That means they don't count.

I don't think of Martin Short as a comedic actor and cannot think of any roles that were beloved
Short did skit comedy much like Moranis and Carvey. If you want to talk beloved....go with Mike Meyers...Wayne's World, Ausin Powers and Shrek

Short's Jiminy Glick was beyond brilliant and probably underappreciated (try youtube for some).

 

[rightwinger]

Mojo2

Leslie Nielsen?

Very good

Nielsen never did stand up comedy and is fall on the floor funny

 

[rightwinger]

Most people do not even remember who Martin Short was or what was funny about him

Give me Dana Carvey or Rick Moranis any day

Both got started as stand up comedians, I think. That means they don't count.

I don't think of Martin Short as a comedic actor and cannot think of any roles that were beloved
Short did skit comedy much like Moranis and Carvey. If you want to talk beloved....go with Mike Meyers...Wayne's World, Ausin Powers and Shrek

Short's Jiminy Glick was beyond brilliant and probably underappreciated (try youtube for some).

He is beloved and I have to check YouTube to find an example of his comedy?
Short never had a memorable movie role

 

[Papageorgio]

Mojo2

Leslie Nielsen?

Very good

Nielsen never did stand up comedy and is fall on the floor funny

He passed away awhile back.

 

[ChrisL]

I had to Google Image his name to know who he is. I know all of the other names mentioned here - so I can say that doesn't bode well for "America's most beloved..."

Maybe his sense of humor or something just ain't yo' cup o tea.

This is a test video.

If you don't chuckle at this then not only are you not a Martin Short fan, but I would advise checking your pulse to make sure you have one!!!

LOLOL



I am not even through with the video and I've already used one Kleenex I'm laughing so hard.

EDIT: I needed a second Kleenex.

I just love the guy.

America's most beloved comic actor?

I think so.

What were his best comic roles?

I'm not familiar with his roles either. I've heard of him before and know he's been in a movie before, but I really can't remember. I don't know why Mojo likes him so much, but to each his own.

Unless. . . . maybe Mojo IS Martin Short.