Most action stars have tried their hand at comedy. The action genre has a plethora of sub-genres that allow muscle-bound tough guys to flex their wit as well as their brawn. Whether it be buddy cop movies, action movie spoofs, or straight-up action comedies.
However, sometimes an action star shines so brightly in a comedic role that it kickstarts a whole new career trajectory. From unsuspecting comedic sidekicks to complete 180 turnarounds, some of the world’s biggest movie stars have had audiences in stitches when they least expected it. Here are five times action stars absolutely nailed comedy roles.
5. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Central Intelligence (2016)
When he first retired from wrestling to pursue acting, Dwayne Johnson‘s portfolio was filled with grit and over-the-top spectacle-level mayhem. Central Intelligence was the movie that allowed him to keep that flair alive while showing off his wacky, unhinged side. In the fast-moving action comedy, Johnson plays Bob Stone, a lethal CIA agent who was brutally bullied in high school and remains an oversized, unicorn-loving, fanny-pack-wearing geek at heart.
While it didn’t exactly go down a treat with movie critics, this film works because it completely reverses the expected dynamic with co-star Kevin Hart. Instead of Hart being the manic comic relief and Johnson being the straight man, Johnson plays Bob with a bizarre, cheerful, and childlike energy that completely throws off Hart’s hyper-grounded, anxious character. Bob is totally unpredictable, leaving the audience on the edge of their seat as try to decipher what crazy turn the movie will take next.
4. Dave Bautista in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
No doubt about it, Dave Bautista is an imposing figure, capable of playing a supervillain. While he has taken on some intense action roles after crossing over from WWE to filmmaking, this rendition is the one that let the world know he is much more than a hulking presence. In 2014’s Guardian of the Galaxy, the 6-foot-6 titan was cast as Drax the Destroyer – a character built to look like a terrifying, unstoppable, muscle-bound killer.
The movie completely flips the script by making Drax’s alien species entirely literal, meaning metaphors fly right over his head. Bautista’s impeccable comedic timing relies on fierce, unblinking delivery of absurd lines, turning a character motivated by blood-vengeance into perhaps the most beloved comic relief in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His breakout performance in the franchise opened doors to major dramatic and critically acclaimed roles, allowing him to star in big-budget films like Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune, Blade Runner 2049, and Rian Johnson‘s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
3. Jason Statham in Spy (2015)
For most of his career, Jason Statham has been called one-dimensional. Often playing a brooding hero whose actions speak louder than his words, this role completely shattered that trope, and for the first time in his action movie career, critics dug it. In Spy, Statham embodies Rick Ford, a secret agent who believes he is the ultimate cinematic badass but is actually a walking, talking disaster of overconfidence.
Instead of trying to be witty, Statham plays the role completely straight, delivering increasingly insane, improvised monologues about his past exploits (like reattaching his own arm or micro-dosing on poison) with deadpan seriousness. He steals the entire movie by treating a Melissa McCarthy studio comedy like it’s a gritty Transporter sequel. So, by simply building on his already-established framework in a different setting, he opened people’s eyes to what he is really capable of.
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Twins (1988)
In the 80s, action stars rarely crossed over to comedy. In fact, many saw it as career suicide. Arnold Schwarzenegger, on the other hand, saw comedy as a gamble he was willing to take. But it didn’t come easy. Because studios were deeply reluctant to risk casting an action hero in a comedy, Schwarzenegger, co-star Danny DeVito, and director Ivan Reitman had to take a major risk on the project. They agreed to waive their upfront salaries in exchange for a combined 40% share of the film’s backend profits. And it’s safe to say it paid off.
While Twins delivered just enough action to appease to diehard Arnie fans, it held back enough to draw in families. Reitman masterfully weaponized Schwarzenegger’s massive physique by making his character, Julius, a sheltered, hyper-polite, and completely innocent intellectual. The humor comes from the visual contrast of an absolute tank of a man being utterly gentle, naive, and fiercely protective of a small-time crook. Twins broke the mold for action stars and saw the likes of Sylvester Stallone shed their tough guy image in comedy roles to reach wider audiences.
1. Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder (2008)
When Tropic Thunder landed in movie theaters in 2008, Tom Cruise was one of the biggest action stars in the world, proving himself unstoppable with his own mind-bending, daredevil-level stunts. When he received last billing in this star-studded action comedy, many assumed he’d have an explosive cameo. While it was certainly explosive, it didn’t arrive in the way many thought it would.
Buried under a bald cap, a fat suit, and prosthetic chest hair, Hollywood’s ultimate golden-boy action hero transformed into Les Grossman, a foul-mouthed, diet-coke-chugging, dancing studio executive. In perhaps his zaniest rendition of his entire career, Cruise threw away every ounce of his manicured movie-star image to play a grotesque, screaming corporate monster. It is a masterclass in high-energy physical comedy, completely shocking audiences, many of whom had no idea it was him until the end credits rolled.
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