There is a reason that some folks decide to break with what made them famous and enter into a different period of their lives, and while it’s frustrating for the fans sometimes and can even sour some on the experience of rooting for their favorite comedians, the reason isn’t a bad one. Jason Segel made a big name for himself as a funny man when he came on the scene, and for a while, he was one of the most talked-about individuals around since How I Met Your Mother and various movies made it known that he was a truly amusing individual and someone that could deliver when it came time to make a person laugh. He’s not exactly perfect for everyone’s taste, but very few comedians ever are since everyone has their own style and people have their own preferences. But denying that he met with a great deal of success would be next to impossible since his fanbase grew exponentially when he really got rolling and he did appeal to a lot of people born in the late 80s and 90s as they were growing up and found his sense of humor contagious. Some of us might have thought that he was all that great, but the fact is that he did manage to create a lot of buzz with his various acts and was someone that people followed. But his reasoning for stepping away from comedy was pretty simple: he wanted to do something else.
That’s it, there’s no tragedy that tore him away from comedy, no traumatic life experience that forced him into the more serious side of cinema, he simply wanted to see what else he could do. Let’s be honest and say that after doing something for so long, or something similar for so long, a lot of people are usually ready for a break and want to see what else they can do with their career. A lot of people outside of Hollywood don’t get to do this since they feel the need for security and stability, and we don’t tend to get paid so much for one job, but Jason decided he wanted to see if he could do something other than comedy, which prompted his move into other movies that were not based around making people laugh. Thus far he’s made it known that he can in fact act and isn’t so limited that he needs to go running back to his comedic roots. When this happens it’s kind of a shock really since a lot of actors, like it or not, are one-trick ponies that find a groove and stick with it for a long time. Those that attempt to get into something different than what they’ve been doing for so long usually don’t manage to pull it off quite as well. One good example out of the blue was Jason Statham playing a part in a fantasy movie, along with Burt Reynolds, Matthew Lillard, and Ray Liotta. It just didn’t work since the mentioned actors were known as action and drama stars, but somehow couldn’t translate well to a fantasy setting, though Ron Perlman, who was also in the movie, did just fine.
Jim Carrey is another person that surprised people when he signed on for The Truman Show and The Majestic since his drama skills hadn’t really been tested that much up until those movies. But Jason Segel going to drama was another move that a lot of people just weren’t ready for since it indicated a shift that a lot of folks weren’t expecting and therefore didn’t know what to think about for a while. But as we’ve seen in recent years he’s quite good at what he’s done and is still well within his wheelhouse. It could have something to do with the idea that drama and comedy aren’t really that far removed, but a lot of has to be the idea that Segel is just that good, and that he can be just as serious as he can be funny. Whether he’s ever going to go back to comedy is hard to say, since if Carrey is any example it’s very possible, but it’s all a matter of what Segel really wants to do and where he feels the most comfortable. If he does go back to comedy though it does feel accurate to say that changing up his act would probably be a good idea since it appears to have helped Jim a bit.
It’s not so much a change to his person or his style, but an addition to what he’s learned with his dramatic turn that might help to broaden his comedic skills if he does ever make a decision to come back. Until then, he appears to be enjoying where he’s at.
Follow Us
