The glitz and glam of Hollywood can often distract from the fact that many of our favorite actors may have started out in a grittier business: stand-up comedy. While many of the best comedians go on to perform at big venues like Madison Square Garden and the Apollo, when they start out, they’re often playing clubs to audiences of five people just there to see their friend’s first stand-up set.
Many comedians, however, have abandoned their stand-up careers to become famous actors. Perhaps comedy was a vehicle to get in front of the right people, or maybe they loved writing comedy and found themselves in their own films and television series. Regardless, it might be surprising how many of our favorite actors started out first as comedians.
The first name we always think of when we think about comedians-turned-actors has to be Robin. Although he tragically died in 2014, his long career as an actor in films like Jumanji, Dead Poets Society, and more made him a favorite for 90s kids and their parents. But before he forayed into acting, he was a successful stand-up comedian known for his silly accents and observational act-outs. Despite his award-winning acting career, he continued to tour and perform stand-up comedy long into his later years.
Today, Lily Tomlin is synonymous with Grace & Frankie and Mrs. Frizzle. She’s a golden legend, a household name, and a true comedic genius. After graduating from Wayne State University, Lily performed stand-up comedy on the Detroit and New York City circuits, where she originated her telephone operator character, Ernestine. The character eventually became a breakout star on televised sketch shows, leading to Lily’s decades-long television and film career.
We love the weird energy Jim Carrey brings to every character, from the Grinch to Bruce in Bruce Almighty. But before he carried his unique personality to the screen, he took it onstage and showcased it through jokes and impressions. He dropped out of school on his 16th birthday to work at the Titan Wheels tire factory and support his family. While doing this, he started performing stand-up in Toronto. By 17 years old, he was getting regular paid spots. By the time he moved to Hollywood, he was semi-established as a comedian and was able to excel in supporting roles before finally becoming a leading man in the Ace Ventura franchise.
The fact Emma Thompson did stand-up comedy is probably a shocker to many, but that’s how she started forming the connections that got her where she is today. The award-winning actress has played every type of role imaginable from Professor Trelawney in the Harry Potter franchise to Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. However, she aspired to be a comedian like Lily Tomlin when she was up and coming, as she performed stand-up and sketch as part of Cambridge University’s Footlights comedy troupe. Through Footlights, she collaborated with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, and thus began her decades-long acting career. Her comedy career, however, was cut short after her own feminist comedy show, Thompson, was panned for “hating men.” Can we please get a revival?
Considered a more serious actor today, Michael Keaton also got his start in stand up comedy. He performed stand-up in his hometown in Pennsylvania, where he also worked as a cab and ice cream truck driver. By the 1980s, he decided to move to Hollywood to audition, but he continued his stand-up career and even performed a special at the historic venue, The Improv, in 1981. The bits were expected—observational humor through physical act-outs—but still enjoyable. However, as he started gaining traction in Hollywood with comedic roles (before they took a more serious turn), his stand up career fell by the waist side.
Now known as one of the foremost EGOT winners, Whoopi Goldberg has been celebrated for her acting, writing, and producing chops. In fact, she actually won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album for her 1983 one-woman show, Spook Show. The show incorporated different comedic character monologues and then caught the attention of Mike Nichols, who helped her transfer the show to Broadway. Steven Spielberg saw Whoopie perform comedy at the historic Belly Room at The Comedy Store, which is ironically how she ended up in the less comedic film, The Color Purple. After that, Whoopi could do anything … and she really did it all.
Considered one of the greatest comedians of all time, Steve successfully encompasses the titles of comedian, musician, and actor simultaneously, and he even wrote one of the must-read books on comedy, Born Standing Up. He began his entertainment career with magic and transitioned into stand-up comedy from there. In Steve’s early years, his girlfriend, Nina Goldblatt, helped Steve secure a job writing for The Smother Brothers Comedy Hour, which he later won an Emmy for. He then started building up a resume in acting, writing, and comedy as he performed his hours around the country, eventually becoming the movie star we know him as today.
Some stand-up comedians have never stopped performing comedy, but they’ve been able to expand their careers in all sorts of directions. Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler had similar trajectories—they both performed stand-up comedy, were cast as Saturday Night Live regulars, and are now considered both serious and comedic actors. Melissa McCarthy also did stand-up comedy before landing roles in Gilmore Girls and Bridesmaids. But in recent years, she’s taken on dramatic roles in projects like Nine Perfect Strangers. Bill Murray is another example of someone who journeyed from stand-up comedian to comedic actor to dramatic legend. But of course, we can’t forget Tom Hanks, who notoriously tried his hand at stand-up with mediocre success before becoming one of the greatest film stars of all time.
