10 Funniest Supporting Characters in Non-Comedy Movies, Ranked

Be they a blast of jocularity in an action-adventure, or comic relief in a truly heavy piece, these iconic characters added a bevy of chuckles to every scene they graced. Whether typically cast in comedic roles or otherwise (like comedians who took on serious roles), the actors behind each of these memorable characters dove deep into the very fundamentals of comedy to bring them to sidesplitting life.

While even the most gut-wrenching dramas need some moments of levity, these performers brought their characters to dazzling heights of hilarity. From Joe Pesci’s iconic role in the mostly true crime drama Goodfellas, to Barbara Stanwyck’s deliriously snarky take on the femme fatale archetype in the classic film noir Double Indemnity, these thespians all left an indelibly riotous mark on the history of cinema.

10 Bill Paxton as Private Hudson in 'Aliens' (1986)

Bill Paxton was well-known for his comedic skills, evidenced by the delightfully horrendous Chet in Weird Science. However, in James Cameron’s edge-of-your-seat action-horror Aliens, he’s at his best, delivering a barrage of unforgettably glorious one-liners. His unguarded delivery of “Game over, man, game over!” is so memorably funny because it’s so real; the visceral terror in his voice (which actually cracks) really drives home his conviction that he and the other soldiers are, indeed, toast.

As Private Hudson, Paxton is perpetually hyper-charged, smug, and electrifying. He uses his signature wide grin with aplomb, popping his eyes huge, and spitting out his dialogue with snarky glee. The real genius of his performance comes, however, when he’s scared to death and the wisecracks cease.

9 Fairuza Balk as Nancy Downs in 'The Craft' (1996)

There is a ferocity to Fairuza Balk that was unrivaled in 90s cinema. On full display as Nancy Downs in The Craft, her piercing blue eyes and unwaveringly intense demeanor truly anchor this slyly clever film. The way she handles the absurdity of possessing otherworldly powers is tremendous, hitting every note with avaricious jubilation — often resulting in genuinely funny and highly memorable moments.

As a whole, The Craft is a teen drama with supernatural elements that conveys the “with great power comes great responsibility” message rather adeptly. There are several darkly comic aspects to Andrew Fleming’s film, but no one exemplifies these more than Balk. Her manic laughter when driving through red lights, followed by the softer quip “That was actually pretty close,” perfectly encapsulates her ability to go from borderline hysteric to wryly sardonic.

8 Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault in 'Casablanca' (1942)

It is often said that comedy is all about…timing. One performance that illustrates this to a T is Claude Rains’ Captain Louis Renault in Michael Curtiz's Casablanca. Mentioned in nearly every “best films of all time” list, Casablanca is rife with stellar performances. Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine has some of cinema’s most beloved pieces of dialogue, as he incorporates various levels into his role, including bone dry comedy. However, Rains is the humorous stand-out in this masterwork. Mostly due to his expertly timed phrasing, Rains is the very definition of a scene-stealer.

Rains’ strict military man persona is often undercut by his own actions, to the elation of audiences, spanning generations. When he states, “I’m shocked, shocked, to find that gambling has gone on in here,” and then immediately, deftly pockets his winnings from said gambling is perfectly-timed comedic gold. At another point in the film, the way he casually states to Rick that he shouldn’t be so “extravagant” with women because one day they may become “scarce,” is another example of his matter-of-fact mastery of the language. While Rains would have an illustrious career, no other role showcased his knack for comedy as much as the ever-contradictory Captain Renault.

7 Rosie Perez as Gloria Clemente in 'White Men Can’t Jump' (1992)

While it could be argued that director Ron Shelton’s White Men Can’t Jump is a “sports buddy comedy,” this movie deals with a lot of racially-charged and emotionally heavy topics. The chemistry between Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes is undeniable, but the comedic factor is amped up to the nth degree every time Rosie Perez is onscreen. While Spike Lee had previously put Perez in her first film, Do the Right Thing, her no-nonsense, fast-talking Gloria Clemente was a breakout role for her — and her comedic finesse with dialogue is precisely why.

Leaning heavily into her Bronx accent, Perez lets her lines fly in rapid, machine-gun-like succession. Gloria comes off as unhinged in several scenes, but she ultimately is the grounding force of this thoroughly fun film. When she informs Harrelson’s Billy Hoyle that “Sometimes when you win, you really lose…” the message is resoundingly clear: she’s not only funny, but wise beyond her years.

6 Philip Seymour Hoffman as Scotty J. in 'Boogie Nights' (1997)

Widely regarded as one of the best at his craft, Philip Seymour Hoffman was lauded for his dramatic magnitude and his incredibly expansive range. Here, Hoffman’s thick Californian accent and subtly befuddled expressions steal the show — a very hard task — in Boogie Nights, a near-perfect ensemble piece (a close second here is John C. Reilly, as the utterly clueless Reed Rothchild).

As Scotty, Hoffman exudes a good-natured likability and wide-eyed innocence (definitely difficult to convey for a character involved in the pornography business). He croaks out a variety of seemingly banal lines that could otherwise be throwaways, but emerging from his mouth they become trailer moments. His physicality is also just so good, as he whips his hair around in a highly practiced, and failed, attempt at being coquettish. Known for having brilliant casts, Paul Thomas Anderson (enjoying quite the moment now) often works with a lot of the same people. His numerous collaborations with Hoffman all yielded cinematic treasures, but none as funny as the oft-gaping Scotty.

5 Wesley Snipes as Nino Brown in 'New Jack City' (1991)

Sometimes a script is loaded with such punchy zingers and sublimely-crafted witticisms that it would appear that virtually any actor could give a guffaw-worthy performance. While Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper’s screenplay in Mario Van Peebles’s film New Jack City does contain a multitude of really solid chunks of dialogue, Wesley Snipes gives them wings. His emphatic, fully-charged dispatching of such booming banter as, “Sit your five-dollar a** down before I make change,” leaves an ever-lasting, fantastically funny impression on one’s mind.

Wesley Snipes worked with director Peebles again in 2006 in Hard Luck, but he’s at his venomous best here in New Jack City. As Nino Brown, a ruthless drug kingpin, he commands the screen and demands the attention of everyone in the room — whether he’s expelling a full-throated yell or silently seething in a chair. His one-liners are too many to count in this film, but each one was executed with mellifluous intensity.

4 Jack Nicholson as The Joker in 'Batman' (1989)

What is there to say about Jack Nicolson that hasn’t already been permanently etched into the hallowed halls of cinematic lore? With his legacy already cemented as Hollywood royalty, the New Jersey native somehow found a way to up his game in Tim Burton’s Batman. Prior to this film, this classic comic book’s characters had only been seen on the silver screen in three films, the last one debuting in 1966 (Batman: The Movie), with Cesar Romero cast as The Joker. Ergo, Nicholson’s take on The Joker was wildly divergent from anything previously depicted.

Nicholson, a master of essentially playing different (and often frightening) versions of himself, fully transformed when he took on this role. Given the freedom to let his inner lunatic flag fly, Nicholson’s Joker is a master class in clowning. From manic to deadpan in a millisecond, his face alone tells a multi-faceted, delightfully demented tale; add in his dancer-like flourishes and quirky affectations, and one of the funniest, most disturbing roles in the DC universe was born.

3 Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito in 'Goodfellas' (1990)

Here Joe Pesci delivers one of the most quoted performances of all time in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, and rightfully so. A character who would probably be diagnosed as an actual sociopath, Pesci’s depiction of Tommy DeVito somehow leaves us simultaneously scared witless and heartily giggling — in that “shaking your head” way in every scene he’s in.

“Funny how? Funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you?” inquires a straight-faced Pesci to a petrified Ray Liotta (as Henry Hill). The answer is yes, as the whole audience nervously chortles at this homicidal mobster’s remarks. Pesci, another actor quite comfortable embellishing his own accent (he’s actually from Newark, New Jersey), is a diminutive terror as Tommy. When joking around with his criminal comrades at the breakfast table over the resemblance of a picture to a recently deceased acquaintance, viewers can only laugh at the brutality of his dark wit. The lesson here is…never tell Pesci to go get his shine box.

2 Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson in 'Double Indemnity' (1944)

Has anyone expressed double-entendres with such alluring grace as Barbara Stanwyck? Her portrayal of the deviously manipulative femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson in Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity is certainly one for the ages. Her conveyance of lines that only got past the (at the time, quite rigorous) sensors because they contained such complex word-play was remarkable. When Fred MacMurray as Walter Neff compliments her on her anklet, and she purrs, “Drive it around the block,” with just the hint of a smirk, it’s game over for the staunch protagonist.

A favorite of Cecil B. DeMille, Stanwyck was already regarded as one of the era’s top (and highest paid female) performers when she took on this famed role — but her turn as Phyllis really cemented her into the minds and hearts of every film buff out there. A Brooklyn native, this Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated knockout was the ideal choice to play Phyllis. With simply a slight raise of the eyebrow, she conveyed seductive undertones and understated humor like nobody else (then, and possibly now).

1 Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in 'Pulp Fiction' (1994)

Every generation there comes along a role, and an actor so perfectly cast for that role, that the annals of film are changed forever. In Quentin Tarantino’s unconventional masterpiece Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson gives the performance of a lifetime. If it feels like every sentence was crafted to fit Jackson’s smooth-talking skill set, that’s because they were: Tarantino wrote the part of Jules specifically for him.

“And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger…” Hands-down, one of the best (biblical or secular) line deliveries ever. In fact, the whole scene around that line is regarded as one of the greatest ever, and is studied to this day in film schools. What makes this scene, and all of Jackson’s in this film, work so well is his balance of intensity and nonchalance, confidence and self-deprecation. There’s just something so likable about this character, who, let’s face it, is a lethal hit man. Jackson gives a masterclass in fleshing out a role that on paper could be terrifying, but in his comedically gifted hands, presents as a killer who exudes unrelenting charm and ironic humor.