Top 10 Serious Actors Who Are Hilarious in Interviews
Talk about range! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at actors who are best-known and esteemed for their dramatic chops, but are surprisingly a cut-up in conversation.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at actors who are best known and esteemed
00:11for their dramatic chops, but are surprisingly a cut-up in conversation.
00:21Number 10.
00:22Oscar Isaac
00:23Oscar Isaac can immerse himself into tragic everymen and sterling figures alike, with
00:28the occasional detour into comic relief.
00:32His real-life persona mixes all of that behind surreally self-aware humor.
00:35Isaac stays deadpan when creating, or perfectly reacting to the weirdest moments in interviews.
00:51It's no surprise to fans that he's just that cool, well, maybe not so much when he performed
00:56a song about hippos that he wrote for his kids.
01:03This viral moment on Jimmy Fallon still just made everyone fall more in love with Isaac.
01:07You need only see him in interviews to understand his deadpan commitment to a bit, even when
01:11nobody else is able to keep a straight face.
01:22Number 9.
01:23Kate Winslet
01:24Very few can epitomize grace and grit on the screen like Kate Winslet.
01:27The Oscar-winning legend bears an exalted reputation, but has always kept it casual
01:31in conversation.
01:43She's very bombastic and chatty, with plenty of lively stories to tell.
01:47She still knows how to engage an interviewer with fun banter and the perfect response to
01:51any question.
01:52Oftentimes, that perfect response is a healthy dose of sass.
02:05The candid Winslet is nothing if not outspoken and strong-willed.
02:09This is surely what makes her such a masterful dramatist and an inspirational public figure.
02:14Her many admirers can count on it also makes her a riot in interviews.
02:25Number 8.
02:26Hugh Jackman
02:27Hugh Jackman is as great as any showman for his musical chops and visceral acting range.
02:32Even his superhero brand is one of the most brooding and tragic out there.
02:35Rest assured, that Wolverine is a lot fuzzier in person.
02:43Jackman is absurdly charming, to say nothing of friendly.
02:46He's always up for playing around or telling cute jokes in between insights into his dedicated
02:50work ethic.
02:57As remarkable as anything about this otherworldly talent is how genuinely relatable he seems
03:01to be.
03:02His chats are like sharing good laughs with a good friend.
03:04Like a friend just happens to be award-winning dramatic actor Hugh Jackman.
03:17Number 7.
03:18Meryl Streep
03:19Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep is considered the gold standard of a serious actor.
03:23She's also nailed comedy roles in recent years, though it was a natural progression
03:27interview style.
03:36The charismatic Streep is a deceptively jovial spirit and expressive storyteller.
03:41Her sheer presence is riveting, but her laugh is naturally infectious, and her sharp wit
03:45makes any chat more exuberant.
03:57If it's true that People told a producer for The Devil Wears Prada that Streep wasn't
04:00funny enough for her Golden Globe-winning turn, they must have not seen her in interviews.
04:04She's earned plenty of laughs in and out of character throughout her incomparable career.
04:14Number 6.
04:15Pedro Pascal
04:16Pedro Pascal has taken on drug kingpins, intergalactic criminals, and zombies.
04:21He's also taken on Shakespeare in the theater.
04:23The truth is that the prolific leading man is kind of a nerd, and proud of it.
04:32He's very earnest and self-aware, but confidently manages even the most awkward of banter.
04:37His good-natured interjections in group interviews always steal the spotlight.
04:50He's even mastered wholesome dad jokes, though that isn't how he got the flattering title
04:54of Daddy.
04:55Pascal brings up the internet's crush on him a lot in conversation.
05:02While founded as it is on his dramatic talents, his polite yet attention-grabbing antics always
05:07make for meme-worthy interviews.
05:09Number 5.
05:10Jennifer Lawrence
05:11Any performance from Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence can be called an event.
05:14Even the raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings was considered a revelation, though not so much
05:18for true fans.
05:19Lawrence is a total blast in interviews, with high energy and a brash sense of humor.
05:32The glamour icon has no problem getting shockingly candid in her anecdotes.
05:36She regularly makes headlines for her outspoken views and relatable quips.
05:47Such unpredictability has made her one of the big names to look for in talk shows.
05:51While that public image doesn't take away from Lawrence's esteem in drama, her giddy
05:54chats also have to be seen to be believed.
06:07Number 4.
06:08Willem Dafoe
06:09Willem Dafoe has to be one of the most intimidating figures on the screen.
06:12It may be hard to believe that he can put people at ease in conversation.
06:24The versatile character actor is by all reports a sweetheart, who looks enthusiastic about
06:29discussing his craft in interviews.
06:31He's also quick with a one-liner or quirky banter.
06:42As blood-curdling as his iconic cackling is, it's quite infectious when he's out of character.
06:47Certainly, a wide range of roles and accolades suggest how great of an actor Dafoe is, but
06:51you really have no idea until you see him light up an interview with his warm, playful
06:55humor.
07:01Number 3.
07:02Timothy Olyphant
07:03Classic TV dramas like Deadwood and Justified suggest that Timothy Olyphant is strictly
07:08no-nonsense.
07:09In interviews, however, he's pretty much all nonsense.
07:20He is an off-the-wall personality, hemming up absurd banter and gags in the most delightful
07:25way.
07:26He makes even the most crass exchanges sound wholesome, especially when playing off of
07:29his good friend Conan O'Brien.
07:30Some even consider Olyphant to be one of the talk show legend's funnest recurring guests.
07:44Seeing him act that extravagant humor in Santa Clarita Diet was probably one of the dark
07:47comedy's biggest shocks to casual viewers.
07:50But the truth is that Olyphant is always a scream behind that signature steely charisma.
08:08Number 2.
08:09Denzel Washington
08:10It doesn't get more charismatic than Denzel Washington, a larger-than-life force in dramas
08:14and thrillers.
08:15And yet, he's an unexpectedly relatable riot to talk to.
08:29Known for downplaying his movie star status, Washington keeps interviewers on their toes
08:33with folksy charm and wit.
08:35When he starts in with a hearty laugh, it's hard to not join in.
08:45At least it's on brand for him to improvise charming one-liners with impeccable delivery.
08:49Washington remains a classic professional who knows when to get down to business with
08:53his work and social issues.
08:54But in his casual, naturally hilarious moments, one of Hollywood's most commanding leading
08:58men becomes one of the most lovable.
09:08Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:11Jake Gyllenhaal, the intense method actor is also committed to deadpan, oddball antics.
09:26George Clooney, one of the suavest men in Hollywood can be refreshingly self-aware.
09:38Russell Crowe, the intimidating acting titan knows how to entertain with his wild anecdotes.
09:51Benedict Cumberbatch, a debonair dramatist who sincerely tries to make his chats fun.
10:02Giancarlo Esposito, when not playing terrifying villains, he's a cordial and naturally clever
10:07guest.
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10:36Harrison Ford
10:44Harrison Ford's raw, rugged screen persona perfectly fits any serious genre.
10:48At the same time, hilarious self-awareness is part of what makes Han Solo and Indiana
10:52Jones such iconic action heroes.
10:55It's definitely what makes Ford so great to interview.
11:04He's effortlessly cool, even when he leans into the absurd.
11:07He doesn't need to ham it up when he's so strikingly direct.
11:10If anything, his grumpy disposition makes the trolling even funnier.
11:20His outspoken deadpan shows the difference between playing things straight and playing
11:24around.
11:25As riveting in character as he is unpredictable in interviews, Ford himself shows that serious
11:29talents don't have to take their public image too seriously.
11:32Which actors consistently move you to tears, even with laughter, during interviews?
11:35Share some banter in the comments!