The 6 Most Heart-Wrenching Performances By Comedians That’ll Make You Sob
Comedy and tragedy are two sides of the same coin, as any person with a love of cliched aphorisms or a Woody Allen quoting addiction will tell you.
But comedic actors who take on dramatic roles know that even better than your Allen-quoting buddy. When famous comedians drop their comedy masks to do something with weight, the result is usually breathtaking, and – quite often – heartbreaking. Here are six times comedians shattered our hearts for good.
Mo’Nique in Precious (2009)
What Mo’Nique did in Precious wasn’t mere acting – it was bulldozing. As Mary, the abusive mother of the titular Precious, Mo’Nique – a well-regarded standup – delivered a characterization that was as terrifying as it was pathetic and raw. Seeing her confront her demons in that epic breakdown at the end of the movie is like watching a train wreck, and you’ll definitely need some tissues. Mo’Nique ultimately won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this role.
Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
The comedian responsible for Ace Ventura and The Mask reduced people to tears with his turn as Joel Barish in Eternal Sunshine. As a heartbroken man erasing his memory of a failed relationship, Carrey delivers a performance both searing and subdued. His comic timing is still there, but it’s also marked by sorrowfulness. Plus, the stretch where Joel furiously runs after his disappearing memories is a gut-punch — a reminder that even the most unserious among us can feel the weight of love and loss.
Awkwafina in The Farewell (2019)
Awkwafina is known for her rapid-fire humor and goofy charm,but she took a sharp turn in The Farewell, a movie that’ll have you laughing and sobbing in equal measure. As Billi, she’s caught between Chinese and American culture and grappling with a family secret: Her grandmother is dying, but no one’s telling her. Awkwafina’s muted yet desperate performance is the film’s heartbeat; it conveys grief and guilt and love with agonizing acuteness. That said, if your family is even the slightest bit dysfunctional, then this movie’s dinner scene will give you PTSD.
Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
Melissa McCarthy is the queen of physical comedy and outlandish characters – just see her surprise appearance in SNL’s “Parking Altercation” sketch in late 2024. And yet, McCarthy swapped all of that for vulnerability in the film Can You Ever Forgive Me? Playing Lee Israel, a down-and-out writer who resorts to literary forgery, McCarthy taps a deep well of loneliness and despair. There’s comedy in the movie, sure, but it’s the kind that hurts. Her patter with Richard E. Grant’s Jack is half hilarious, half heartbreaking, and by the end you find yourself marveling that someone so funny can make sadness feel so present.
Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
Robin Williams, a man who could make me laugh until my lungs give out, turned in one of cinema’s most iconically inspiring performances as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. As that movie’s unbridled, freewheeling English teacher, he made us all want to get up on our desks and cheer. But the film’s tragic beats serve as a reminder of the price of deviation in a conservative, fearful society. (Hopefully this movie wasn’t prophetic.) In any case, Williams’ skill at bringing humor to the darkest of scenes is stunning.
Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting (1997)
It shouldn’t shock you that Robin Williams is on this list twice — the man had range. Case in point: Williams also brought quiet, powerful reserve to the role of Sean Maguire, the therapist who helps Matt Damon’s troubled titular genius in Good Will Hunting. The “It’s not your fault” scene is etched into cinematic history, and if you didn’t cry during it, then we can’t be friends (wait for your love). Williams’ warmth and humanity lift every scene and remind us why he remains one of the finest actors of his generation. Plus, like every other performance on this list, Williams’ turn as Maguire proves that comedians can break our hearts better than anyone else. After all, who better to channel life’s pain than someone who’s already laughed their way through it?