Comedy People In Unexpected Places

[Sin Agog]

I guess, out of all the adaptations, Richard Lester's Three Musketeers is the most farcical, but Spike Milligan's presence still leaps out in a "What are you doing here?" kind of way.

[Famous Mortimer]

Decent Canadian standup Russell Peters shows up as a cop in beyond-dismal kung-fu action movie "Tiger Claws 3", when he was presumably just grateful for the work.

[Glebe]

Fast Show' stalwart Colin McFarlane also turns up in 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight'.

Oh right!

Sean Hughes turning up as a poet in the BBC version of 'Gormenghast' in the '90s was a bit odd. I mean, I know he was always doing straight roles, but he didn't seem to be the first person you'd have turned to for that (admittedly minor) role.

Aha... there's quite a few comedians and actors with a strong connection to the comedy world in that... aside from Hughes, there's Celia Imire as Countess Groan, John Sessions as Prunesqualler, Richard Griffiths as Swelter, Warren Mitchell, Stephen Fry, Spike Milligan, Gregor Fisher and Windsor Davies, amongst others.

[Alternative Carpark]

Aha... there's quite a few comedians and actors with a strong connection to the comedy world in that... aside from Hughes, there's Celia Imire as Countess Groan, John Sessions as Prunesqualler, Richard Griffiths as Swelter, Warren Mitchell, Stephen Fry, Spike Milligan, Gregor Fisher and Windsor Davies, amongst others.

Steve Pemberton being one of the others.

[Serge]

I've just remembered another one - Key and Peele turning up as two bumbling FBI agents in the first series of 'Fargo'. Admittedly, their roles are largely played for laughs, but it was still a jolt to see them sitting there as Malvo goes about his business.

[Bad Ambassador]

David Cross and Bob Odenkirk both have straight roles in The Post.

[Bronzy]

Rikki Fulton as a KGB officer in Gorky Park.

[phantom_power]

David Cross and Bob Odenkirk both have straight roles in The Post.

Odenkirk is probably more famous as a straight actor now I would think

[drdad]

Comedians seem to be drawn to the existentially grim world of Samuel Beckett: Buster Keaton in Film, Charlie Drake in Endgame; various productions of Waiting for Godot have featured Max Wall, Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, Steve Martin and Robin Williams.

[biggytitbo]

Arthur English in Magnum PI.

[Glebe]

Graham Chapman as the teacher in the video for Iron Maiden's 'Can I Play with Madness?. Bruce Dickinson is a Python fan, and pops up in that Almost the Truth doc.

[Satchmo Distel]

Morecambe and Wise in The Sweeney. Unfortunately it's painfully bad.

Morecambe and Wise on The Beatles' Anthology 1 (from when The Beatles did their show in 1963) is a treat, Eric is great.

Joan Sims playing a murderer in Ladykillers.

Pauline Quirke in Broadchurch.

Oliver Hardy in The Fighting Kentuckian

Wilfrid Brambell in The Terence Davies Trilogy

Sid James in The 39 Steps (1959 version)

Harry H. Corbett, Fulton Mackay and Bill Owen all in the same episode of Tales of the Unexpected (Corbett's last ever role) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0717500/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

[Satchmo Distel]

Peter Sellers - The Optimists of Nine Elms is a gem http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070488/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_12

And The Blockhouse: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069803/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_13

[Misspent Boners]

Not sure if a comedian as I know nothing about him, but it was a real thrill to see The Killer from Too Many Cooks show up in a small role as a NPC  merchant in the new Jumanji film. He has a very recognizable face so knew it was him straight away.

Likewise Nathan Fielder in Disaster Artist as someone mentioned...I love Nathan for You and The Room so was overjoyed to see Nathan portraying the role of Peter. Just a delight!

[Brundle-Fly]

Alfie Bass in Moonraker (1979)

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

They're hardly the most serious, Po-faced films, but I always forget Dan Aykroyd and Alexei Sayle are in Temple of Doom and Last Crusade, respectively.

[Gulftastic]

I know he is probably more actor than comedian, it was a bit of a surprise to see Martin out off of Game On pop up as Stan Laurel in 'Chaplin'.

[McChesney Duntz]

Graham Chapman as the teacher in the video for Iron Maiden's 'Can I Play with Madness?. Bruce Dickinson is a Python fan, and pops up in that Almost the Truth doc.

Chapman also turned up in the US TV movie Still Crazy Like a Fox a couple years before his passing, as seen here:

https://youtu.be/qJcvibZG3D8?t=6m15s

[up_the_hampipe]

Likewise Nathan Fielder in Disaster Artist as someone mentioned...I love Nathan for You and The Room so was overjoyed to see Nathan portraying the role of Peter. Just a delight!

That's not unexpected though really. Seth Rogen and Nathan went to the same high school, been friends for years. Nathan was bound to pop up in one of those films eventually.

[Jerzy Bondov]

Nathan Fielder is also in The Night Before (Seth Rogen Christmas film)  as a limo driver.

[The Bumlord]

Rick Mayall in An American Werewolf In London.

Which is where he met Bottom's Mr Rottweiler, aka Brian Glover.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Michael Palin in Blade Runner.

[Sin Agog]

That's not unexpected though really. Seth Rogen and Nathan went to the same high school, been friends for years. Nathan was bound to pop up in one of those films eventually.

I wonder if Seth accepted Nathan's advice to do The Green Hornet after seeing his really good grades.

[Ignatius_S]

Always throws me to see Mayall in Shock Treatment.

Nigel Planer was in one of the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes stories, as a police detective and very good was good.

In one of the McKenzie episodes of Marple, Keith Allen was a copper, Harry Enfield was also in the cast (a doctor) – sure there were other comedy performers in that very episode and after checking, see Jessica Hynes and John Sessions also featured. That series had quite a few others - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1734537/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast – Garden and Brooke-Taylor were in it but, alas, not in the same episode.

John Bird was very good in House of cards and To Play a King.

I know he is probably more actor than comedian, it was a bit of a surprise to see Martin out off of Game On pop up as Stan Laurel in 'Chaplin'.

Definitely an actor, rather than a comedian – however, Cottle has done an awful lot of telly comedy (he was in The Windsors, recently, and took over the role of Dave on Citizen Khan).

The other year, he was was in the first series of Unforgotten (a rather good ITV drama about murder cold cases) and really was very good. IIRC, only in a few scenes, but he was a stand-out for me. Also, Sanjeev Bhaskar is one of the leads as well.

[St_Eddie]

Which is where he met Bottom's Mr Rottweiler, aka Brian Glover.

I'd never made that connection in my mind before, for some reason.

Michael Palin in Blade Runner.

Huh?  Do you mean Brazil?

[Icehaven]

I was watching an episode of The Professionals last year and was delighted when Ramos, the mysterious and much feared Eastern European hitman who'd been spoken of in hushed tones throughout finally appeared towards the end and turned out to be Roger Lloyd-Pack wearing a bowl cut and a pair of ridiculous sunglasses.

Also I might have been the only person on earth to not know beforehand but when the credits started on Thor Ragnarok and ''Directed by Taika Waititi'' appeared I nearly fell off my chair. I'd had no idea, although in hindsight I could see it.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Huh?  Do you mean Brazil?

Nah mate Blade Runner. He played a robot, or something.

[Glebe]

I was watching an episode of The Professionals last year and was delighted when Ramos, the mysterious and much feared Eastern European hitman who'd been spoken of in hushed tones throughout finally appeared towards the end and turned out to be Roger Lloyd-Pack wearing a bowl cut and a pair of ridiculous sunglasses.

You've just made me remember, Lloyd-Pack appears briefly in 1984.

I believe John Chalice pops up in an episode of The Sweeney.

[Gulftastic]

You've just made me remember, Lloyd-Pack appears briefly in 1984.

As does Rab C Nesbitt himself, Gregor Fisher. Although not quite as briefly as Roger does.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The Actor Kevin Eldon just turned up in EastEnders! He was even trending on Twitter for half an hour, which was rather sweet.