This list explores comedic actors, who I feel, have made a successful dramatic turn. The two criteria for the list are: the actor had to first come to public recognition as a comedic performer before taking on a dramatic role and that they made at least one successful dramatic turn. To be clear, this is not a ranking. I have simply chosen 12 comedic actors who I believe excelled in their dramatic turns.
Also, there are potential spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned.
SACHA BARON COHEN
Film: The Trial of the Chicago 7
This entry begs me to pose the question, what is considered a dramatic performance? It’s up for debate whether or not Baron Cohen’s performance as Abbie Hoffman in Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a true dramatic performance. Abbie is very much the joker of the group, with him getting most of the comedic lines in the movie. But those comedic scenes are balanced out with scenes of great depth and emotion. Baron Cohen may not be performing Shakespeare (one could make the argument that Sorkin is the modern-day Shakespeare), but dammit if those scenes aren’t powerful.
I want this post to be primarily about Baron Cohen’s performance, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the film as a whole. It should be worth noting that the film was supposed to be released theatrically by Paramount in the fall of 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was purchased by Netflix and released just before the presidential election. According to Sorkin, as the parallels between the film and real-world events grew, it was crucial to the filmmakers that it arrived before the election. Whether you view the film with the parallels of the 2020 election or not, you’ll probably agree that this film is incredibly infuriating but also inspirational.
In that very weird pandemic year, we got some great movies (Promising Young Woman, Judas and the Black Messiah, etc.), but this was my absolute favorite. I remember being infuriated, intrigued, and uplifted throughout all 130 minutes of the film. I also remember being impressed with Baron Cohen’s performance, especially because this was the same year he starred in the Borat sequel. However, I must say that I do have a bit of a bias, as I was studying at Columbia College Chicago when this movie was filmed and released. I studied there from 2019 to 2021. I remember that they were filming in Chicago in the fall of 2019 (along with Matt Reeves’ The Batman) and I had classmates who worked as production assistants on the set. When it was released the following year, I thought it was cool to see these real-life locations that I was used to seeing almost every day. I relate it to when I recognize a location in an Alexander Payne film.
Upon reflecting on actors who I thought would be eligible for this list, Baron Cohen popped into my mind. I rewatched the film for the first time in over three years in preparation for this post, and I was not disappointed. Not only does Baron Cohen’s performance hold up, but I could appreciate more aspects of the film that I didn’t when I first saw it. Sorkin’s intelligent and engaging script and effective directing were the first things I noticed, as well as the pitch-perfect casting. I think the thing I gained a new appreciation for was Alan Baumgartner’s kinetic editing. I’ve discovered that when I watch films, I don’t often pay attention to editing. To me, the most effective editing seems invisible. So for me to notice editing, it would have to be either very jarring or very engaging. For me, it was the latter.
Okay. I’ve spoken enough about the film as a whole. Back to Baron Cohen. The film is an ensemble in the truest sense of the word. That being said, Abbie is probably one of two central characters, with Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) being the other. Abbie has several memorable relationships and dynamics with different characters. He is best friends with stoner Yippie Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), and the two of them have a majority of the comedic lines in the film. Another relationship worth noting is that of Abbie and the borderline sadistic judge, also named Hoffman. Abbie injects levity into what he frequently describes as a “political trial,” much to the chagrin of Judge Hoffman. However, the central relationship in this film is that of Abbie and Tom. As leader of the Yippies (Youth International Party), Abbie operates in a way different from Tom, leader of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
It would be fair to say that Tom has contempt for Abbie. Tom thinks that Abbie’s followers and their tactics are dangerous to the anti-war movement. Tom implies a time or two that Abbie is not serious about the efforts to end the war, even going as far as stating “If Abbie had his way, the war would never end.” What’s interesting to watch is the evolution of their friendship. Abbie comes to his defense when their lawyer (Mark Rylance) finds audio of Tom using verbiage to allegedly start a riot. He reveals that he has not only read everything Tom has published about ending the war but that he thinks he’s a genius. Realizing that he can no longer testify as planned, Tom tells their lawyer that Abbie should take the stand. Their friendship is solidified when being asked about Tom by the prosecutor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Abbie calls him a “badass patriot of an American.”
As previously mentioned, Abbie is the joker of the film. He injects levity into depressing and even scary situations. But behind that wit and sarcasm, sits a great intellect. When Tom accuses him of not being serious because of all the TV interviews he gives and the colleges he speaks at, Abbie tells him that he does it only because it gives him money to help achieve his organization’s goals. When he does take the stand towards the end of the film, he refers to a line of dialogue Abraham Lincoln delivered at his 1861 inaugural address, and how if Lincoln delivered that speech in the summer of 1968, he would have been put on trial. His most iconic line, in my opinion, is when the prosecutor asks him if he came to Chicago to incite a riot. Abbie takes his time to answer the question. When the prosecution comments, “I’m worried you have to take this long to think about it,” Abbie responds “Give me a minute, pal. I’ve never been on trial for my thoughts before.” I mean, how perfect of a line is that?
It just blows my mind that the man behind Borat, Bruno, and Ali G, was capable of delivering a performance of such depth. Baron Cohen was honored (rightfully so) with an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Making the honor extra special, was the fact that he was also nominated (along with a plethora of other writers) in the Adapted Screenplay category for his work on the Borat sequel. This film was first announced in 2006 with Sorkin writing and Steven Spielberg directing. After many starts and stops and different iterations (Spielberg wanted to cast Heath Ledger as Tom Hayden and Will Smith as Bobby Seale), the film finally began development in 2018 with Sorkin now directing. But it is worth noting that only one actor had been with the project from the beginning: Sacha Baron Cohen.
Check this out: Sacha Baron Cohen Clip | The Trial of the Chicago 7 | Netflix
