Funniest Portrayals of Real People On-Screen
With celebrity cameos hitting critical mass these days (if not critical acclaim), it’s always nice to get a different person’s take on a celeb in a comedy, so we’ve gone ahead and assembled our picks of the funniest renditions of famous folks on-screen. If you have a thing for crappy wigs, this’ll be your jam...
‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
To cast Daniel Radcliffe as the man with the golden accordion was so left-field and hysterical at the time, but boy, did it pay off in spades. That wig, that ‘stache, those outfits. It’s inspiring. And let’s also not leave out the amazing Evan Rachel Wood doing a banging job playing a sultry, scheming Madonna. No notes; very vogue.
Russell Crowe, South Park
First off, that accent. Then there’s Crowe’s cute little fighting stance portrayed in the clip above. The gag, of course, was inspired by Crowe’s many physical altercations throughout the years and around the world, and the actor even admitted to 60 Minutes that South Park was totally on to something. Well, sort of.
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Dick
It’s tough deciding what’s funnier while watching Will Ferrell and Bruce McCulloch portray satirical versions of the two Washington Post journalists who reported on the Watergate scandal. Is it their Laurel and Hardy-type banter and scuffling? Is it the way they play these two with such intense, deadpanned, dumb incompetence? Is it McCulloch/Bernstein’s hair? Yeah, it’s totally that magnificent hair, for sure.
D’Urville Martin, Dolemite Is My Name
While Eddie Murphy chews it up as Rudy Ray Moore, Wesley Snipes might actually be having all the fun here — at least by the look of it. Playing Dolemite director D'Urville Martin, he oozes style and charisma, and it’s hard not to laugh every time he gives a look or opens his mouth.
Morgan Freeman, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Lionsgate
Voiced by Josh Robert Thompson, who also does celebrity impressions on Family Guy, this take on Morgan Freeman (sorry, Morgan Freemond “with a ‘d’”) sees him as an old crab who, after a long, lucrative, lived life, is ready to go to sea. “Goodbye, me,” he says after briefly discussing his legacy before crabbing his way into the ocean. It’s absurd and so glorious.
George Bush, The Simpsons
The older this episode gets, the funnier it becomes seeing The Simpsons adding George H.W. Bush to the Springfield community… only to have him spank Bart and then get pranked:
Bush then goes balls-out berserk, which naturally leads to a sewer fight. Ten points for Bush telling Homer, “I’ll ruin you like a Japanese banquet!” Because, you know, the former president of the United States once ruined a Japanese banquet.
Elvis, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
There have been many portrayals of arguably the most famous rock-that’s-very-pop musician over the years, but none funnier than that of Jack White doing the boppin’ head and the rollin’ voice in the best music biopic ever, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Also, oh man, we’re just suckers for some mad hair.
Matt Damon, Team America: World Police
Type “Team America” into YouTube’s search bar, and Matt Damon is one of the first suggestions. This wildly weird and funny movie might never have found the height of fame it did if it didn’t include this bonkers portrayal of Ben Affleck’s little buddy. It took an insufferably long time for everyone to quit saying “Matt Damon” in that lame voice whenever the movie was brought up around the water cooler, but it’s still legendary stuff today.
