15 Celebrities Who Tried Stand-Up (But Absolutely Shouldn't Have)
![15 Celebrities Who Tried Stand-Up (But Absolutely Shouldn't Have)](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/7/880737_320x180.jpg)
It’s no secret that stand up comedy is the hardest, most terrifying performance art on the planet. Seasoned veterans have their fair share of tense moments, and downright horror stories of complete disasters on stage. So why would a complete rookie think they could just stroll onto a stage with a few “funny” things on their mind, and think they can get a room of strangers howling? The answer is plain and simple… Ego. Pure ego.
They’ve achieved success in their chosen field, and thought, “Hey, if I can play guitar, I can clearly make people laugh too! All my yes-man friends think everything I say is hilarious.” The problem, as we all know, is that those two artforms have nothing to do with each other. That’s like saying, “I’m a solid dentist, so maybe tonight I’ll bring my aerospace engineering ideas to their conference and show ’em all what’s what!” Some of these celebrity stand-ups were a one and done, but others actually made a solid stab at it. For better or for worse, here are 15 celebrities who yucked around and found out.
Dolph Ziggler
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up all No one knew what DOLPH ZIGGLER was talking about. Performing for the second time ever, WWE wrestler Dolph Ziggler drew confused looks in Toronto, as his entire bit was about Chipotlewhen the chain hadn't yet reached Canada. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/4/880744.jpg)
Ann Coulter
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up ANN COULTER in the Liberal lion's den. After attacks from actual comedians, Coulter's retorts on Comedy Central's Roast of Rob Lowe got silence, heckling, and even booing. Showing off her book In Trump We Trust only amplified the boos. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/5/4/880754.jpg)
T.I.
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up Rapper T.I. got an arena's worth of boos. STOPLE US At the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, T.I performed alongside pros Nick Cannon and Eddie Griffin. The arena gave him a chance, but his jokes drew boos for most of his set. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/7/880747.jpg)
Emma Thompson
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up EMMA THOMPSON had a tough act to follow. Thompson once performed a comedic Scottish song in a raincoat, and bombed badly after immediately following a stripper. She stayed the course, landing multiple paid gigs before quitting in 1984. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/6/880746.jpg)
Kevin Spacey
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up bits TZE KEVIN SPACEY got the gong. Better known for dramatic acting and sexually criminal allegations, Spacey performed in stand-up competitions like The Gong Show straight out of high school. Не stated that his stand-up career was as rough as one would imagine. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/3/880743.jpg)
Ron Perlman
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up RON PERLMAN was literally run out of the biz. club glove USA Perlman admitted that his comedy duo Stuart & Perry mostly stole material from well-known comics. They upset a crowd in the South Bronx, and 300 men got up and chased them off stage. It was their last performance. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/5/1/880751.jpg)
Gavin McInnes
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up GAVIN McINNES stand-up should stand back and stand by. The Proud Boys founder was ready to perform at the comedy event Stand Back & Stand By (a nod to Trump's comments), but Penn State was forced to cancel the event after protests turned violent. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/9/880749.jpg)
Simon Pegg
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up SIMON PEGG got his big break from stand-up. After many TV tapings, producers saw Pegg's act in the Chiswick Comedy Club and asked him to be in the sketch comedy show Big Train. Не met Edgar Wright on set, and began work on what would become Shaun of the Dead. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/5/3/880753.jpg)
John Mayer
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up JOHN MAYER blamed bombing on his sex appeal. After bombing at The Slipper Room, Mayer said, It was combative in the sense that the crowd didn't accept the fact that the jock, the guy who gets the girls, was at a place where guys go who talk about how they don't get girls. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/1/880741.jpg)
Madonna
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up MADONNA alienated her audience. Jimmy Fallon had Madonna on The Tonight Show doing stand-up, and although the crowd was initially excited, they soon quieted after multiple bits about her collection of Picassos and Warhols. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/8/880748.jpg)
Christopher Hitchens
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up HITCH 2 CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS cockily tried a one-hour set. Wanting to try for years, a whiskey- soaked Hitchens attempted to do an hour of stand-up for 750 people. Не gave up the terrible act after 30 minutes, and finished with a Q&A. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/2/880742.jpg)
Jonah Hill
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up JONAH HILL's acting didn't translate to stand-up. To prepare for his role in Funny People, Hill performed stand-up alongside Seth Rogen. Crowds were excited to see the celeb, but the jokes couldn't keep their interest piqued and he retired after six months. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/5/0/880750.jpg)
Tom Hanks
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up TOM HANKS practiced to struggle. For his role as a struggling stand-up comic in the 1988 film Punchline, Hanks performed at The Comic Strip in New York. Having an affinity for comedy, he also played a stand-up in an SNL sketch, and has hosted 10 times (so far). CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/5/2/880752.jpg)
Blake Griffin
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up BLAKE GRIFFIN is giving comedy a serious run. P - UG Clippers Calling stand-up his second career, Griffin began performing in 2009 after being drafted #1 overall by the Clippers. Learning from Neal Brennan, he's performed at multiple Just For Laughs festivals and actually holds his own. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/4/5/880745.jpg)
Eric Bana
![CELEBRITIES that tried stand-up 1 ERIC BANA: 12 Years A Stand-Up. Bana experienced all the highs and lows of a 12-year run in stand-up comedy. Не once bombed so badly that the crowd screamed for him to get off the stage. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/3/9/880739.jpg)