13 Non-Comedians Who Laid It All On The Line For Laughs (and Totally Whiffed)

They say that funny folks have an easier time transitioning to drama than the drama majors have eeking laughs out of anyone. Which makes total sense, because as we’ve heard on every single episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee… You can’t teach funny. An already funny person can hone their craft and create funnier, more polished work, but it’s safe to say that no one knighted them with the ability to make people laugh in the first place. Since they already have the funny in their tool belt, branching out into more “serious” dramatic roles feels like just another craft to hone.

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We’ve seen countless examples of funny “non-comedians,” and it’s a pleasant surprise. Our initial cringe ended with a legitimate laugh, good on ‘em. Sadly, when anyone at the top of their profession in acting, sports, music, and (in a couple cases) pro wrestling wants to test the comedic waters, they’re just gonna have to find out the hard way like anyone else. And these ones found out. The hard way. The years of training in their chosen profession couldn’t help them, and if they were already famous, their cronies who fake-laughed at their jokes for a spot on the private jet were not doing them any favors. Here are 13 non-comedians who laid it all on the line for laughs, and totally whiffed.

13 He can box, he can hawk a grill, but it was no surprise that he couldn’t carry a sitcom.

GRACKED GEORGE FOREMAN'S FAILED SITCOM GEORGE ABC gave the former heavyweight champ a 1993 sitcom about a retired boxer running a youth center. Forgetting that he's not an actor or comedian, the show bombed and was canceled in 2 months (leaving one episode unaired). — TV Insider / The Wrap

12 Who in their right mind would think of Bryant Gumbel as an awards show host?!

GRACKED BRYANT GUMBEL HOSTED THE EMMYS NATION TELEVISIO ACA In 1997, the CBS president said he didn't want a comedian host, and went with the recently hired Gumbel. With poorly delivered jokes, and obviously zero dance numbers, it was just a newscaster newscasting the Emmys. — Time / People

11 Christopher Hitchens cockily tried a one-hour set.

GRACKED CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS BOMBED AT STAND-UP Wanting to try stand-up for years, a cocky, whiskey-soaked Hitchens attempted an hour for 750 people. Не gave up his terrible act after 30 minutes and finished with a Q&A. — Slate / NY Times

10 He gets a ton of YouTube hits, so he must be able to carry a sitcom!

GRACKED A YOUTUBER'S FAILED SITCOM MARVIN MARVIN Nickelodeon thought Lucas Cruikshank's insufferable act warranted his own sitcom. Terrible writing and acting aside, the alien among us premise was a rip-off of Mork and Mindy, and 2 other Nick shows, Invader Zim and The Journey of Allen Strange. — Youtube / YSB Now

9 Looks like his experience in comedy movies couldn’t help his live act.

GRACKED JAMES FRANCO HOSTS THE OSCARS TY FAIR DEUCE Не and Anne Hathaway hosted the 2011 Oscars, and Anne was the only one who showed up, performance-wise. Franco looked awkward, half-asleep, and relied heavily on the teleprompter. — The Ringer / Popsugar

8 No one knew what Dolph Ziggler was talking about.

GRACKED WWE WRESTLER DOLPH ZIGGLER CONFUSED CANADA In Toronto, performing for the 2nd time ever, Dolph Ziggler bombed because his entire set was about Chipotle restaurants - which hadn't yet reached Canada. — WWE / Sports Keeda

7 Dick Butkus couldn’t just rely on his funny name.

GRACKED A RETIRED NLFER GAY CHARACTER On the '80s sitcom My Two Dads, Dick Butkus plays cafe owner Ed Klawicki. In one episode he pretends he's gay to help one of the dads hit on a woman, and it's just uncomfortable to watch. — Plex / Wikipedia

6 Ugh, I can’t get this TV to turn off!

GRACKED PETER SARSGAARD HAD A ROUGH NIGHT ON SNL In 2006, he flubbed a bunch of lines, and broke a TV, which was the most important prop in the sketch. Не later told Seth Meyers he was drunk while filming Peter Sarsgaard's SARS Guards. — Dailymotion / Variety

5 That image of the Hulkster in a tutu is with us forever.

GRACKED HULK HOGAN AS MR. NANNY Bad guys want anti-missile technology, and only an ex-wrestler babysitter can stop them! How could such a bad movie spawn similarly brutal ones like The Pacifier and The Tooth Fairy? — Youtube / National Today

4 A rude boy indeed.

GRACKED ADRIEN BRODY GOT BANNED FROM SNL Without Lorne's knowledge, he donned faux dreadlocks and improvised a 30+ second Sean Paul intro with a cringeworthy Jamaican accent. This got him banned for life. — Youtube / The Times

3 John Mayer’s ego blamed bombing on his sex appeal.

GRACKED JOHN MAYER THINKS OF HIMSELF AS A JOCK? After bombing at The Slipper Room in NYC, he 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. — The Comic Comics / GQ

2 The few available clips speak for themselves.

GRACKED MICHAEL PHELPS HOSTED SNL In 2008, his monologue was under 4 minutes, and was carried by Amy Poehler and Will Forte. Не robotically read cue cards, and NBC doesn't show the full episode on their site or the SNL app. — Youtube / Sportscasting

1 A comedy crowd will give famous people a chance, but at some point they’ll wanna laugh.

GRACKED RAPPER T.I. GOT AN ARENA'S WORTH OF BOOS At the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, T.I. performed with pros Nick Cannon and Eddie Griffin. The arena gave him a chance, but he got booed for most of his set. — T.I.'s Very Rough Go at Stand Up Comedy / GQ

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