Comedy vs. Drama- question - Actors Forum is the Community to Talk, Learn and Study Acting.

jzell · 06-30-2007, 10:40 AM

Hi all,

I have to ask this question that's been on my mind for some time now. What type of character do you think is more difficult to play, a comedic or dramatic character? I personally can't answer this question yet since all of the roles I've played so far have been comedic (just finished playing Dogberry from Much Ado).

Jordan

SWK78 · 07-10-2007, 09:43 AM

It all depends on what you are comfortable with as a person. If you are a naturally goofy person, drama will be more taxing, if however, you're a closed person, you may do better in dramatic scenes than comedic scenes. Personally, I think they are both equally challenging. It's hard to make people of all walks of life laugh at the same joke, and yet it is also hard to convey a dramatic situation to the viewers. It all depends what you have more experience doing. Or what you would be more comfortable doing. For example, in my community theatre group all we have really done are comedies, really kind of slapstick [yeah I did Much Ado as well, although I played Don Pedro], so I would be comfortable in doing comedies, however, as a person I am more down to earth, closed and think in a very dramatic way, therefore, I would be comfortable doing dramas... Actually I prefer them. One, they are something that everyone can relate to on some level, and it has the reward of portraying life how it really is and that's the challenge that would thrill me. So from my point of view, dramatic characters would be more challenging than comedic, because they have a lot more levels of emotion to them.

Billy1970 · 07-17-2007, 03:52 PM

I would agree with SWK78 here.

Even though most actors would argue that they can 'play' anything, I personally believe that people have leanings towards the dramatic or the comedic. I've always felt that an actor should first explore and refine what comes naturally to them first. As in, if you are a dramatic type and comedy doesn't come 'naturally' to you, focus on that! When you get really comfortable playing those type roles, then open up to the things that aren't quite as easy.

Think about Jim Carrey, he's obviously a comedic type person and he very intently focused on that in his early career. Now, he's trying very hard to grow into more dramatic roles. The reverse would be someone like Robert DeNiro, who spent most of his youth in very serious, dramatic roles and is now branching out into comedy.

The beauty of expressing yourself through acting is that you get to touch on all of these traits that are within you...within all of us really. Take the time to really, honestly evaluate yourself and your relative strengths and then refine them. You have a lifetime to work on the things that aren't so strong.

Hope this helps and best of luck out there!

SWK78 · 07-22-2007, 09:53 PM

And as a further note to what Billy1970 said about Carrey trying to branch off into drama... well, don't wait as long as he did, otherwise people will not like it as much as the b.o. for his dramatic roles will show. All of them .. were box office bombs. He's been in comedy so long that people don't want him to move out of it, so it's coming as a very difficult move. Learn from this. Do not stay in one genre too long, or you'll never get out.

misteriobanderas · 09-05-2007, 08:01 PM

I'm learning, and my acting teacher has said that the goal for actors/actresses is to be able to play anything.I liked Jim Carrey's performance in Eternal of the Spotless Mind or what ever it was called. (sorry, it is hard for me to remember sometimes) but as you guys have stated, it is usually one or the other that people are more comfortable with. I'm more comfortable with dramatic roles than with comedy. I'm very shy and reserved that is why.

Russjns · 09-05-2007, 10:08 PM

Comedy is harder than drama. At least that's my experience. I'm way more adept at comedy...I've been in sketch comedy troops for years and have booked a number of comedic commercials, but there's so much more pressure on the "exactness" of bringing a comedic moment to life. With drama, it seems as long as you are being true to the script, and as long as you are living truthfully on the stage, your golden, or at least you won't suck.....comedy needs the laugh.

SWK78 · 09-09-2007, 05:13 PM

Yes, but a laugh is a response, and drama needs a response as well. It's a fine line, trying to decide which is harder to do.

misteriobanderas · 09-12-2007, 01:23 PM

your right, swk.
each one comes with its challenges and a response is needed for both. the responses are different.

SWK78 · 09-13-2007, 09:06 PM

Exactly, you can only measure a work to the response that it receives, and thus, since the responses to each genre are generally varied, one cannot find a mark on equality of responses. Therefore, the performances (or films) are roughly inadequate to suffer to being judged on the same levels.