Funny Women in the Movies

Who do you think is the funniest female movie star of the past 5-10 years?

I’m really curious and doing a little bit of a science experiment on it. More details to follow.

About Shana Merlin

Merlin Works is the brainchild of Shana Merlin: improviser, teacher, and performer. Since 1996, she’s been leading classes that stretch people’s imaginations, push them out of their comfort zones, and make them laugh out loud for hours at a time.
Replies: 4

4 comments

  1. Sara said:

    I don’t know who the really young funny women in movies are, but Parker Posey would be my answer to your question. She has been in a lot of great indie stuff, and was just recently miscast in Superman Returns. She should have played Lois Lane. That would have been GREAT!

    I also think Reese Witherspoon is funny (my favorite of hers is Election, but I really liked Legally Blonde).

    Both actors play “straight funny” — extreme yet genuine characters who (take themselves seriously?).

    A lot of who is funny in the movies is dependant on their material.

    But a good actress should be able to play drama and comedy (and comedy is harder). I have always really loved the performances of Emma Thompson and Meril Streep. Both are great actors who can play drama as well as broad, funny broads.

    Drew Barrymore as a clutz is funny, too. But seeing any attractive or powerfuly person playing the clutz is funny.

  2. Sock Puppet said:

    Sandra Bullock’s funny.

  3. Anonymous said:

    I’ve always liked Catherine O’Hara, but I think she codes as comedienne as actress rather than the other way around. I like Reese Witherspoon as well.
    Julie

  4. Roz Roz Jonz said:

    Madeline Kahn was brilliant. Joan Cusack always cracks me up.

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