True Comedy Fans Will Know Who Played These Legendary Characters

There are memorable characters in every genre. There are a ton of iconic characters in horror movies and some beloved heroes from action movies. Even drama movies and historical epics have their fair share of well regarded characters from the silver screen. But arguably the best genre for memorable characters to be a part of is comedy. Characters can become a kind of joke delivery system if their creators make them skewed and specific and smartly written enough. There are screen icons from the comedy genre that span from a James Bond spoof who finds that his swinging '60s personality does not quite gel with the more progressive society of the '90s to a man who lives with his parents and carries around a satchel full of Skittles and gives them to his friends in order to have a good time to an abrasive, backwards news reporter from the '70s who comes out with more absurdist one liners that any other character in the history of film. Only true comedy fans and movie buffs will be able to remember the legendary comics and actors who brought these beloved characters to life. All righty then, take the quiz and see where it goes!

Question 1

Who plays Austin Powers?

This comedy legend got his start when he became a cast member on the NBC sketch variety series Saturday Night Live. Movies based on his Wayne's World sketches from SNL made him a movie star in the '90s before he created this parody of the James Bond character that takes his origins in the '60s and brings him into the more progressive modern day. He also did The Love Guru. Who plays Austin Powers in the three movies about him?

Question 2

Who played Alan in The Hangover trilogy?

This guy was never really an actor before The Hangover came along. He was a standup comedian with a surreal and absurdist and outrageous sense of humor. He had a special released entitled Live at the Purple Onion. Ever since The Hangover trilogy, he has been a huge movie star with movies like Due Date and Masterminds and Keeping Up with the Joneses under his belt. Who played the role of Alan Garner in The Hangover trilogy of comedy movies?

Question 3

Who plays Michael Scott?

In the first season of the US remake of The Office, the Michael Scott character was more or less exactly the same as his British counterpart, David Brent. But as the years went by and the show carved out more of a niche for itself, this actor made the role more his own. The show, paired with his movie The 40 Year Old Virgin, shot this actor to super stardom pretty much overnight. Who played Michael Scott in The Office?

Question 4

Who played Happy Gilmore?

Happy Gilmore was the role that made this actor a huge movie star. He has previously been a standup comic and then a cast member of Saturday Night Live, but this was the movie that kicked off his film career, which has continued to this day. He is currently locked into a big deal with Netflix to make eight movies for them (of which he's currently working on the fifth one with Jennifer Aniston). Who is this comedy mega star?

Question 5

Who played Barney Stinson?

The actor who played the role of Barney Stinson in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother has since gone on to star as Count Olaf in the Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. He also hosted the Academy Awards on the year that How I Met Your Mother ended its run of nine glorious, highly rated seasons. Who played the Barney Stinson character on the hit CBS comedy series How I Met Your Mother?

Question 6

Who plays Ron Burgundy?

The actor who starred in the Anchorman movies (both the 2004 original and its belated 2013 sequel) is one of the most popular comedy actors in the world. He has starred in such hits as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and The Other Guys and Daddy's Home and its sequel. Which actor starred in both Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and its long awaited sequel Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues as the titular news anchor, Ron Burgundy?

Question 7

Who plays Ace Ventura?

The actor who played Ace Ventura in two movies does not usually do sequels, but he made an exception for this character, because he is a very eccentric and therefore interesting character to play. In 1994, he starred in three blockbusters movies out of the blue - Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and The Mask - and became the biggest movie star in the world basically overnight. Who plays the pet detective character Ace Ventura in two movies?

Question 8

Who plays Sheldon Cooper?

The Big Bang Theory is the biggest comedy series in the world right now. Broadcast television is struggling in the age of streaming to get viewers to tune into a certain network at a certain time on a certain day, because that feels old fashioned to modern audiences. But The Big Bang Theory never struggles to get its audience in every week. It's been on the air for over a decade now with Sheldon Cooper at the core. Who plays him?

Question 9

Who plays Derek Zoolander?

Zoolander was yet another modern comedy movie classic that got a belated sequel, just like Dumb and Dumber and Anchorman did. Derek Zoolander is a satire of male models and he is played by the guy who starred in Meet the Parents and The Royal Tenenbaums and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The actor also directed and wrote the movie that introduced the character to audiences (and its less successful, long awaited sequel). Who plays the role of Derek Zoolander?

Question 10

Who plays Borat?

The actor and comedian who played the role of Borat, as well as fashion reporter Bruno and the title role in Da Ali G Show and Ali G in da USAiii has a new show out right now where he plays a bunch of new characters and interviews a bunch of new people in the same kind of prank interview format. The series is airing on Showtime and it has proven to be quite controversial. Who plays the role of Borat?

Question 11

Who voices Stewie Griffin?

The role of the evil baby character Stewie Griffin in the Fox animated comedy series Family Guy is played by the same guy who created the whole show. He is also the voice actor who plays Peter and Brian and Quagmire and Tom Tucker and Dr. Hartman and Carter and a whole bunch of other characters. He also directed the movies Ted, Ted 2, and A Million Ways to Die in the West. Who voices Stewie Griffin in Family Guy?

Question 12

Who played Axel Foley?

This actor got his start in standup comedy and became a huge star on that scene in the 1980s, helped by his stint as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Then he starred in movies like Beverly Hills Cop and Trading Places and 48 Hrs. and became an even bigger celebrity than before. This is the guy who played Donkey in the Shrek animated film franchise. Who played the role of Axel Foley in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise?

Question 13

Who plays Michael Bluth?

Arrested Development fans had thought that their favorite show had been cancelled and they would never see those characters again before Netflix brought it back for both a fourth and fifth season. This actor has been doing fine, as he has starred in movies like The Switch and Game Night and the TV drama series Ozark. Who stars in Arrested Development, which is hailed as one of the smartest television series ever made, as the lead character of Michael Bluth?

Question 14

Who voices Homer Simpson?

Very few shows manage to make it past a pilot episode, and even after that, they struggle to get that season 2 renewal. Then after a few years, even the successful ones begin to go downhill and lose their viewers and have to go off the air. But The Simpsons has been going strong for 30 years. It still has millions of viewers who tune in every week and watch all the reruns. Who voices Homer Simpson in The Simpsons?

Question 15

Who played Liz Lemon?

The actress and writer who played the role of Liz Lemon in 30 Rock also created the show and based it on her experiences when she was working as the head writer on Saturday Night Live. Liz, naturally, being the quirky head writer of the fictional sketch comedy series TGS, is based on the actress and writer herself, so playing her was no great stretch. Who played the role of Liz Lemon in the NBC meta comedy series 30 Rock?

Question 16

Who played Mrs. Doubtfire?

The actor and legendary standup comic who starred as the single dad who dressed up as a woman and got hired as a nanny in order to spend some time with his kids has been in a ton of movies, from comedies like Night at the Museum and Patch Adams to dramas like Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society. Mrs. Doubtfire was an unprecedented hit at the box office. Who played the title role in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire?

Question 17

Who plays Alan Partridge?

Alan Partridge is arguably the best known and most popular character in British comedy. He started off as the sports anchor on the satirical news show The Day Today alongside Chris Morris, but has since gone on to have his own talk show and his own sitcom and his own web series and even his own movie! He has a whole new series coming up. Who is the comedy legend who has played Alan Partridge for more than 25 years?

Question 18

Who played Frasier Crane?

It's not often that a TV spinoff series will be successful at all, let alone as successful as the original show. But sure enough, just like Cheers before it managed to stay on the air for more than ten years, so did the spinoff starring the psychiatrist character Dr. Frasier Crane. The actor who played him is also famous for his recurring guest spot on The Simpsons playing the role of Sideshow Bob. Who played Frasier Crane in Cheers and Frasier?

Question 19

Who played Ron Swanson?

Ron Swanson is the guy who nobly led the parks department through thick and thin for seven seasons on NBC's mockumentary sitcom despite the fact that he does not actually believe in the ideas of bureaucracy or government. The actor who plays him became famous for his glorious mustache and his deadpan delivery of every line of dialogue and has since appeared in a number of movies, like 21 Jump Street and its sequel. Who is the legendary comic actor?

Question 20

Who plays Clark Griswold?

Every dad in the world can relate to Clark Griswold, the guy who just wants to give his family the best vacation ever, one that they will remember for the rest of their lives, and he does do that, but not in a good way as everything goes wrong and terrible things happen. The actor who plays Clark in the movies even reprised the role for the recent 2015 reboot. Who plays Clark Griswold in the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise?

Question 21

Who plays Mr. Bean?

Mr. Bean has always been a popular comedy character. He started out as a sketch character before he got his own sitcom in which he starred in a series of vignettes that were edited into half hour episodes. He then went on to star in two movies of his own, Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie and Mr. Bean's Holiday. The actor who plays him has also played the comedy characters Blackadder and Johnny English. Who is this British comic legend?

Question 22

Who played David Brent?

David Brent is essentially the original British version of Michael Scott. The British actor and standup comic who starred as David Brent in the original version of The Office reprised the role a couple of years ago for his own movie, David Brent: Life on the Road, which was met with a mixed reception from the fans and critics. Who played David Brent in the original British version of The Office and his own movie, David Brent: Life on the Road?

Question 23

Who played Frank Drebin?

Frank Drebin began as the lead of a TV show before getting a movie trilogy. The actor who plays Frank Drebin actually got his start as a serious dramatic actor, but then when the directors of Airplane! were casting dramatic actors to play their absurd dialogue deadpan, they realized that they had discovered some kind of born comic genius and continued to cast him in their comedic works. Now, he's one of the best remembered comedy actors of all time. Who played Frank Drebin?

Question 24

Who played Peter Venkman?

After getting his start in Saturday Night Live (as most comic actors who go on to have successful film careers did), this actor went on to star in such comedy classics as Caddyshack and Meatballs and Stripes and Groundhog Day. It is arguably the role of Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters and its sequel that is his most iconic character of all time. More recently, he was acclaimed for his role in Lost in Translation. Who played Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters?

Question 25

Who played Basil Fawlty?

Fawlty Towers is hailed as one of the greatest British sitcoms ever made. The problems behind the scenes led to it only lasting for two seasons, but the influence of it is so great that it has led to most of the comedy series on British television to only last for two seasons: Spaced, The Office, Extras etc. Basil, the lead character, is played by one of the six guys from Monty Python. Which one of those icons is he?

Question 26

Who played George Costanza?

When Jerry Seinfeld enlisted Larry David's help to write the sitcom that NBC network executives had asked him to come up with, Larry based the character of George Costanza on himself. He certainly can't be accused of romanticizing himself or portraying himself in a positive light, since he created one of the most despicable and neurotic and unusual characters in the history of television. The actor who played George is currently on the Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon. Who is he?

Question 27

Who plays Silent Bob?

The guy who plays Silent Bob, one half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, is also the director of the movies he is in. This guy was cashing in on the cinematic universe trend long before Marvel Studios decided to get in on it. His production company View Askew Productions was making movies that were all set in the same fictional universe that he called the View Askewniverse. Who plays Silent Bob in the movies of the View Askewniverse?

Question 28

Who played Sgt. Nicholas Angel?

This actor wrote the screenplay for Shaun of the Dead with its director Edgar Wright and then starred with his close friend Nick Frost. Three years later, they did the exact same creative setup with a different project tackling a different genre: buddy cop movies. Hot Fuzz is arguably the finest installment in the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy and is certainly the highest grossing one of the three. Who played Sgt. Nicholas Angel in the British action comedy movie Hot Fuzz?

Question 29

Who played Ferris Bueller?

Director John Hughes wrote the screenplay for his seminal high school coming of age comedy movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off in just a few short days. So many screenwriters could slave over a script for a year and not have it be as funny or as unique or as original as Hughes' script was and it took him less than week to write the thing. Who played Ferris Bueller in his namesake John Hughes comedy movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

Question 30

Who played Marty McFly?

This actor was the guy who made time travel cool in the 1980s with his role as time period hopping high school student Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy. He almost couldn't make the shoot, thanks to the schedule with his sitcom Family Ties, but luckily the producers of both projects were able to make it work for both parties. Who played Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy of science fiction comedy movies?

Question 31

Who played The Dude?

Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski was the Coen brothers' attempt to create a kind of Philip Marlowe who was more laid back and didn't get involved in criminal cases voluntarily. That was their key in to creating a movie that blended silly comedy with Raymond Chandler type hard boiled crime and mystery storytelling. It was an interesting combination and it now has one of the biggest cult followings of any movie ever made. Who played The Dude in The Big Lebowski?

Question 32

Who plays Selina Meyer?

This actress got her big break on Seinfeld, playing the role of Jerry Seinfeld's ex girlfriend turned close friend Elaine Benes, and she appears to be the only cast member who is immune to the so called "Seinfeld curse" as she has had not just one, but two successful shows in the years since Seinfeld. There was The New Adventures of Old Christine and now she plays Selina Meyer in the HBO comedy series Veep. What is this actress' name?

Question 33

Who played Jack Donaghy?

This actor seems to be everywhere. He has appeared in comedy movies and TV shows like It's Complicated and, of course, 30 Rock, and he has also been in more dramatic works like Glengarry Glen Ross, in which he stole the show with a monologue about selling real estate and the ABCs of sales. He can be seen in theaters right now in the latest Mission: Impossible movie, subtitled Fallout. Who played Jack Donaghy in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock?

Question 34

Who played Kenny Powers?

Eastbound and Down is not the kind of show that you usually see on HBO. HBO is known for its groundbreaking, slick, innovative, sophisticated programming like The Sopranos and The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. Eastbound and Down is a brash, abrasive, loud, foul mouthed, and utterly hilarious show anchored by an equally brash, abrasive, loud, foul mouthed, and utterly hilarious lead character in ex baller Kenny Powers. Who played Kenny Powers in the HBO sports comedy series Eastbound and Down?

Question 35

Who played Cher Horowitz?

The actress who starred as Cher Horowitz in the high school movie Clueless would go on to play Batgirl alongside George Clooney's Batman in Batman and Robin in the late '90s. It was a modernized adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Emma, transplanted into the present day high school setting, and it is arguably one of the best remembered high school movies and comedy cult classics of all time. Who played Cher Horowitz in the seminal high school comedy movie Clueless?

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