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elimac
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Child Actors as comedians
16. Jun 2005 at 12:24
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Child actors almost always fail as comedians. They are not equipped to do a really good job at this. They don't have the timing, the expressions, the body language. Sure they can be put into funny situations, they can be given funny lines by writers--which they usually don't carry off very well, but as comedians on their own talents, they almost always fall short. This is understandable. Most dramatic actors fall short of true comic talent too. While some comedians--Jackie Gleason, Dick Van d**e, Andy Griffith, Danny Kaye--just to name a few, have done drama very well indeed.
I can think of two exceptions to the kid actors in comedy. Gary Coleman was funny in "Different Strokes", at least for a while until his act got old. And the really true kid comic was Jaleel White in "Family Matters"  He could break you up just by appearing on the screen as "Urkel".
When are kids funny? In true life. Just listen to some of the things they say when they are not acting.
If you can think of a truly funny child actor, please respond.
(Little Rascals are an exception, I know. But they were more like everyday kids than actors. )
  
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cal-Q-L8
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Re: Child Actors as comedians
Reply #1 - 16. Jun 2005 at 23:18
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I understand what you are saying....

...however, I'm not a great fan of 'funny' actors. The style of comedy I prefer is what I'd call 'witty humour', which is based on words or situations. I've never been all that keen on comedians that I'd call clowns...  such as Danny Kaye, Jim Carey, etc.

I'd much rather watch a Cary Grant or a Spencer Tracy in a witty comedy rather than a Jerry Lewis or an Austin Powers type.

As for kid actors that are funny...  I can't think of a single one that comes to mind that I actually liked.  I couldn't stand Gary Coleman or that Webster kid.

But, I do think a lot of kid actors can be funny in the same way that any normal adult can be funny when given a situation and or dialogue that is funny.

Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone), Joe Prospero (My Dad's the Prime Minister), Brendon Ryan Barrett (Soul Man), The Sprouse Twins (Suite Life), Eric Lloyd (Dunstan Checks In), Matthew Beard (Big Meg Little Meg), Amyas Godfrey and many others (You Can't Do that on TV), many many others.

Stand Up comedy is another area entirely. It doesn't usually work for kids because they haven't had enough life experiences. The only good show that worked which included some standup was YCDTOTV.
  
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josephk
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Re: Child Actors as comedians
Reply #2 - 17. Jun 2005 at 00:45
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There was a pretty insane show on MTV called Wonder Showzen. I can't remember if I mentioned it here before, but I've been meaning to for a while. I want to make a few video caps too.

The show is a type of perverted parody of Sesame Street and most of the humour comes from saying, showing, doing or insinuating things that are completely appropriate for kids, in a context of what pretends to be a "kid's show" (Kid's show was actually the working title of the series).

The first episode was really great, but the other ones I saw after were not up to par. There's one kid who was in the first episode and who appeared in a few others, and he's probably the funniest kid I've ever seen on TV or in movies. He plays a reporter who interviews adults in some bizarre context. In one episode, he goes to a blood donor clinic; in another, he's at a race track. But the best and funniest I've seen is in the first episode, where he goes to interview butchers. I can't describe how funny it is.

I'll post a few caps from that segment soon.
  
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gee
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Re: Child Actors as comedians
Reply #3 - 17. Jun 2005 at 08:39
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i think spencer breslin is funny an and sonme roles has good  timing.
  
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Mediajock1
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Re: Child Actors as comedians
Reply #4 - 19. Jun 2005 at 14:47
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A couple examples of terrific comedic actors are Devon Werkheiser and Shia La Beouf.  they both have that sort of freeform personality and mannerism that really grabs your attention, and they look like they are emjoying life even when their characters are made to suffer.

(In fact Shia got his initial claim to fame as a standup comedian when he, at 13, told jokes about teen sexuality to adults.)

But in this day and age it is a lot harder to pass a kid off as a comedian.  Many tend to confuse kid comedy with the "cute" sense of precociousness and typify it as such.  So even though the trained eye may be seeing comedic talent, most will just chalk it up to the stereotype of a :typical kid actor".

One other show that was on a couple years ago was "Laugh Out Loud" on Noggin with standups aged 12-17.  Some of them were VERY funny.

Smiley
MJ
  
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