Seriously Hilarious

Consider Will Arnett. He had trained as a dramatic actor and had a less than notable career doing voice-overs until his big break playing GOB on "Arrested Development." Why success then? Why this show? Because it was a comedy. He finally stopped trying to be seriously serious and basically mocked his own dramatic personae as part of a comedy ensemble. 

And...now he's reading Judy Blume and everything is wonderful. 

Alec Baldwin is a considerably less extreme example. He has had a long and relatively successful film career playing primarily dramatic roles. But he's so serious that it's almost laughable. Especially since so much of his dialogue in these movies is so painfully, painfully cheesy. Whip out the nachos and check out these Baldwin character quotes from 2001's Pearl Harbor: 

"There's nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer."

"I want you to do me a favor." 

(What's that, Colonel?) 

"Pray for both of us."

"Victory belongs to those who believe in it the most and believe in it the longest. We're gonna believe. We're gonna make America believe, too." 

"You know, at Pearl, they hit us with a sledgehammer. This raid, even if it makes it through, it'll be a pinprick-- but it'll be straight through their hearts." 

Now, that's the kind of dialogue that makes me physically cringe. In a drama, it doesn't work, because it's too much. 

But-- when the environment is changed, when he's supposed to be over-the-top and melodramatic, he is in top form. I honestly think his best work has been on "30 Rock." He delivers lines with the same straight-faced, earnest cheesiness, but because they're meant to be funny, it runs smoother than a waxed leg.