15 Actors Who Weren’t Always In On The Joke

Tommy Wiseau came to accept 'The Room' is not seen as the masterpiece he was aiming for.
15 Actors Who Weren’t Always In On The Joke

Turning a flaw into a strength must be some kind of superpower, because most people would crumble into oblivion after realizing that their work, their quirk, or even their entire personality have become public fodder. They were just trying to use their abilities to make something of note. Something we could all enjoy at home. And they did, to some extent. Just not in the way they’d hoped. We all got a solid chuckle at their god-awful movies, or their strange personality quirks, but (like Skynet) they became self-aware and showed us mere mortals what they were made of. 

A movie role, a cameo, or even a one-off joke showed us all that they realized the public’s perception of them, and they leaned right into it. They proved to all of us that they had a great sense of humor, and for that, we tip our caps to these 15 actors who weren’t always in on the joke.

Ryan Reynolds

Actors Who Weren't Always In On The Joke Ryan Reynolds jabs at Green Lantern. In the 4th-wall-shattering Deadpool 2, Reynolds displays his awareness of the flop that was Green Lantern. While Ryan Reynolds reads a Green Lantern script, Deadpool shoots him in the head and says, You're welcome, Canada. CRACKED

20th Century Studios

Newsweek

Neil Patrick Harris

Actors Who Weren't Always In On The Joke Neil Patrick Harris killed Doogie Howser. Over a decade later, NPH was still known as Doogie Howser. Self-aware of his good-boy image, he played a coke-snorting, stripper-crazed version of himself in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, and stole the show. CRACKED

New Line Cinema, 20th Television

/Film

Paris Hilton

Actors Who Weren't Always In On The Joke Paris Hilton knows people want her dead. To promote her 2005 movie House of Wax while also acknowledging that she knows people would probably enjoy seeing her get brutally murdered, Hilton wore a See Paris Die t-shirt to her D.J. gig. CRACKED

Warner Bros. Pictures

People

Gilbert Gottfried

Actors Who Weren't Always In On The Joke A watered- down Gilbert Gottfried voice just didn't work. On SNL in the early '80s, Gottfried had a quiet, slimy voice. After much disdain from writers, fans, and critics, he went full force with his now-iconic voice, and (with roles like lago in Aladdin) became world-famous for it. CRACKED

Syfy, Disney

Time

Benedict Cumberbatch

Actors Who Weren't Always In On The Joke Benedict Cumberbatch owns his unique look. SNL is the place to tackle your insecurities, because in the sketch Why Is Benedict Cumberbatch Hot? the host can't even fathom his sex appeal. Cumberbatch agrees, likening his looks to Sid the sloth from Ice Age. CRACKED

NBCUniversal

People

Michael Cera

Actors Who Weren't Always In On The Joke Michael Cera is a good boy gone bad. Everyone in This is The End plays themselves, but Michael Cera's version of himself is a drug addicted, threesome-having psycho who spals Rihanna's ass. Known for nerdy roles, this is clearly an ironic nod to his own public image. CRACKED

Columbia Pictures

Time

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