Whether it is the side-kick best friend, the love interest, or the rival. Some of the funniest characters in comedy films are the secondary ones, playing second fiddle to the main player, but sometimes shining brighter and becoming more memorable. While recency bias is sure to come into play with a lot of these entries, and the list of hilariously memorable supporting characters is endless.
We have come to the conclusion that as it stands currently, these are the twelve all-time funniest supporting characters in comedy movies, not ranked in any particular order of quality.
12 Adam Driver as Allan - The F Word (2013)
Primarily known for his dramatic roles, Adam Driver does not get nearly the credit he deserves for his comedic abilities. Whether it is guest hosting Saturday Night Live or starring in the indie comedy film The F Word alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan. Driver has impeccable comedic timing.
This is particularly true as he plays Allan, the best friend of Radcliffe's Wallace. Always there to provide not-so-great relationship advice, Allan possesses hilarious misplaced confidence and loves himself some nachos after sex.
11 Rebel Wilson as Patricia - Pitch Perfect (2012)
The character of Patricia, better known as "Fat Amy" in Pitch Perfect is a problematic one for the films' portrayal of the stereotypical overweight and comical, clumsy friend. This issue stems from the writing and direction of the film but does not fall on the shoulders of Rebel Wilson and the top-tier comedic performance she gave in the role, despite its flaws.
Going on to feature in all three movies in the Pitch Perfect Trilogy, Rebel Wilson would cement herself in an all-time supporting comedy role.
10 Dave Franco as Eric - 21 Jump Street (2012)
Often times there is nothing funnier than the confident idiot. Dave Franco's character of Eric in the 2012 big-screen adaptation of 21 Jump Street is very much the confident idiot. Playing the new-age, environmentally conscious, and socially aware popular kid puts Eric directly in conflict with Channing Tatum's old-school mentality of what a "popular kid" should be.
The end result is comedic gold, making Franco a standout in this Lord and Miller-directed breakout comedy.
9 Isla Fisher as Gloria - Wedding Crashers (2005)
One of Isla Fisher's first mainstream roles came in the 2005 comedy Wedding Crashers. Featuring alongside the likes of Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams, Fisher would deliver one of the funniest supporting roles in comedy history. Declared a "stage 5 clinger" by Vaughn's Jeremy, Fisher plays the overzealous and over-the-top Gloria to perfection, showcasing her comedic talents that would continue on through her career.
8 John Cleese as The Black Knight - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The Monty Python comedy group likes to pull double duty in their feature films, playing both the lead and supporting characters. Monty Python and the Holy Grailfeatures an all-time hilarious example of this as John Cleese features as The Black Knight doing battle with Graham Chapman's King Arthur.
Despite losing both arms and both legs during battle, The Black Knight persists with hilarious confidence that his torso alone will be enough to take down King Arthur. "Tis but a scratch" would go on to be one of the most quoted comedy lines from Python's work, and The Black Knight would go down as an all-time hilarious supporting character.
7 Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth - Young Frankenstein (1974)
Mel Brooks knows how to write a superbly funny supporting female character, and Madeline Kahn knows how to play one to perfection. With her funniest role coming as Elizabeth in one of the funniest horror comedies of all time, Young Frankenstein. Playing the affluent fiancé of Gene Wilder's Frederick Frankenstein, Kahn proves why she is one of the funniest actors of all time.
6 Eddie Murphy as Donkey - Shrek (2001)
Donkey has been one of the most recognizable characters in movies for the past 20-plus years. Voiced by the hilarious Eddie Murphy, it was clear from the first Shrek movie in 2001 that Donkey would have staying power as one of the funniest supporting characters of all time. Several films and specials later, and he remains perfectly balanced on the line of hilarity and annoyance, creating some classic animated comedy in the process.
5 Rachel McAdams as Regina George - Mean Girls (2004)
Mean Girls remains a quintessential mid-2000s teen comedy movie, thanks to brilliant writing from Tina Fey and performances like that of Rachel McAdams as the classic comedy movie "villain" Regina George. Playing the stereotypical stuck up popular high school student, McAdams delivers an all-time hilarious and totally fetch performance.
4 Arsenio Hall - Coming to America (1988)
In total, Arsenio Hall features as four separate supporting characters in the comedy classic Coming to America. Whether he is playing Semmi, the best friend to Prince Akeem, Morris the Barber, Reverend Brown, or a female club goer. Hall delivers four very different but equally hilarious all-time comedic supporting roles.
3 Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot - The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Not every supporting comedic performance has to be bombastic and over-the-top. Often times, the most subtly funny roles end up being some of the best. This is certainly the case with Gwyneth Paltrow's take on Margot Tenenbaum in the Wes Anderson directed The Royal Tenenbaums.
Paltrow's comedy as Margot fits perfectly into the more dry comedic tone seen in Anderson's movies, and stand out among an all-star cast of heavy comedic hitters.
2 Ken Jeong as Leslie Chow - The Hangover (2009)
Ken Jeong burst onto the scene as the flamboyant Chinese gangster Leslie Chow in The Hangover. This outlandish character would help introduce some of the most quoted comedy lines in comedy movie history. Jeong's performance would go on to be one of the standouts of this modern day comedic classic.
1 Melissa McCarthy as Megan - Bridesmaids (2011)
Having featured heavily on the hit television show Gilmore Girls, Melissa McCarthy got her first big screen breakout role in the Paul Feig-led 2011 comedy, Bridesmaids. Playing the part of Megan, some of the same critiques directed at Rebel Wilson's role in Pitch Perfect could also be applied to McCarthy's role here, albeit to a lesser degree. Regardless of this, nothing should be taken away from her all-time comedic performance in this all-time comedy movie.
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