Comedic Performances That Were So Good They Even Won an Oscar

Jack Palance earned two Best Supporting Actor nominations in the early 1950s for playing sadistic villains, roles enhanced by his intimidating size and menacing look. Palance won his lone Oscar for a comic role, though, playing a feisty, weathered cowboy who helps turn three urban denizens into cattlemen. When Palance won his Oscar, he did one-armed push-ups – at the age of 70 – on the stage.

Versatile actor Kevin Kline (“Sophie’s Choice,” “The Big Chill,” “Silverado”) won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the zany comedy about diamond thieves looking to outscheme each other. The film’s star power included Jamie Lee Curtis and Monty Python comics Michael Palin and John Cleese.

In “Moonstruck,” Cher won the Best Actress Oscar playing a bookkeeper from Brooklyn who is conflicted when she falls in love with the brother (Nicolas Cage) of the man she’s supposed to marry (Danny Aiello). Cher previously was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for “Silkwood” in 1984.

“Moonstruck” holds the distinction of winning Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Academy Awards for its stars Cher and Olympia Dukakis, respectively. Dukakis played Cher’s sardonic mother in the rom-com about an Italian family in New York. It was the only Oscar nomination for Dukakis.

Dianne Wiest has won two Best Supporting Actress Oscars for comedic roles in two Woody Allen movies. The first was for “Hannah and Her Sisters,” joining co-star Michael Caine, who won the Best Supporting Actor golden statue for the same film. Wiest has been nominated for three Academy Awards.