JD Roberson
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The pratfall. Is it cheap, or genius? Geniuses like me would propose the latter. Not everyone can pull off physical comedy (as Jimmy Fallon will prove later on in the list), but those who can are like visual crack. Here are 15 of some of the best moments and masters of the pratfall.
Perhaps my favorite Dee moment from It’s Always Sunny In Philidelphia has to be her attempt at burglarizing a store, then tripping and slamming her head into a car door. Kaitlin Olsen requested to do the stunt herself and really dented the car door with her head.
In the longest pratfall on the list, Andy Samberg in the cult classic Hot Rod takes a tumble down an entire mountain when dancing at his “quiet place.” Set aside a few hours and watch the entire fall, it’ll have you falling on the floor.
Buster Keaton was an early master of the pratfall. While he has hundreds of pratfalls to choose from, this one in particular shows just how impressive his skills were. He almost gets both legs on the counter and according to Dick Van Dyke, Keaton was 68 when he did this stunt.
Here is a wondrous compilation of Chevy’s time on SNL, 90% of which was spent falling down. If there is one redeeming quality to Mr. Chase, it’s that he may be our best living pratfall artist.
Kevin James and Jimmy Fallon got together to participate in a pratfall contest on The Tonight Show, and there are some great bits in the homage to the craft. The best of which has to be James’ turn on the water cooler. It’s like watching a beautiful dance with the set pieces that ends in their untimely death.
If any movie captures the Looney Tunes aesthetic while still being a live-action flick, it’s Home Alone. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern should most likely be dead from taking paint cans to the face, but instead, the result is just a pratfall, then the two go back to trying to murder the child.
In the final season of The Office, Daryl gets drunk at the Christmas party and goes flying into the snack table. At least we know the final season has at least one hilarious scene!
Tobias Funke’s time as Mrs. Featherbottom is a memory we all share fondly. Her angelic voice, her delicious cooking, and her ability to slam through a coffee table with lightning speed.
If there’s anything more famous than “I live in a van down by the river” from the Matt Foley sketch, it’s the climax of Farley’s full weight smashing through the living room coffee table. Farley was a genius physical comedian, and who knows how many more classic pratfalls we could’ve gotten from him.
Michael Richards' physicality is what made the character of Kramer so brilliant. The running through the door, the overexaggerated reactions, and the sliding off of walls when attempting to look cool. Here are some of Kramer’s best pratfalls from Seinfeld.
This pratfall from George C. Scott was actually an accident after the actor tripped, but with his knack for comedic timing, he committed to the bit and that’s what pratfalls are all about right? Commitment!
If pratfalls are defined as falling down for comedic effect, then the Jackass crew are pratfall royalty. A personal favorite is a final scene from Jackass 2 when the gang gets some real production values.
Leo DiCaprio pulled out all the stops when recreating Jordan Belfort's real-life experience of trying to fight off quaaludes to get to his car, you can practically feel his bones smacking around when he falls down the stairs.
Jim Carrey has always been a very physical comedian, even in his standup. Thanks to this video by Shawn Kohn, we can see a supercut of his best. A personal favorite being his back-breaking “I wanna go way back now” setup.
Jerry Lewis is one of the classic stars of the physical comedy medium, and he’s said on numerous occasions how taxing it was on his body over the years. We thank you for your service, Jerry.
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