In a story, each character has their designated traits and roles that contribute to the overall narrative. Supporting characters are crucial in providing a buffer or challenge to the main characters, making the story more dynamic. While some characters with a specific purpose, such as providing comedic relief, may seem one-dimensional, they can bring consistency to the story and take it in new directions. Dumb characters are a type of specialized comedic relief that can lead to unexpected detours and crazy, exaggerated humor. When done well, they have no logic or rationale, adding a unique dimension to the story.
8 Frank Drebin – The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
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Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is always on the case and off the books. He is the world’s dumbest detective with all the dumb luck in the world. Frank is honest but self-serious, and uses contrastive language, the perfect combination for boneheaded comedy. How he manages to catch his man is a miracle; Frank’s silly way with words is frustrating and clever misdirection for his friends and foes.
7 Otto West – A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
In the movie “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”, Lieutenant Frank Drebin, portrayed by Leslie Nielsen, is an unconventional detective who operates outside the law. Despite his lack of intelligence, Frank always seems to be in the right place at the right time, thanks to his dumb luck. He is honest but takes himself too seriously, often using contrasting language that adds to the humor of his character. His ability to apprehend suspects is nothing short of a miracle, as his unconventional and often silly use of words serves as clever misdirection for both his friends and enemies.
6 Navin Johnson – The Jerk (1979)
.In “The Jerk,” Navin Johnson, played by Steve Martin, is a white man who was adopted by a Black family of sharecroppers from Mississippi. He struggles with his identity when he realizes that he does not fully relate to his relatives. Navin embarks on a journey to Missouri after being drawn to the light champagne music he hears on the radio and can dance to. Along the way, he hitchhikes and has various misadventures, such as mistaking a dog’s barking for a fire alarm. Navin also invents a device to prevent glasses from sliding down one’s nose, which becomes somewhat popular despite causing users to go cross-eyed. In the end, Navin’s family saves him from a lawsuit related to his invention by investing the money he saved.
5 Brick Tamland – Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is the meteorologist for a local San Diego TV station. Brick is an easygoing, simple man. He’s a punctual and polite coworker and a lovable oaf. He has been told by a doctor that his IQ is in the double digits, making him intellectually slow. Brick believes bears are attracted to a woman’s menstrual cycle, and he also calls them furry tractors. His witty remarks are either borrowed or poorly thought out. Claiming someone bought their clothes from a toilet store is a dumb, double-edged sword.
4 Biff Tannen – Back to the Future (1985)
Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) in Back to the Future is the archetype school bully that uses brute force first and his brain never. His signature line is, “Why don’t you make like a tree and get out of here.” Everyone knows the double meaning and phrase should end with “leave” except for Biff. He calls stupid people “butt heads” but the irony is that he’s already a butt head. In the time-traveling trilogy, he also manages to get covered in manure like clockwork.
3 Derek Zoolander – Zoolander (2001)
Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) in Zoolander takes a photo like no one else can with a hairdo that no one else can do. Unfortunately, Derek has more fashion sense than he does common sense. When asked about his vanity through the philosophical belief that photos steal one’s soul, he gives a culturally insensitive answer that there aren’t any “abo-digitals” getting their picture taken. When presented with the new construction of the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can’t Read and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too, he destroys the diorama, thinking that it will be the actual size of the building.
2 Gordon Brody – Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Gordon Brody (Tom Green) in Freddy Got Fingered is a flippant, slacker cartoonist working to have his own cartoon show. According to the CEO of an animation studio, his art style shows promise, but his drawings are nonsensical. Rather than pursue his career elsewhere, Gordon quits his job and moves back in with his parents. His father derides him and doesn’t believe being an animator is a real job. Meanwhile, Gordon licks the open wound of his friend’s broken leg, impersonates a doctor and delivers a baby, accuses his father of sexually assaulting his brother Freddy, and uses his abusive relationship with his dad for a new, successful animated show.
1 Harry and Lloyd – Dumb and Dumber (1994)
New Line Cinema
Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) are two of the best and dumbest friends in Dumb and Dumber. They go on a road trip to return what they believe is a lost briefcase full of money to Lloyd’s love interest, but it was actually left behind for a ransom. On their travels, they encounter the ransom collectors, outwitting them with their dimwitted high jinks. After discovering the briefcase is filled with cash, they spend it all on themselves and to impress Lloyd’s crush. The FBI saves them and arrests the culprits, leaving the dumb duo heading home on foot after rejecting the chance to be oil boys for a bus of bikini-clad women.
