Laughter is an art.
Now, I know anyone can do it (at least, I hope they can. If not, they have my deepest sympathies), but it takes a master to really do it well. Because laughter is so common, no one will remember a particular laugh unless there is something…. well, memorable about it. And to do this it takes a modest amount of genius.
Here I have compiled a list of such geniuses from the stage and screen whose brilliance in laughter deserves some recognition.
9. King George, Hamilton
So… I haven’t actually seen this. But I’ve listened to the soundtrack and the laugh at the end of ‘I Know Him’… Well, actually it kind of freaks me out.
8. Yzma, The Emperor’s New Groove
And of COURSE I mean the kitten Yzma.
7. Jack Kelly (And Davey), Newsies
Well, this isn’t the part I was thinking of. But look! They’re laughing! The truly memorable laughter is when Davey laughs “A-ha!” and Jack goes “A-ha!” in a squeaky voice.
No, I can’t describe it any better. If you don’t know what I’m saying just go watch the movie. Really.
6. Jack Kelly, Newsies
This is Joey Barriero (commonly pronounced ‘Burrito’). He plays Jack Kelly in the current touring cast of Newsies. He’s not laughing in this picture. I couldn’t find a picture of him laughing. Probably because it’s illegal to use any kind of recording device during a Broadway show. So yay for the morally upstanding audiences who did not break the law to capture this moment.
It’s that laugh when he strikes on the idea of using Pulitzer’s printing press. That “Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-” laugh. And no, I don’t know how you would spell that. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean.
5. Spot Conlan/ Racetrack, Newsies
This is the last Newsies one. I PROMISE.
But really.
That little smirky laugh that Spot does (which you can’t see here) as if to say “Yeah, I’m really clever, aren’t I?” Which normally would annoy me, but then, he’s Spot.
And Racetrack… What is he even doing?
4. Danny Kaye
Just because he’s Danny Kaye.
3. Archimedes, The Sword in the Stone
He’s just…
I don’t really know.
Just look at him.
The mirth.
The joy.
2. Bert, Mary Poppins
I forgot how much I love Bert.
And his demonstration of how other people laugh.
This man is brilliant.
1. Prince John, Robin Hood
The greatest villainous laugh of all time. Most memorable, if not exactly chilling. There are no words to describe it’s brilliance. That “AH-ha, Ah-ha!”
If you’ve never heard it, you must have my greatest sympathies for your depraved childhood. Just go watch the movie right now. I mean it.
Trivialities 