Dave Chappelle’s Con Air role was a memorable early-career turn as a small but significant supporting character in the classic 1997 action thriller. Con Air revolves around a band of dangerous convicts hijacking a prison transport plane. Nicolas Cage stars as Cameron Poe, a paroled ex-Army Ranger who sets out to retake the plane, alongside John Cusack as U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin, who acts as Poe’s partner on the ground. The star-studded ensemble cast of Con Air includes such revered actors as John Malkovich, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, and a young Dave Chappelle.
A renowned standup comedian, Dave Chappelle is best known for his hugely popular comedy specials and his sketch series Chappelle’s Show. Chappelle made his acting debut with the role of Ahchoo in the 1993 Mel Brooks spoof Robin Hood: Men in тιԍнтs, and he would go on to star in hit comedies like Blue Streak and lead his own movie, Half Baked, before finding mᴀssive fame with Chappelle’s Show. However, his Con Air role was a notable early achievement as the biggest project Chappelle had been a part of.
Dave Chappelle Played Joe “Pinball” Parker In Con Air
Pinball Helps Launch The Escape Plan
Dave Chappelle plays Joe “Pinball” Parker in Con Air. While Pinball isn’t a particularly major player in the Con Air ensemble, he is crucial to the plot. Pinball is the one who kickstarts the plan to take over the plane. He uses smuggled kerosene to set a fellow inmate on fire, creating a distraction that allows him to release Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom and Nathan “Diamond Dog” Jones from their cells so they can hijack the plane. Even in death, Pinball is still a useful character as Poe uses Pinball’s corpse to send an S.O.S. message to Larkin.
Much like Chappelle himself on stage, Pinball is witty, acerbic, and quick with one-liners.
What made Chappelle the perfect casting choice for Pinball is the character’s sense of humor. Much like Chappelle himself on stage, Pinball is witty, acerbic, and quick with one-liners. Just like with other Chappelle roles, like Reggie Warrington in The Nutty Professor and Kevin Jackson in You’ve Got Mail, Pinball provides biting comic relief in Con Air. Pinball even rattles off wisecracks after burning a prisoner alive.
Chappelle’s Last Movie Was 2018’s A Star Is Born
Chappelle’s Legacy Is Based More On His Stand-up Work
While a lot of comedians use standup as a stepping stone to movie stardom, Dave Chappelle has instead used acting roles to boost his standup career. Chappelle’s last film role was George “Noodles” Stone in the Bradley Cooper-directed 2018 remake of A Star is Born. Noodles is a retired musician and the best friend of Cooper’s character, Jack Maine, who visits Noodles when he hits rock bottom.
Much like Pinball in Con Air, Noodles is a minor yet important character in A Star is Born. But Noodles is a hero, not a villain like Pinball. He puts a roof over Jack’s head and helps him recover after he gets drunk. Since that role, Chappelle has stuck mostly to his acclaimed and controversial work as a comedian while also becoming a frequent host of Saturday Night Live.
Other Action Movies That Have Unexpected Roles For Comedians
Comedians Have Been Supporting Actors And Lead Action Heroes In The Past
While Dave Chappelle’s Con Air role is quite surprising, there are a number of comedians who have popped up in action movies over the years in a variety of roles. In some cases, such as with Chappelle in Con Air, these roles have allowed the comedians to provide a little comic relief to the action movies. Such is the case with Rob Schneider’s brief role in Demolition Man, Tom Arnold appearing as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sidekick in True Lies, or Chris Rock joining the Lethal Weapon franchise in Lethal Weapon 4.
Of course, some comedians have also become action heroes in their own right, often surprising fans. Eddie Murphy had already become famous as a comedian and on Saturday Night Live, but his feature film debut was in the gritty action movie 48 Hrs. This opened the door for the likes of Martin Lawrence starring in Bad Boys and Billy Crystal in Running Scared. These roles allowed the comedians to be the comedic lead as well as the action hero.
Other comedic actors have been surprising in more serious action roles than Chappelle’s part in Con Air, like Owen Wilson in Behind Enemy Lines and Bob Odenkirk in Nobody. Playing against type was part of the fun with these roles, proving that even hilarious actors could handle themselves in an action sequence.
