List of clowns

This is a list of notable clowns.

Circus-style

* Albert Alter - American clown
* António Branco – '' Batatinha'' (literally ''Little Potato''), from Portugal
* Arthur Vercoe Pedlar – "Vercoe", an English clown
* Barry Lubin – "Grandma", star clown of the Big Apple Circus
* '' Bim Bom'' – clown duo of early 20th Century Russia
* ''Carequinha'' – Brazilian clown and actor, born in a circus to a circus family Brazil
* Cepillín – Mexican clown
* Cha-U-Kao - French clown, performer at the Moulin Rouge
* Charlie Bell – American clown, Ringling Bros. circus
* Charlie Cairoli – Italian-born British clown
* Pinto Colvig - American clown who later became famous as the voice of Goofy.
* Daniel Rice (1823–1901) – American clown of the 19th century and principal inspiration for ''Uncle Sam''.
* David Shiner – Tony Award-winning American born mime and circus clown who has appeared on Broadway and with several European circuses
* Demetrius Nock – "Bello Nock," star clown in Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus
* Dimitri – Swiss clown and mime
* Emmett Kelly – American tramp clown
* Frankie Saluto – American clown, Ringling Bros. circus
* The Fratellini Family – family of French clowns
* George Carl – American clown who performed mainly in Europe.
* Glen "Frosty" Little – America's last living Master Clown and longtime "Boss Clown" with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus
* Greg and Karen DeSanto – husband and wife clown/comedy team
* ''Grock'' – Charles Adrien Wettach (1880–1959), Swiss clown
* Joe Jackson Sr. and Jr. – tramp clown entree with a breakaway bicycle
* Johann Ludwig Jacob ''Lou Jacobs'' (1903–1992) – American Master Clown. Credited with inventing the clown car gag.
* Josep Andreu i Lasserre – ''Charlie Rivel'' European clown
* Jose de Jesus Medrano – '' Chuchin'' (1953–1984), Mexican clown and performance star
* José Vega Santana – ''Remi'' (1958–) – "Puerto Rico's Greatest Clown"
* Michael Halvarson – Swedish clown and star pickpocket entertainer who has appeared in Cirque du Soleil Kooza
* Mikhail Nikolayevich Rumyantsev – ''Karandash'' (1901–1983), Soviet Clown and clowning teacher.
* Nicolai Poliakoff – ''Coco the Clown'' longtime star clown of the Bertram Mills Circus
* Oleg Popov (1930–2016), Russian clown, student of ''Karandash''
* Otto Griebling – (1896–1972), American Master Clown with the Cole Bros. and Ringling circuses
* Paul Hunt – gymnast clown
* Pierre Étaix (1928–2016), French clown, comedian and filmmaker
* Pogo the Clown - American serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who volunteered as a clown at hospitals
* Roly Bain (1954 – 2016) English priest and clown who preached and performed as Holy Roly. He helped set up the organisation Holy Fools.
* Sergey Pavlov – "Lalala", Russian clown, director and actor
* Skeeter Reece – American clown
* Steve Smith – "T.J. Tatters", longtime director of Ringling Clown College
* Tiririca - Brazilian clown who started his career in the circus, later becoming a singer, gaining fame on TV and becoming a politician
* Vicki Gabereau – ''Rosie Sunshine,'' ran as a candidate in the 1974 Toronto mayoral election
* Yuri Nikulin – Russian clown and actor
* Jack Perry and Doug McKenzie – '' Zig and Zag'' Australian television clowns

Rodeo

* Flint Rasmussen – seven-time winner of ''Man in the Can'' award.
* Johnny Tatum – American rodeo clown
* Quail Dobbs – American rodeo clown
* Slim Pickens – American rodeo clown and film actor.

Film

* Abbott and Costello (William (Bud) Abbott, 1897–1974; Louis Costello, 1906–1959) – American comedy duo specializing in the white clown (straight man)/red clown (comic) relationship
* Ben Turpin (September 19, 1869 – July 1, 1940) – cross-eyed comedian, best remembered for his work in silent films
* Buster Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) – "The Great Stoneface"
* Charlie Chaplin (April 16, 1889 – December 25, 1977) – British born comedian. His principal character was "The Little Tramp"
* Chester Conklin (January 11, 1886 – October 11, 1971) – American comedian and actor
* Harry Langdon (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) – American silent film comedian and mime
* Jacques Tati (October 9, 1908 – November 5, 1982) – French comedian, mime and filmmaker; played the socially inept Monsieur Hulot
* Keystone Cops – incompetent group of policemen created by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917
* Laurel and Hardy – comedy duo in film
* Martin and Lewis – American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin (as the "straight man") and comedian Jerry Lewis (as his stooge)
* The Marx Brothers – team of sibling comedians that appeared in vaudeville, stage plays, film and television
* Peter Sellers (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980) – English comedian and actor; played Inspector Clouseu
* Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) – actor, was involved in the "Fatty Arbuckle scandal"
* Shaggy 2 Dope – DJ of the Insane Clown Posse, Detroit-based hip-hop group with a fan army of "schizophrenic wizards" called the juggalos and star of underground film ''Big Money Hustlaz''
* Slim Pickens – rodeo clown and film actor
* Snub Pollard (November 9, 1889 – January 19, 1962) – silent film comedian, popular in the 1920s
* The Three Stooges – slapstick comedians
* W.C. Fields (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946) – American comedian and actor
* Violent J – leader of the Insane Clown Posse, a Detroit-based hip-hop group and star of ''Big Money Hustlaz'' underground film.
* Jim Varney - Actor of Ernest P. Worrell

Television

* Lucille Ball – ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Here's Lucy''
* Bassie – clown on the Dutch "Bassie & Adriaan" television series, played by Bas van Toor
* Benny Hill – The Benny Hill Show
* Milton Berle – ''Texaco Star Theater'', ''Berle's Buick Hour''
* Blinky the Clown – played by Russell Scott as the star of "'' Blinky's Fun Club''" in Colorado, Denver.
* Bozo the Clown – franchised character played by many local television performers and on cartoons, based on the character created in 1946 by Alan W. Livingston for Capitol Records' record-reader series
* Bubbles the Clown – clown doll that appears on BBC test cards F, J & W.
* Charlie Chalk – main character of the British children's TV series of the same name.
* Clarabell the Clown – regular character from the ''Howdy Doody'' television program, originally played by Bob Keeshan of ''Captain Kangaroo'' fame.
* Der Clown - German TV clown
* Doink the Clown – gimmick used by several wrestlers in the 1990s. Doink began as a heel wrestler in the evil clown archetype, but later Doinks portrayed the character as a babyface who loved to entertain the children in the crowd.
* Dink the Clown – midget sidekick of Doink the Clown.
* Flunky the Clown – Character of comedy writer Jeff Martin on Late Night With David Letterman .
* Herman the Clown - main character of Finnish series ''Pelle Hermanni''.
* Homey the Clown – character from the ''In Living Color'' television program, whose famous catchphrase was "Homey don't play that (or dat)".
* John Michael Howson – 'clown' from ''Adventure Island''.
* Nasse Setä – Character of Finnish comedian Vesa-Matti Loiri
* Loonette the Clown - main character of Canadian series ''The Big Comfy Couch''.
* Mr. Noodle – character created by Bill Irwin for the "Elmo's World" segment of ''Sesame Street''
* Mr Tumble – character on '' Something Special'', played by Justin Fletcher
* Patati Patatá – Brazilian TV
* J.P. Patches – Seattle children's television mainstay for decades.
* Paul Reubens – ''Pee-wee Herman'', ''Pee-Wee's Playhouse''.
* Peppi & Kokki - Two Dutch clowns who starred in their own children's TV series.
* Pinky Lee – ''The Pinky Lee Show''
* Pipo de Clown – main character of the Dutch children's TV series of the same name.
* Piñón Fijo – Argentine TV
* Red Skelton – ''The Red Skelton Show''
* Roberto Gómez Bolaños - Better known as ''Chespirito'', he created and played ''El Chavo'' and ''El Chapulín Colorado''
* Rowan Atkinson – ''Mr. Bean''
* Jim Allen – ''Rusty Nails'' (1957–1972), Pacific Northwest children's television clown, and model (in part) for Matt Groening's "Krusty" character on the television program ''The Simpsons''
* Sid Caesar – ''Your Show of Shows'' and ''Caesar's Hour''
* Soupy Sales – ''The Soupy Sales Show''
* Yucko the Clown'', known for rude observations, obscenities and public intoxication
* Os Trapalhões - Didi, Dedé, Mussum and Zacarias, from the TV show of the same same.
* Zig and Zag (Australian performers)

Theatrical

* A. Robins – vaudeville's "The Banana Man" and "One Man Music Shop"
* Alan Clay – international clown teacher and performer; author of ''Angels Can Fly, a Modern Clown User Guide''
* Alex the Jester – "King of Jesters," speaks a contemporary version of the medieval gibberish language Grammelot.
* Andy Kaufman – American comic and practitioner of ''anti-humor''
* Avner Eisenberg – also known as Avner the Eccentric, a "Broadway" clown
* Bill Irwin – Tony Award-winning clown known for his new vaudeville-style performances
* Blue Man Group – trio of silent characters that perform covered in blue paint
* Clark and McCullough – Bobby Clark and Paul McCullough started as circus clowns and progressed to be stars of stage and screen
* Sylvester the Jester – The Human Cartoon
* Dario Fo – Capo Comicio, creator of "Mistero Buffo" and "Accidental Death of an Anarchist"; recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature; uses Arlecchino stage persona, political activist
* Ed Wynn – The Perfect Fool
* Eric Davis – Cirque du Soleil clown and creator of Red Bastard
* Geoff Hoyle – stage clown, started in the Pickle Family Circus with Bill Irwin and Larry Pisoni
* George Carl – longtime star of the Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris
* George Washington Lafayette Fox, American stage clown during the 19th century
* James and Jamesy, Canadian clown duo
* Jango Edwards – American clown and entertainer in the European cabaret tradition
* John Gilkey – Cirque du Soleil clown
* Joseph Grimaldi – credited with being "the first whiteface clown" — in an homage to Grimaldi, circus clowns began referring to themselves and each other as "Joey"s, and the term 'joey' is now a synonym for clown
* Marceline Orbes (1874–1927) – performed in Europe and for many years at the New York Hippodrome.
* Morro and Jasp – Canadian clown duo
* Mump and Smoot – Canadian "clowns of horror"
* Olsen and Johnson – stars of Broadway's ''Hellzapoppin
* Puddles Pity Party (Michael Geier) – American traditional popular singer and YouTube celebrity who performs as a whiteface clown. Billed as the "sad clown with the golden voice."
* Richard Pochinko – founder of "Canadian Clowning" style
* Richard Tarlton – actor and clown in the Elizabethan theatre in England
* Richard Usher – 19th-century clown, performed at Astley's Amphitheatre
* Robert Armin – actor and clown in Shakespeare's company
* Sergey Pavlov – Russian clown "LALALA", creator of "LALALA SHOW"
* Slava Polunin and his City Slickers – American musical act featuring slapstick circus-style comedy
* Thomas Monckton – award-winning physical clown
* Tommy Cooper – British comedy magician
* W. C. Fields – vaudeville comedy star
* Will Kempe (''fl. c'' 1589–1600) – actor dancer and clown who worked with Shakespeare; famously jigged his way from Norwich to London in 1600
* Wolfe Bowart – stage clown touring internationally with his productions ''LaLaLuna'' and ''The Shneedles''

Fictional

* Adam the Clown – from the video game ''Dead Rising''. Equipped with two chainsaws that he juggles, he is a boss in the game.
* Binky the Clown – from the ''Garfield'' comic by Jim Davis.
* Buggy the Clown – an antagonist of the manga and anime ''One Piece''
* Buttons the Clown – a central character from the 1952 film '' The Greatest Show on Earth'', played by James Stewart
* Calvero – clown character played Charlie Chaplin in the film ''Limelight''
* Captain Spaulding – from the horror films ''House of 1000 Corpses'' and ''The Devil's Rejects''
* Chuckles the Clown – ''Mary Tyler Moore Show'' background character who was trampled to death in an episode
* Colly Wobble, a clown toy in CBeebies TV show '' Moon and Me''
* Crackers the Clown, played by Peter Brocco – "bad-guy" clown in the '' Adventures of Superman'' episode titled "The Clown Who Cried".
* Dodo Delwyn – once a famous Ziegfeld star, is reduced to playing clowns in burlesque and amusement parks in 1953 film '' The Clown''; played by Red Skelton
* Dr. Rockso – the Rock & Roll Clown from Metalocalypse
* Fatso the Clown – clown statue in '' The 70s Show'' episode titled "Fun It"
* Fizbo the Clown - Cam Tucker's clown character from ''Modern Family''.
* Frenchy the Clown – character of the national lampoon comic ''Evil clown comics'' series.
* The Ghost Clown – evil hypnotist clown featured in the ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' episode titled "Bedlam in the Big Top"
* Gamzee Makara – clown-like Highblood Troll and one of the antagonists of the webcomic "Homestuck"
* ''I Pagliacci'', (''The Clowns'') – tragic opera by Ruggiero Leoncavallo prominently features Arlecchino as a character
* Jack – advertising icon for the fast food company, Jack in the Box
* Jack Point – from the Judge Dredd Megazine's The Simping Detective series
* Jojo – main character on the Disney Channel's ''Jojo's Circus''
* The Joker – supervillain often called the "Clown Prince of Crime" created by DC Comics
* Kefka Palazzo – main antagonist of Final Fantasy VI
* Killer Klowns – from the horror films ''Killer Klowns from Outer Space''
* Koko the Clown – from Max Fleischer's ''Out of the Inkwell'' series of animated cartoons.
* Krusty the Clown – television clown on the Fox animated television series ''The Simpsons''
* Mr. Magic Pierrot - a monster of the day in the fourth season of the ''Sailor Moon'' anime series. Some clown-like monsters called "Pierrot" also appear in the ''Sailor Moon'' musicals and in the live-action series.
* Murder the Clown - from the ''Goosebumps Most Wanted'' book "A Nightmare on Clown Street", also appeared in the 2015 ''Goosebumps'' film.
* Pennywise the Dancing Clown (also known as "It") – shape-shifting monster in Stephen King's '' It'' and its adaptations
* Pierrot Bolneze – from '' Yakitate! Japan'', clown, bread judge and master of ceremonies, he's also the crown prince of Monaco according to the series
* Rajoo – circus clown and the central character in Raj Kapoor's film ''Mera Naam Joker''
* Rollo the Clown – played by William (Billy) Wayne, the "good-guy" clown in the '' Adventures of Superman'' episode titled "The Clown Who Cried".
* Rollo the Clown – from the 1991 film ''The Little Engine That Could'', based on the children's book of the same name.
* Ronald McDonald – McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain's advertising clown character, first portrayed by Willard Scott.
* Sacarrolha - protagonist in a long-running Brazilian comic strip, created by Primaggio Mantovi.
* Shakes the Clown – title character of the film of the same name.
* Splinters – title character in a newspaper comic strip by William Steinigans, which ran between 1911 and 1912.
* Stan – clown name of the character Louison in the 1991 French film ''Delicatessen''.
* Sweet Tooth – sociopathic serial killer who is a primary protagonist/antagonist in the''Twisted Metal'' franchise.
* Tricky the clown from the Newgrounds series Madness Combat
* Violator – serial killer and one of the enemies from the ''Spawn'' franchise.
* Vulgar the Clown – protagonist of the 2000 motion picture '' Vulgar''
* Wobble – roly-poly clown from the BBC children's TV show ''Playbus'' (later ''Playdays'')
* Yorick – court jester who featured as the subject of a lengthy soliloquy in Shakespeare's ''Hamlet''

See also

* Evil clown
* List of jesters

References

{{Clowns

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Clowns