List of clowns

"ON THE LAST DAY OF THE CARNIVAL, Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday,) promiscuous masking is allowed on the streets, which are thronged with picturesque bands of maskers of every age and condition, and their costumes run in every garment from the clown to kings and queens."
The view shows a group of maskers in the street, most in costumes of clowns with polka-dots and pointed hats. A sign on the neutral ground reads "Welcome to the Winter Capital of America". Early 20th century postcard

Circus-style

Famous

Charles Adrien Wettach – Grock (1880–1959), A celebrated Swiss clown.
Achille Zavatta (1915–1993)
Aurelio Atayde Guizar - Bellini - Founder and star clown at Circo Atayde Hermanos^[1] in México
António Melo – Batatinha (literally Little Potato), from Portugal. A very well known clown.
Bev Bergeron – Rebo the Clown – Television clown on the shows Magic Land of Allakazam & The Magic Circus
Bim Bom – a famous clown duo of early 20th Century Russia
Ernie Burch – Blinko - (c. 1944-1995) Host of 1950's TV show. Ringling Bros. circus. The Greatest Show on Earth film. Named by Cecil B. DeMille^[2]
Josep Andreu i Lasserre – Charlie Rivel Other than Grock perhaps the most beloved and respected of all European clowns
The Chickys, classic European clown act
Jose de Jesus Medrano – Chuchin (1953–1984) a.k.a., a Mexican clown and performance star who died tragically.
Nicolai Poliakoff – Coco the Clown a longtime star clown of the Bertram Mills Circus
Daniel Rice (1823–1901) A famous American clown of the 19th century and principal inspiration for Uncle Sam.
David Konyot – 4 times winner best clown (U K) Hungarian circus festival, Polish circus Festival
Drosta – Real name unknown. European
Emmett Kelly – Extremely well known American tramp clown
Charlie Cairoli - Italian-born British clown
The Fratellini Family – a dynasty of French clowns
George Carl – American clown who found great success in Europe. Performed Royal Command Performance for the Queen at the Palladium in London. He also received the coveted "Golden Clown" award from Princess Grace at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo.
Glen "Frosty" Little – America's last living Master Clown and longtime "Boss Clown" with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus
Harty the clown – (1906–1986) Frank "Harty" Hart was chief clown for Billy Smart's Circus for 12 years. He toured the US and UK's biggest auditoriums, as well as appearing many times on TV. He even beat the panel on the BBC's What's My Line.
Johnny B, Kummiedjant Lokali
Ian P, Maltese Clown and Actor of the Rivendell Circus
Joe Jackson Sr & Jr. – famous tramp clown entree with a breakaway bicycle
Mikhail Nikolayevich Rumyantsev – Karandash (1901–1983) Soviet Clown and clowning teacher.
Johann Ludwig Jacob – Lou Jacobs (1903–1992) – During his 60 years in the American circus this Master Clown came to be known as one of the most famous clowns in the world through his innovative comic routines, compassion for others and strong dedication to his work. Credited with inventing the clown car gag.
Oleg Popov – Greatly admired clown from the Soviet Union and student of Karandash
Otto Griebling – (1896–1972) Prolific and influential Master Clown with the Cole Bros. and Ringling circuses. The single most admired and respected American circus clown of the 20th century
The Rastellis – European clown act
José Vega Santana – Remi (1958–present) – "Puerto Rico's Greatest Clown"
Vicki Gabereau – Rosie Sunshine - Ran as a candidate in the 1974 Toronto mayoral election
Versace - great clown and pantomime, world wide known from Mexico, touring with "Zirkus Charles Knie"^[3] meanwhile
Yuri Nikulin – Russian clown and actor
Jack Perry and Doug McKenzie – Zig and Zag Australian Television clowns

Contemporary

Buffo, claimed to be the world's strongest clown
Cepillín, a Mexican clown
Greg and Karen DeSanto – husband and wife clown/comedy team
Dimitri – Swiss clown and mime
Barry Lubin – "Grandma"; star clown of the Big Apple Circus
Fumagalli, European star clown, Big Apple Circus
John Wayne Gacy – "Pogo"; a painter and serial killer
Jeff Gordon – "Le Clown Gordoon"; star clown with the Big Apple Circus
Michael Halvarson – Swedish clown and star pickpocket entertainer who has appeared in Cirque du Soleil Kooza
Paul Hunt – gymnast clown
Jean-Jacques Menais – "Jyjou*", French clown and mime artist (1989— )
Demetrius Nock – "Bello Nock"; a star clown in Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus
Sergey Pavlov – "Lalala", Russian clown, director and actor
Arthur Vercoe Pedlar – "Vercoe", an English clown
David Shiner – Tony Award-winning American born mime and circus clown who has appeared on Broadway and with several European circuses
Steve Smith – "T.J. Tatters"; longtime director of Ringling Clown College
Tom Bolton – American clown and juggler living in Germany

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 & Costello (William (Bud) Abbott, 1897–1974); Louis Costello, 1906–1959) American comedy duo whose mastery of the white clown (straight man) /red clown (comic) relationship made them one of the most popular and respected teams in American comedy history
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. His innovative work as both a comedian and a director made great contributions to the development of the art of cinema
Charlie Chaplin – (April 16, 1889 – December 25, 1977) British born comedian. The most famous actor in early to mid Hollywood cinema era, he acted in, directed, scripted, produced, and eventually scored his own films. 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) was an American silent film comedian and a first class mime
Jacques Tati – (October 9, 1908 – November 5, 1982) was a French comedian, mime and filmmaker best known as 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 & Hardy – perhaps the most famous comedy duo in film history
Martin & Lewis – an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin (as the "straight man") and comedian Jerry Lewis (as his stooge)
The Marx Brothers – a team of sibling comedians that appeared in vaudeville, stage plays, film and television
Peter Sellers – (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980) Extremely versatile and talented English comedian and actor best remembered for the character of Inspector Clouseu
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) One of the most popular actors of his era, but is best known today for his central role in the so-called "Fatty Arbuckle scandal"
Joseph Utsler – Shaggy 2 Dope; DJ of the Insane Clown Posse, a 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, Melbourne, Australia, – January 19, 1962) was a silent film comedian, popular in the 1920s.
The Three Stooges – starred in many short features that consisted of masterful ways of showcasing their extremely physical brand of slapstick comedy
W.C. Fields – (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946) was an American comedian and actor. Fields created one of the great American comic personas of the first half of the 20th century
Joseph Bruce – Violent J; The leader of the Insane Clown Posse, a Detroit-based hip-hop group and star of Big Money Hustlaz underground film

Television

Benny Hill – The Benny Hill Show
Bozo the Clown, a franchised clown 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 – The clown doll that appears on BBC test cards F, J & W
Charlie Chalk from the British children's TV series of the same name
Clarabell the clown was a regular character from the Howdy Doody television program, originally played by Bob Keeshan of Captain Kangaroo fame
John Michael Howson - 'Clown' from Adventure Island
Loonette The Clown - main character of Canadian series The Big Comfy Couch.
Doink the Clown, a 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
Eric The Clown, a character on Seinfeld, played by Jon Favreau
Flunkie the Clown (also spelled Flunky), a character on Late Night with David Letterman, a bitter, chain-smoking, depressed, very unenthusiastic clown who helped Dave answer viewer mail about circuses and clowns, played by show writer Jeff Martin. The name originated with his first appearance, in which a viewer suggested that mail to Letterman was actually read by a "flunkie" (sic). The clown's catchphrase was <in a very unemotional voice> "yeah, it's a real panic."
Damon Wayans – Homey the Clown, a character from the In Living Color television program, whose famous catchphrase was "Homey don't play dat".
Chris Wedes – J.P. Patches, a Seattle children's television mainstay for decades
Alyson Court – Loonette, clown character on the The Big Comfy Couch
Lucille Ball – I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy
Milton Berle – Texaco Star Theater, Berle's Buick Hour
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
Paul Reubens – Pee-wee Herman, Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Pinky Lee – The Pinky Lee Show
Pooter-the-Clown - A birthday clown who appears in the film Uncle Buck
Bev Bergeron – Rebo the Clown (1960–1965), CBS=TV 'Magic Land of Allakazam
Red Skelton – The Red Skelton Show
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
Willie Whistle – WSBK-TV38, a clown who had a kids' show in the 1960s-70's. He got his name because he "spoke" with a squeeky whistle
Roger Black – Yucko the Clown, made famous by his rude observations, obscenities, and public intoxication
Zig and Zag (Australian performers)
Der Clown – German television series

Theatrical

Famous

A. Robins – Vaudeville's "The Banana Man" and "One Man Music Shop"
Andy Kaufman American comic and one of the most famous practitioners of anti-humor
Clark & McCullough – Bobby Clark & Paul McCullough started as circus clowns and progressed to be stars of stage and screen
Ed Wynn – The Perfect Fool
George Carl – Longtime star of the Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris
George Washington Lafayette Fox, perhaps the most famous American stage clown during the 19th century and one of the first known performers to become typecast in a role
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
Olsen & Johnson – Stars of Broadway's Hellzapoppin'
Richard Tarlton – actor and clown in the Elizabethan theatre in England
Robert Armin – actor and clown in Shakespeare's company
Spike Jones and his City Slickers – Murdered the classics with their "Musical Depreciation Revue"; versatile American musical act featuring slapstick circus-style comedy
Tommy Cooper – British comedy magician
W. C. Fields – Vaudeville comedy star who mastered the variety as well as the legitimate stage, silent and talking films, print and radio
Will Kempe (fl. c 1589–1600) – actor dancer and clown who worked with Shakespeare; famously jigged his way from Norwich to London in 1600
Willie, West & McGinty – Fast-paced Irish-American vaudeville knockabout act about 3 laborers building a house

Contemporary

Adam Gertsacov – bills himself as "The Most Educated Clown In America (barring certain elected officials.)" Currently the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt, Maryland, and the "boss clown" of the Acme Clown Company
Alan Clay – International clown teacher and performer; and author of Angels Can Fly, a Modern Clown User Guide.^[4]
Alex the Jester – the "King of Jesters," speaks a contemporary version of the medieval gibberish language Grammelot.
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
Dan "Sylvester the Jester" Sylvester – 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
Drew Richardson – The Dramatic Fool
Emma the clown– Popular French stage clown
Gale LaJoye – International performer and creator of "Snowflake"
Geoff Hoyle – stage clown. Started in the Pickle Family Circus with Bill Irwin and Larry Pisoni
Hilary Chaplain – Versatile NYC stage clown
Jango Edwards – American clown and entertainer in the European cabaret tradition
Jeff Jenkins – Co-founder of Chicago's Midnight Circus
Jean-Jacques Menais – Jyjou* (1989–present) The famous French clown, mime and flower.
Karen Koziol Scurto - owner of California Clown School
Michael Lane Trautman – physical clown and pantomime, with several theatrical shows
Mump and Smoot – Canadian "clowns of horror"
Richard Pochinko – founder of "Canadian Clowning" style
Slava Polunin – Russian-born clown and creator of "Slava's Snowshow"
Wolfe Bowart – Stage clown touring internationally with his productions LaLaLuna and The Shneedles
Sergey Pavlov – Russian clown "LALALA", creator of "LALALA SHOW"

Fictional

Adam the Clown, from the video game Dead Rising. Equipped with two chainsaws that he juggles, he is a boss in the game. He dies by falling on his chainsaws and suffering from massive blood loss.
Binky the Clown from Garfield and Friends
Buggy the Clown is the antagonist of the manga and anime One Piece. His appearance is best described as a mix between a blue-haired clown and a stereotypical pirate. He is extremely sensitive about his real nose (which actually looks like a false clown nose) and anyone who says any thing that he thinks sounds like an insult to his nose, (even if the statement has absolutely nothing to do with his nose) will cause him to get extremely violent. (if you watch the episodes in Japanese you will see the words are similar to "big" "red" & "nose")
Buttons, a central character from the 1952 film The Greatest Show on Earth, played by James Stewart
Calvero was a famous 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 was a Mary Tyler Moore Show background character who was trampled to death in one of the best-known episodes
Crackers the Clown, played by Peter Brocco, the "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
Frenchy the Clown of the national lampoon comic Evil clown comics series
I Pagliacci, (The Clowns) a tragic opera by Ruggiero Leoncavallo prominently features Arlecchino as a character. This opera was inspired by a true story
Jack, advertising icon for the fast food company, Jack in the Box
Jack Point, from the Judge Dredd Megazine's The Simping Detective series. Undercover Judge who dresses like a clown in order to appear crazy enough to fit in. Also conceals several weapons within clown gear
Jojo, main character on the Disney Channel's Jojo's Circus
The Joker is a supervillain often called the "Clown Prince of Crime" from DC Comics
Koko the Clown from Max Fleischer's Out of the Inkwell series of animated cartoons
Krusty the Clown the television clown from the animated television series The Simpsons
Pennywise, the clown monster in the Stephen King book It
Pierrot Bolneze from Yakitate! Japan, world-class clown, bread judge and master of ceremonies, he's also the crown prince of Monaco according to the series. Even though he's defined as a clown, he looks more like an harlequin and he perform acrobacies (like free-falling from a great height) and even magic tricks (like cloning himself)
Rajoo, a circus clow 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, performed by various performers, all of whom were trained to portray the character in an identical manner. Prior to this standardization of the character, Ronald McDonald was played by several performers. In the first television ad featuring Ronald McDonald, the clown was portrayed by Willard Scott in Washington, D.C.
Scoopy, clown mascot of the Safe-T-Cone novelty ice cream cone company.
Shakes the Clown the title character of the film of the same name. Shakes the Clown was called "the Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown films" by the New York Times
Sweet Tooth, is a sociopathic serial killer who is a primary protagonist/antagonist in theTwisted Metal franchise.
Yorick was a court jester who featured as the subject of a lengthy soliloquy in Shakespeare's Hamlet
Stan is the clown name of the character Louison in the 1991 French film Delicatessen. When Louison worked as "Stan" his sidekick was a chimp known as Livingstone and they were employed in the fictional "Cirque du Colonial" in Paris.

References

^ "Circo Atayde Hermanos" (Adobe Flash) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2012-05-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
^ "Ernie Blinko Burch (1929 – 1997)". Famous Clowns. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
^ "Zirkus Charles Knie - Die Offizielle Website". Zirkus-charles-knie.de. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
^ Alan Clay (2005) Angels Can Fly, a Modern Clown User Guide, Artmedia ISBN 0-9578844-1-9
^ "Las Rocosa Australian Shepherds". Lasrocosa.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
^ "Woven Gods: Female Clowns and Power in Rotuma". Retrieved 2006-05-20. ^{[dead link]}
^ "MODELS AND MIRRORS Towards an Anthropology of Public Events". Retrieved 2006-05-20.
^ "Public anthropology, "Culture 1981"". Retrieved 2006-05-20.
^ "Commedia Dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook (9780415047708): John Rudlin: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

[1] "Circo Atayde Hermanos" (Adobe Flash) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2012-05-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

[2] "Ernie Blinko Burch (1929 – 1997)". Famous Clowns. Retrieved 2012-02-03.

[3] "Zirkus Charles Knie - Die Offizielle Website". Zirkus-charles-knie.de. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

[4] Alan Clay (2005) Angels Can Fly, a Modern Clown User Guide, Artmedia ISBN 0-9578844-1-9

[5] "Las Rocosa Australian Shepherds". Lasrocosa.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

[6] "Woven Gods: Female Clowns and Power in Rotuma". Retrieved 2006-05-20. ^{[dead link]}

[7] "MODELS AND MIRRORS Towards an Anthropology of Public Events". Retrieved 2006-05-20.

[8] "Public anthropology, "Culture 1981"". Retrieved 2006-05-20.

[9] "Commedia Dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook (9780415047708): John Rudlin: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.

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Circus-style

Famous

Contemporary

Rodeo

Film

Television

Theatrical

Famous

Contemporary

Fictional

Further reading

References