As one of a handful of comics who made the jump straight from the stage to the movie
screen, comedian-actor Dane Cook was everywhere during the mid '00s.
From touring stadiums with his raunchy brand of comedy and appearing in films opposite
Hollywood stars, he was on fire.
But a decade later, he's reduced to voicing roles in forgettable Pixar spin-offs and mounting
a modest comeback on the small screen.
Cook's still the same guy who brought us to helpless tears of laughter all those years
ago, so where'd he go and what happened?
Here's how Dane Cook went from being the "King of Comedy" to a Hollywood punchline—and
how he can turn it all around.
Hollywood hijinx
Released in 2006 at the height of Cook's fame, Employee of the Month was poised to be a huge
box office hit.
But critics savaged the film, with Cook's costar Jessica Simpson scoring a Razzie nomination
for Worst Actress.
"Oh that's hilarious!"
Earning a meager $38 million at the box office, Employee of the Month proved to be the beginning
of trouble for both Cook and Simpson's big-screen careers.
And that was just the start of his silver screen slaughterfest.
Cook again struck Razzie gold with 2007's Good Luck Chuck, a forgettable rom-com which
boasts a pitiful 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
"Uh oh!"
He and Jessica Alba were nominated for Worst Screen Couple of the year, while Entertainment
Weekly opened its review of the film with the scathing question, "Can we finally just
admit that Dane Cook isn't funny?"
Indeed, the slams kept on coming when his next big screen comedy, My Best Friend's Girl,
proved to be a friend to no one.
"I want somebody really pissed off.
I'm talking Defcon 2 level of anger."
The joke thief
Accusations of joke thievery have plagued Cook throughout his career.
Joe Rogan accused Cook of stealing some of his material, and video comparisons of bits
from Cook's 2007 special Retaliation and Louis C.K.'s 2001 album Live in Houston have circulated
on the web for years.
Cook even appeared as himself on an episode of Louie in a scene that addressed the real-life
joke-stealing drama.
"You're full of s---!"
Even so, Cook is still viewed by his comedian peers as a lightweight pretty boy who got
lucky.
Saturday Night Live vet Jim Breuer told Today in 2006, "Not one comedian comes on [my Sirius
Radio show] and says 'I'm so happy for him,' which is weird.
They can't stand this poor guy."
Cook's 2006 album, Retaliation, may have debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard charts and gone
on to receive double platinum certification.
But his last album, 2010's greatest hits compilation I Did My Best, came in at only No. 165.
The joke stealing controversy hasn't helped—Cook revealed to Marc Maron on an episode of the
WTF podcast that same year that he feels excluded from the rest of the comedy community.
But it's not like there's anywhere else for him to go because …
Dramatic diss
While Dan in Real Life was a modest success, critics singled out Steve Carell's lead role
over Cook's supporting turn.
And his role opposite Kevin Costner in the serial killer flick Mr. Brooks didn't exactly
wow reviewers either, with many pointing to Cook's performance as unintentionally funny.
He also missed out on some super opportunities, like the role of Marvel's star-spangled hero
in Captain America: The First Avenger.
Cook said he'd trained to audition for the role but reportedly never even made the shortlist.
Ouch.
To make matters worse, Cook's sci-fi passion project 400 Days crashed and burned in 2016,
earning a meager $58 at three theaters in the UK and scoring just 13% on Rotten Tomatoes.
"Excuse me for a second…"
Bad taste and timing
In 2012, Cook took some serious heat for a joke he told at the Laugh Factory a week after
the tragic movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado.
Understandably, the public was incensed at the far-too-soon joke, so Cook took to Twitter
to apologize, saying
"I am devastated by the recent tragedy in Colorado & did not mean to make light of what
happened.
I made a bad judgment call with my material last night & regret making a joke at such
a sensitive time.
My heart goes out to all of the families & friends of the victims."
The damage was already done.
It took two years 'til Dane Cook's Showtime special Troublemaker got him back into a smaller
spotlight, with him delivering an intimate set that was a far cry from the days when
he sold out Madison Square Garden.
Reviews were decent, though the special failed to make much of an impression outside of Cook's
dwindling fan base.
Time for a comeback?
Cook's career seemed ready for a second wind when he was cast as a sexist, loudmouth radio
DJ paired with a feminist cohost on the NBC sitcom Next Caller.
But the series was canceled in 2012 before it even made it to air.
But the small screen could still be the key to Dane Cook's return to the mainstream.
He earned buzz playing an annoying boss on a recent episode of Workaholics, and he's
set to play Robbie on American Gods, Starz's adaptation of the acclaimed Neil Gaiman novel.
Taking a supporting role in a show that has the makings of a cult hit could be the first
step towards Dane Cook 2.0.
Cook, for one, certainly believes that all the low points he's experienced are just part
of the Hollywood pendulum swinging, and he's just gotta hold on 'til he's back on top.
"In order for us to like you again and really believe that you made it, you gotta suck for a while."
Well, at least he's been playing by the rules then.
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