Jason Bateman’s 5 Most Hilarious Roles (& 5 Most Serious)

Jason Bateman started young in Hollywood, managing to pull off that sometimes awkward transition between child star and adult actor. Since starring in the early ’80s sitcom Silver Spoons, Bateman can be found in everything from teen comedies to war thrillers to big-budget animated features.

Over the past few decades, Bateman has branched out of his comedy niche, acting, producing, and starring in compelling dramatic films and television series. This list weighs five of his most hilarious performances against five of his most series.

Hilarious: Michael Bluth In Arrested Development (2003 – 2019)

Bateman’s most iconic role is likely Michael Bluth in Mitchell Hurtwitz’s cult comedy Arrested Development. Michael is the second oldest son of George and Lucille Bluth, wealthy Southern California business tycoons whose lives are defined by corruption and deceit.

As Michael, Bateman provides his precarious and irritating family with a semblance of stability, yet his efforts are usually undermined by his self-serving relatives. The series originally aired on Fox, and Netflix later picked it up after it was canceled. Bateman acts alongside the likes of David Cross, Will Arnett, and Michael Cera.

Serious: Terry Maitland In The Outsider (2020)

HBO’s 2020 miniseries The Outsider is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Bateman has a small, but vital role, as Terry Maitland. Maitland is a father and baseball coach in Cherokee City, Georgia, who is implicated in the heinous assault and murder of a young boy. Ben Mendelsohn plays a local detective, Ralph Anderson, whose investigation uncovers an evil supernatural force working in the shadows.

Bateman directed the first two episodes of the show, and he served as an executive producer for the entire run. With its superior acting and moody, horror-fueled take on the whodunnit, The Outsider is a smart and engrossing addition to the world of Stephen King adaptions.

Hilarious: Max In Game Night (2018)

Bateman stars in and produces this ensemble comedy, his last feature film. He plays Max Davis, a man who hosts weekend game nights with his wife Annie, played by Rachel McAdams. They are invited by Max’s brother Brooks to partake in a special evening of competitive games, and what’s supposed to be a role-playing mystery game blows up into something much, much worse.

In addition to Bateman and McAdams, the movie also stars Jesse Plemmons, Danny Huston, and Kyle Chandler. This talented cast handles the complex script well, providing an entertaining, cross-genre experience for viewers.

Serious: Martin Byrde In Ozark (2017 – 2018)

Working both behind and in front of the camera, Bateman secured his status as a serious actor with his role in the Netflix drama Ozark. In the series, whose third season was just released, Bateman plays a financial advisor in Chicago who starts laundering money for the Mexican drug cartel with his partner.

After his partner is killed by the cartel, Bateman’s character Marty moves his wife and children to the Ozark mountains. Laura Linney plays Marty’s wife Wendy. Bateman directed multiple episodes of the show, and he received an Emmy for his contributions to the series.

Hilarious: Guy Trilby In Bad Words (2014)

This dark comedy marks Bateman’s directorial debut. While the humor may not be for everyone. Bateman gives an exciting and stimulating performance as an eighth-grade drop-out who finds a way to enter a middle school spelling bee contest.

40-year-old Guy Trilby decides to participate in the Golden Quill Spelling Bee when he discovers the only requirement of participants is that they cannot have graduated from eight-grade. Trilby hopes to make a news story out of it in order to get his 15 minutes of fame, inviting a journalist to document his experience competing against children.

Serious: Simon Callem In The Gift (2015)

Australian actor Joel Edgerton wrote, directed, and stars in this taut thriller. Bateman plays Simon Callem, a man who moves from Chicago to Los Angeles with his wife, Robyn, Edgerton plays an old high school friend of Simon’s, Gordo, who begins showing up at their new home after crossing paths with Simon in public.

Simon doesn’t like it, but Robyn, played by Rebecca Hall, befriends Gordo. As Gordo inserts himself into their lives more and more, facts about Simon’s past make Robyn question the true nature of her husband. Soon, a full-on psychological cat-and-mouse game develops between Simon and Gordo, and Robyn finds herself in the middle of it.

Hilarious: Pepper Brooks In Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

Despite its silly premise, DodgeBall was a box office success. Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn managed to produce a solid throwback to goofball comedies of the past with this ensemble feature that focuses on a dodgeball tournament in Las Vegas. Vaughn plays the owner of Average Joe’s Gym. He decides to enter the competition in order to win enough money to pay off his defaulted mortgage and save his business.

Bateman plays one of the tournament’s announcers in the film, whose hilarious commentary adds an extra layer of laughs to the movie’s action.

Serious: Dominic Foy In State Of Play (2009)

Adapted from a six-part British political miniseries, Kevin Macdonald’s film transfers the action to Washington D.C. Russell Crowe plays a journalist investigating the suspicious death of a congressional staffer. The young woman worked for a congressman played by Ben Affleck, and it’s revealed they were having an affair.

Bateman plays a PR executive named Dominic Foy whose Crowe’s character is led in his investigation of the case. Foy reveals important details about the woman’s death and points toward a much larger conspiracy at play.

Hilarious: Nick Hendricks In Horrible Bosses (2011)

This popular black comedy tells the story of three friends who hate their bosses for various reasons. The friends are played by Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis. As they commiserate, they eventually hatch a plan to take out their bosses.

The movie earned over $200 million in theatres, making it the most successful grim comedy to date. Bateman’s role as Nick Hendricks, an executive at a financial firm, was revived in the 2014 sequel.

Serious: Baxter Fang In The Family Fang (2016)

This under-the-radar quirky dramatic comedy finds Bateman in the director’s seat yet again. Based on a novel by Kevin Wilson, The Family Fang is a gripping, unique story about an exceptional family. The Fang parents, played by a range of talented actors at different ages, are professional performance artists who stage elaborate public spectacles.

In the film’s present, Bateman and Nicole Kidman play the adult Fang children, Baxter and Annie. Their parents are played by Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett.