We all have seen actors break the fourth wall, connect with the audience, and take us by surprise. This makes us feel like they’re talking to us and expressing what they’re feeling. While it might seem a simple thing to appear on our screens, it’s a well-thought and complex decision to break the fourth wall. The decision is taken carefully about when, why, and how it should be done, or else it serves no purpose for the story and filmmaking.
All the while, we have seen some great fourth wall breaks in TV and films, and we admire them very much. This is why we have made a compilation of 20 great fourth wall breaks. Here we go:
1. Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Perry in Phineas and Ferb
There’s a scene where Dr. Doofenshmirtz talks to Perry the Platypus about the show being a “real life” and not a sitcom, and they both look at the screen towards the audience. This makes it a great punch. It sure cracked us up.
2. Frank Underwood in House of Cards
He breaks the fourth wall like a million times in the American thriller series. It was a part of the storyline, and the audience connected with the character. It was as if he told about himself and his secrets only to the audience, and if you would have noticed, the rest of the characters never react to it.
3. Deadpool in Deadpool
Didn’t we love those scenes when Ryan Reynolds talked to us? This movie, too, has many such scenes where the actor broke the fourth wall, and boy, was it hilarious! It made the film even more fun.
4. Carlos in Mr. Iglesias
It was a hilarious punchline when Carlos talks to him about his acting class, and he responds with “a life out of the office” by looking right at us.
5 Oliver Hardy in Laurel and Hardy
Did you forget about it? We won’t let you. It was probably one of the very first times when we saw the actor breaking the fourth wall. Oliver Hardy would often do that and stare towards the audience in disgust or annoyance because of Laurel to gain some sympathy from the audience. A great way to let the audience connect with the actor and the scene.
6. Eddie Murphy in Trading Places
There’s a scene in Trading Places that is absolutely hilarious. It’s where Eddie is getting a lesson about the stock market, and he gives a look at the camera, and that says it all. You just know what he’s experiencing.
7. Harold in Harold and Maude
The movie is absolutely a fun one and simply a classic. The actor gives a perfectly timed fourth wall breaking in the scene where his mother wants him to meet a lady, and he pranks her with him catching fire. The look he gave to the audience, with a grin, and then looking back at his mother, spoke a thousand words.
8. Alvy Singer in Annie Hall
The character breaks the fourth wall often to talk to the audience about his relationship with Annie. All those times the actor did that, it was so funny and meaningful that you can never forget it.
9. Harry Lockhart in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The directors decided to place a scene towards the end of the movie to sum up, the movie’s plot. The scene breaks the fourth wall by Robert Downey Jr., aka Harry Lockhart, summing up and talking to the audience about the movie.
10. Effy in Skins
The end of season 2 gave us an intelligent fourth wall break. It is where Effy looks at the camera and gives a stunning smile. That was our cue to know that she’s the next lead.
11. Paul in Funny Games
The movie will most definitely give you the creeps. For the entire movie, you are sitting uncomfortable and clenching something. Everything was still in control until Paul looked at the camera. It was as if he’s looking at you, and it was scary.
12. Narrator in Fight Club
Fight Club, starring Edward Norton, gave us one too many fourth wall breaks. Initially, the actor narrates the story about his friend but later addresses the camera directly. This gave the movie a greater depth and hooked the audience to the character.
13. Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of The Wall Street
Seeing the director of this movie break the fourth wall is rare, but we get to see him do that in this one. Leonardo DiCaprio talks to the audience directly.
14. Rob Gordon in High Fidelity
The movie is a romantic comedy and revolves around John Cusack’s character throughout the movie. The actor constantly breaks the fourth wall in the movie and talks to the audience about his taste in music and things happening in his life.
15. Henry Hill in Goodfellas
The movie is an intense crime drama. It grasps the audience by its plot and intellectual filmmaking. However, the director decided to break the fourth wall at the end of the story, where Henry tells the audience directly about how his life would change. It helped the character connect more deeply with the audience.
16. Raven in That’s So Raven
The actress gave a look when she talks about how one would not enjoy a show about a teen psychic. The look made the scene even funnier, and we loved it.
17 Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The movie was a classic and the highest-grossing film of 1986 and was praised for all of its elements. Matthew Broderick did a fabulous job with his performance. The fourth wall breaks this movie gave was classic and was a rare scenario during that time. He addressed the audience so many times. It was really great, especially at the end!
18. Marty Kaan in House of Lies
The show was a dramedy and became very popular and gained a dedicated fan base. The show’s lead, Marty Kaan, played by Don Cheadle, often broke the fourth wall. The number decreased along with the show, which made the audience anticipate his interaction with them, making them even more interesting.
19. Patrick Bateman in American Psycho
The movie was another spine-chilling one. Its main character, Patrick Bateman, scared the hell out of everyone. He broke the fourth wall once, at the end of the movie, where he talks to the audience, and suddenly we feel bad for him. This gave the audience a sneak peek into the mind of people like him and made us connect with him.
20 Wayne in Wayne’s World
Wayne’s World was another amazing creation. The titular character breaks the fourth wall and guides the audience through his life, his choices, and decisions by talking to us like we were his friends.
Weren’t these super cool? Are there any more you want us to know? Let us know…
