We’ve seen comedies in which grown men misbehaved. But it wasn’t until 2009’s The Hangover that it became a genre unto itself. So much so that, upon its release in 2011, Bridesmaids was frequently, and some might argue unfairly, referred to as a “female version.” To be sure, the cast of The Hangover, which included Bradley Cooper, had no idea the film would become such a smash hit. If I knew the answer, I’d be a multimillionaire because nobody could have predicted that it would become a trilogy of films. I kind of get it with a cast like this because it’s so star-studded.
Bradley Cooper:
Yeah, sure; while Bradley Cooper appeared in several notable films before The Hangover, including Wet Hot American Summer and Wedding Crashers, I believe it’s safe to say that The Hangover is where many moviegoers are are are fell in love with the talented actor. He’s had a very successful career since then, both in television and in film. On TV, Nip/Tuck fans will recall his brief appearance as Aidan Stone, and he also appeared in TV shows based on movies he’s appeared in, such as 2015’s Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and a few episodes of Limitless. Some of his best work came after the first Hangover on the film front.
Zach Galifianakis:
While Bradley Cooper was undoubtedly one of the breakout stars of the first Hangover, I believe Zach Galifianakis rose to prominence due to this film. I’m curious whether he’s had a more significant role on the big or small screen. Before The Hangover, I recall seeing him in several of my favorite shows, including Wonder Showzen, The Sarah Silverman Program, and Tim and Eric Awesome Show. Excellent work! Following The Hangover, he appeared in the hugely successful Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, which was even made into a film, Comedy, Bang, Bang, and Baskets. On the film front, he’s probably been even more prolific since The Hangover.
Ed Helms:
Ed Helms was fairly well-known before The Hangover because he portrayed Andy Bernard on The Office, but his sense of humor was appreciated in the raunchy comedy. Since the hit film, he’s appeared on TV in shows like The Mindy Project, The Muppets, and as a voice on Bojack Horseman. He is also currently starring in the Peacock original series Rutherford Falls. Ed Helms appeared in Cedar Rapids, one of my favorite comedies of the last few years. He also narrated the Disney Nature documentary Penguins and played Clark Griswold’s son, Rusty, in Vacation, the sixth film in the series. His most recent film is the Nikole Beckwith comedy.
Ken Jeong:
Ken Jeong is another big star who rose to prominence after appearing in The Hangover. Before that film, he’d appeared in several excellent films, including Knocked Up, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, and Role Models. However, after watching The Hangover, I feel like he was in everything. Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Crazy Rich Asians, and he even had a surprise cameo as a security guard in the once-biggest movie in the world, Avengers: Endgame. If everything goes as planned, he will have appeared in six films by 2021, including Tom and Jerry. He’s also set to appear in Charlie Day’s directorial debut, El Tonto, which has yet to be released.
Mike Tyson:
Finally, suppose you ask anyone what they remember most about the first Hangover movie. In that case, they will almost certainly tell you that they remember when the four friends looked at the pictures of the night they blacked out, followed by Mike Tyson singing “In the Air Tonight.” He appeared in Scary Movie 5 as well as The Hangover Part II. He also appeared in several TV shows, the most notable of which was the vastly underappreciated animated comedy Mike Tyson Mysteries. Last year, he returned to the ring in an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr., and with Logan Paul calling him out, perhaps we’ll see Tyson put on the gloves again. Time will only tell.
They are harking back! The Hangover perfectly captured a guy’s weekend gone wrong and launched the careers of some prominent Hollywood stars in the process. The film, released in 2009, follows Doug and three of his friends as they gamble everything during Doug’s bachelor party in Las Vegas. However, things turn for the worse when they wake up unable to recall what happened — and unable to locate the man who is set to marry them. The Hangover is one of those once-in-a-lifetime movies we may never see again. Sure, R-rated comedies are still made, but I can’t think of any that will go as viral as.
