Deadpan vaudeville days, Buster Keaton developed his deadpan expression. Keaton realized that audiences responded better to his stony expression than when he smiled, and he carried this style into his silent film career. The 1980 film "Airplane!" was performed almost entirely in deadpan. Many popular American sitcoms use deadpan expressions to deliver dry humor, including "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Arrested Development", and "My Name Is Earl". More recent examples are Andre Braugher as Captain Raymond Holt from the TV show "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett in "iCarly", and Louis C.K. in "Louie". Another example is the comedy of Steven Wright.
Robert Anderson (silent film actor) Robert Anderson (silent film actor) Robert Christian Anderson (July 22, 1890 - June 25, 1963) was an American actor of Danish birth who appeared in silent films. Anderson was born in Odense, Denmark. He was also a make-up artist and director (of one short). Anderson and D.W. Griffith were the principal makeup artists on Griffith's monumental classic "Intolerance". He later appeared in Griffith's World War I propaganda film "Hearts of the World" (1918). In addition to "Hearts of the World" Anderson can be seen today in surviving silent films such as "The Heart of Humanity" (1918) another World War I