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.
Frank Williams (actor) Frank Williams (actor) Frank Williams (born 2 July 1931) is an English actor best known for playing Timothy Farthing, the vicar in the BBC comedy "Dad's Army". He and Ian Lavender are the last surviving major cast members. He reprised the role of Farthing in the 2016 film adaptation of the series. Born in London, Williams was educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex and Hendon School (then Hendon County School). He appeared regularly in the TV series "The Army Game" (1957–1960) as Captain Pocket. His film credits include the Norman Wisdom films "The Square Peg" (1958), "The Bulldog Breed" (1960)