68. RICHARD PRYOR
Blue Collar (1978)

There's nothing funny about the comedian's work as auto-factory clock puncher Zeke Brown — and that's the point. Instead, he engages in Pryor restraint, allowing his anger to simmer as Zeke gets shafted by management, his union, and Uncle Sam. ''He was the unhappiest person I ever met,'' director Paul Schrader recalls on a commentary, but Pryor channels his sadness into a haunting turn that hints at his dramatic potential.