Known for his early start in beloved comedy classics like Superbad and Knocked Up, the incredibly talented and dynamic Jonah Hill smoothly segued to dramatic roles (like several of his comedy peers), proving to the masses that he is far more than just a funnyman. Since bursting onto the cinema scene with a brief appearance in Judd Apatow's hit The-40-Year-Old-Virgin, Hill has taken the silver screen by storm; he has gone on to star in some of the funniest and most memorable comedies, such as 21 Jump Street and This Is The End, as well as more serious and engrossing roles in pictures like The Wolf of Wall Street, Moneyball, and War Dogs. The actor and screenwriter has truly shown that he isn't afraid to try something new the performer has famously portrayed an undercover police officer, perpetual man-child(ren), arms dealer and an absurdly amusing fictionalized version of himself.

Hill has been the recipient of two Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, appearing in captivating dramas alongside major A-list talent like Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep. The chameleonic actor also received the rather unique and amusing distinction of having sworn on film more than anyone else, surpassing the iconic Samuel L. Jackson in 2020. Hill made his directorial debut with the 2018 coming-of-age dramedy Mid90s, for which he also wrote the screenplay. His next role will be in the upcoming Kenya Barris Netflix comedy You People, alongside Eddie Murphy and Julia Louis-Dreyfus; he's also slated to play Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia in a Martin Scorsese project, oddly enough. These are the best Jonah Hill movies.

8 Don't Look Up

The cast of Don't Look Up looks up
Netflix

Adam McKay's 2021 apocalyptic black comedy Don't Look Up is an ensemble picture starring some of cinema's greatest such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and Jonah Hill, and tells the tale of two low-level astronomers as they embark on a large media tour to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will destroy the planet. The mastermind McKay thought up the premise, he tells Deadline, "from my burgeoning terror about the climate crisis and the fact that we live in a society that tends to place it as the fourth or fifth news story […] and how horrifying that is, but at the same time preposterously funny." For the star-studded film, Hill portrays the entertaining White House Chief of Staff Jason Orlean, revealing on Instagram, "I thought, what if Fyre Festival was a person and that person had power in the White House." Don't Look Up has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

7 War Dogs

War Dogs Trailer: Miles Teller & Jonah Hill Join the Arms Race

Todd Phillips directed the 2016 dark comedy-crime flick War Dogs, based on Guy Lawson's Rolling Stone article and subsequent book that tells the story of arms dealers Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz, who receive a U.S. Army contract to supply ammunitions for the Afghan National Army. The film stars Jonah Hill as Diveroli and Miles Teller as his partner Packouz, and follows the duo as they exploit a government initiative and end up crossing paths with some violent and shady individuals. For his dynamite performance, the actor garnered rave reviews, with The Guardian proclaiming, "Jonah Hill is so repellant – all swagger, sweat and unapologetic sexism – in War Dogs, that for a while, you don't immediately realize what a blitzkrieg of a performance he delivers." Hill received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his riveting role.

6 This Is The End

This is the End Jonah
Sony Pictures Releasing

Comedy dream team Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg joined forces for the 2013 apocalyptic comedy This Is The End, featuring some of Hollywood's funniest performers like Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson and Rogen. The hilarious farce centers on fictionalized versions of its cast (and countless cameos of celebrities, from Rihanna to Michael Cera) as they attempt to survive a global biblical apocalypse in James Franco's house. Hill shines as the over-the-top "nice guy" who finds himself possessed by a demon, culminating in a sidesplitting showdown between him and his pals. Frequent collaborators Rogen and Goldberg revealed on Reddit that, "We always wanted to do a movie where people played themselves and something extraordinary happened." This Is The End is comedic gold, and was both a massive hit with audiences and critics alike.

5 Cyrus

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Fox Searchlight Pictures

The 2010 Duplass brothers British dramedy Cyrus stars John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei as John and Molly, a recent divorcee and single mother who instantly fall for each other at a mutual friend's party. Their newfound relationship gets complicated when John meets Molly's overprotective and older son Cyrus, who does not want to share his mother and embarks on a battle of wits with his mother's determined suitor. Hill is a riot as the needy and possessive man-child Cyrus, showing both his dramatic side and comedic skills in the understated flick. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was met with positive responses, with Time Out writing, "Simply by treating these characters as real, with all the uncertainty, emotional baggage and bad decisions that entails, the Duplass' expertly expose the hypocrisy of the air-brushed all-American ideal."

4 21 Jump Street

21 jump street

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's 2012 big-screen adaptation of the beloved '80s series 21 Jump Street follows police officers Schmidt and Jenko, as they are tasked with going undercover as high school students in order to prevent the outbreak of a new synthetic drug and catch its supplier. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum pair up as the socially awkward Schmidt and dim-witted Jenko, with the former having also helped re-write the script and executive produced the picture. The buddy cop flick adopted a highly comedic tone, switching gears from the more dramatic and earnest television show. The remake was a home run with moviegoers, grossing over $200 million and earning a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 84%; its success led to the equally lucrative follow-up, 2014's 22 Jump Street.

3 The Wolf of Wall Street

Three The Wolf of Wall Street Clips and Photo Gallery

The critically renowned storyteller Martin Scorsese directed the 2013 Oscar-nominated crime comedy The Wolf of Wall Street, based on the memoir of entrepreneur and former felon Jordan Belfort. The biopic recounts Belfort's perspective on his fruitful career as a stockbroker in New York City to his ultimate fall from the high life into one involving crime and corruption. Leonardo DiCaprio headlines the film as Belfort, with Jonah Hill as his conniving partner and close friend Donnie Azoff, a character inspired by "pump and dump" stock fraud schemer Danny Porush. The comedy depicts the two leads engaging in wild and nefarious activity, including the use of cocaine; Vitamin D was used as the fake substance for the drug, and Hill even was hospitalized with bronchitis during production due to snorting large quantities of it. The Wolf of Wall Street garnered critical acclaim for its powerhouse performances and fantastic direction, with both DiCaprio and Hill nabbing Academy Award nominations for their portrayals.

2 Moneyball

Moneyball
Sony Pictures Releasing

Bennett Miller's 2011 sports drama Moneyball is inspired by the Michael Lewis novel that analyzes the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics and their general manager Billy Beane's efforts to assemble a competitive team. Brad Pitt stars as Beane, who along with assistant general manager Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) attempt to build a team of talented baseball players despite a severely lean budget. The inspiring movie was a departure from Hill's usual comedic roles, and the performer showcases his outstanding range and capabilities as a talented dramatic actor. Moneyball is an engaging portrait of America's beloved pastime and America's uncertain future (filled with algorithms and analytics). The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival to universal acclaim, earning praise for its moving screenplay and top-notch acting. Hill's decision to switch genre lanes proved to be a wise choice, as he was nominated for both a Golden Globe and Academy Award.

1 Superbad

Superbad
Sony Pictures Releasing

Jonah Hill's first and arguably most iconic leading role was in the 2007 Judd Apatow-produced coming-of-age comedy Superbad, which centers on two codependent high school seniors who set out to attend a booze-soaked party where they hope to lose their virginity. Their master plan hits a snag when a pair of bumbling police officers and separation anxiety threaten to destroy their epic crusade. Hill and Michael Cera star in the raunchy buddy comedy as screenplay writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's counterparts, with Chrisopher Mintz-Plasse joining the friends as the hilariously notorious Fogell, A.K.A. McLovin. Superbad is widely credited with launching the careers of its young and gifted leads, and is heavily regarded as one of the best high school movies of all time. The crude yet heartfelt film was lauded by critics and audiences, with the Los Angeles Times writing, "Physically, Hill and Cera recall the classic comedic duos–Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Aykroyd and Belushi. But they are contemporary kids, sophisticated and sensitive to nuance."