T.J. Miller’s Funniest Moments

Throughout his career, T.J. Miller has dealt with talking bears, transforming cars, sarcastic superheroes, and terribly named companies, but on Sunday he faces his biggest challenge — pleasing critics. The Silicon Valley star is returning for the second consecutive year as the host of the Critics’ Choice Awards. In his first go-around as emcee, Miller danced with puppets, read his worst review, and accepted the fake award for Choice Deputy Ranger in a Talking Bear Comedy. His hosting shenanigans were just the latest in a long line of hilarious escapades, whether it’s going shirtless on a talk-show or auditioning for a movie with the help of a real bear. Read on for the comedian’s funniest moments.

Miller first came on the scene in the quickly canceled ABC comedy Carpoolers. While the actor wasn’t one of the titular carpoolers, he was instantly the scene-stealer of the show. He starred as the perfectly named Marmaduke, the man-child son of two of the main characters. Even though the series only produced 13 episodes, Miller showcased his comedic potential, whether he was channeling a more mature alter ego named Bob or interviewing for a job while pantless.

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While his appearance as Ranger Jones in the live-action/CGI film Yogi Bear now serves as a source of comedy in his talk-show appearances and stand-up, Miller went all out to land the role. Being cast in the family comedy would serve as the biggest film to date in his career, so the actor decided to do what anybody would — audition with a real bear. With the help of Jordan Vogt-Roberts, director of the upcoming Kong: Skull Island, Miller created an audition tape in which he read scenes across from a bear who’s a little less friendly than Yogi and Boo-Boo.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fnOHz1U6xNs

Surely a guy like Miller has had plenty of funny moments happen in his life that he could talk about in his stand-up, but perhaps his best routine revolved around a very serious health scare. On the debut episode of Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening, the comedian somehow gave a hilarious account of the time that he had a seizure due a brain disorder. He manages to even find humor when recalling a doctor telling him that the disorder is usually not discovered until an autopsy.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kf9N5AWprG8

Being a touring stand-up isn’t always as glamorous as it may seem. Yes, at some point you may reach the Louis C.K. or Kevin Hart level of selling out multiple shows at Madison Square Garden, but more often you’re in Omaha, Nebraska, where you need to appear on a local news broadcast to promote your show. While for many that would mean putting in an unmemorable ten minutes, for Miller it means being as absurd as possible. He can often be seen sporting outrageous hair, talking celery, and spilling water all over himself.

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With memorable appearances in Get Him to the Greek and Our Idiot Brother, Miller was building a solid comedic profile, but the actor officially broke out thanks to his award-winning performance on Silicon Valley. While the HBO comedy features a stacked ensemble, Miller quickly emerged as the standout, playing the arrogant and outrageous Erlich Bachman. When he’s not arguing with Jian-Yang (Jimmy O. Yang) or making terrible business decisions, Erlich might be spotted beating up middle-school drug dealers.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/n60y364JUm8

When winning an award, actors have often been speechless or cried, but if you’re Miller, you eat. Upon being named the winner of Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 2015 Critics' Choice Awards, he decided that was the best time to shove tons of food in his mouth. Taking the stage while still chewing, Miller gave a hilariously impromptu speech, where he thanked his family, wife, and even Julia Louis-Dreyfus. “Just because we made eye contact and it would be super weird if I didn’t do that,” he told the Veep star. 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oH5AtMB4pMM

Despite saying that awards are for children during his acceptance speech in 2015, Miller was named host of the 2016 Critics’ Choice Awards, a move that led to him literally having egg on his face. While appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, hosted by his wife’s favorite comedian, “present company included,” Miller discussed the irony of being the awards show's emcee by doing “the old egg on the face bit,” and pulling an egg out of his jacket and smashing it on his face. Hard to say for sure, but it was probably the first time that a guest got yoke on Colbert and rubbed his face with skeleton hands.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3w9Ykc4g-2Y

If you think Anne Hathaway had a hard time hosting the Oscars with James Franco, try hosting attached to four puppets. In his first year hosting the Critics’ Choice TV Awards, Miller made the interesting decision to come out for his monologue in a marionette with four dancing critic puppets. “I am not going to Ricky Gervais this thing,” he promised the crowd. When he was finally free from the puppets, Miller entertained the audience with a dramatic reading of the worst review he ever received and by finally winning an award for his groundbreaking performance in Yogi Bear.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/n3vofqOis4A

While Ryan Reynolds shines as the star of Deadpool, so does the rest of the supporting cast, especially Miller as Weasel, Deadpool’s not so sympathetic best friend. “You look like an avocado had sex with an older, more disgusting avocado,” he says upon seeing his buddy’s new burned and mutated look. It’s only the beginning of Miller’s hysterical one-liners in the film that have us hoping for more Weasel in the upcoming sequel.

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Miller has had many great moments over the course of Silicon Valley’s run, but perhaps none were more laugh-inducing than his introduction to Jack Barker (Stephen Tobolowsky) in the season 3 premiere. After Jack says, “I’m a big fan,” Erlich responded with a 20-second tirade of ageist insults, including references to polio and erectile dysfunction. It turns out that those were only a few of the disparaging remarks that Bachman hurled at Pied Piper's new CEO. Miller had actually recorded nearly five minutes of 75-plus put-downs, which the show compiled into a supercut exclusively for EW.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/W_DSOnOQnuk

By this point, it’s apparent that Miller makes quite the interesting guest on a talk show. During an appearance on The Ellen Show, the comedian wasn’t his usual outrageous self, although he did decide it was the appropriate time to out his father-in-law, Tom, as a marijuana user. “It’s been really fun to see him embrace the medical marijuana culture,” he said when discussing Tom’s recent move to Los Angeles. Upon Miller’s confession, the camera immediately turned to the audience where his clearly embarrassed father-in-law is awkwardly laughing and yelling, “Come on!”

https://www.youtube.com/embed/dGsdB4t_-ww

This fall, a shirtless man could be seen sporting a battle-axe on television. No, Game of Thrones wasn’t on, Miller just happened to be a guest on Conan. The comedian continued his streak of memorable talk show appearances with a amusingly visual story of his recent run-in with police, which involved his wife, the Mall of America, and baby-proofed medieval weaponry.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fv6bQxEdRag

In his recent appearance on Lip Sync Battle, Miller went full Gaga. Dressed in classic Lady Gaga garb, he performed the singer’s hit song “Just Dance,” and spent half the time somewhat signing along and dancing, while spending the rest of the production taking the lyrics literally and searching for his lost keys and phone. Miller may have lost the lip sync battle, but he definitely won the physical comedy battle.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/cCN_ZEb93_0