Like sandlers punch drunk sucks,and like stillers one forget the name,it was one word the dude he played lasts name but its becoming a trend.
shareTrend? Robin Williams did it decades ago, and there were comedians that did this way before him.
I'm surprised you didn't bring up Jim Carrey, he also did it before those you mentioned.
Comedians switching to drama? Yes. Trend? No, been doing it for decades.
Tom Hanks did it as well.
shareAnd so did Jackie Gleason (in the same film as Tom Hanks), Denis Leary, Kevin Pollack, Will Smith, Ann Meara, Bill Murray, Larry Miller, Taylor Negron, Damon Wayans, Rosie O'Donnell, and countless other comedians. I'd hardly call that a trend.
"She's, like, a biscuit older than me..."
Permanent Midnight is my favourite Ben Stiller movie:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120788/
Most all comedians want to do/will do serious work, and most excel at it
In a world where a carpenter can be resurrected, anything is possible.
Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason, Jack Lemmon, Cary Grant, Alan Arkin, Doris Day, Shirley MacLaine, Judy Garland.....
and let's look at the SNL folk: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Eddie Murphy were all nominated for Oscars for serious roles.
Not a trend.
If we all liked the same movie, there'd only be one movie!