After a short absence from film appearances, Jonah Hill's recent performance in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up is a reminder of how talented of an actor he is. Not only is he a great comedic actor, but he has proven to be a gifted dramatic actor and has been recognized as such. Hill has two Academy Award nominations to his name, a certification many actors don’t have.

Still, his talents are often overlooked since he is associated more with comedy. Comedy, though, isn't always something all actors can’t master. Things like timing and delivery, which Hill usually nails, can be hard to get right. Jonah Hill has a versatile portfolio that spans many genres. Here are seven essential Jonah Hill performances.

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Aaron Green in Get Him to the Greek (2010)

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Typically, Hill plays the more unhinged character in a movie, but in Get Him to the Greek, he tackles being the more levelheaded one, playing off a more chaotic Russell Brand as Aldous Snow. ​​​​​​Here, Hill plays an intern at a record company who is responsible for getting Aldous, an out-of-control rock star, to LA for a concert.

While Hill has to remain more reserved, he plays off of Brand’s energized and frenzied performance. The two have great chemistry, especially when Brand is trying to open Hill's character Aaron up more. The many scenes where Hill gets drunk or accidentally drugged are hilarious because of his horrified reactions. Get Him to the Greek shows that Hill can still be very funny even when he’s not the main comic relief.

Jonah Hill in This is the End (2013)

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Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

This is the End sees Hill shacking up with a bunch of other comedic celebrities including Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, and Jay Baruchel in the midst of the apocalypse. Each actor is essentially playing an exaggerated version of their own public persona. Hill plays an insecure version of himself who is genuinely enjoying the time that he gets to spend with the other celebrities.

He has a lot of humorous moments throughout the movie, including the scene where he plays around with a real gun. His hatred for Baruchel ends up being his downfall as he prays to God to kill Baruchel, only for Hill himself to end up getting possessed by a demon. Hill’s exorcism scene is one of the funniest in the movie and Hill plays it to perfection. Hopefully, Hill in real life isn’t like this version, because the Hill in this movie is kind of a jerk.

Efraim Diveroli in War Dogs (2016)

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Image via Warner Bros.

In War Dogs, Hill plays one of his scariest characters, Efraim, a psychopathic businessman who ropes his best friend (Miles Teller) into joining an illegal arms-dealing business. The two start out doing amazing, however, as their dealings get shadier, the situations get more dangerous. Efraim isn’t afraid of danger, however. In fact, he seeks it out.

Efraim has a knack for talking himself into terrible situations and loves being able to use his power and wealth to intimidate others. Hill plays Efraim like a wild animal, doing whatever he wants with no repercussions. The unique laugh Hill gives Efraim is both comical and threatening, making the character's mental state unclear. Director Todd Phillips knows how to blend dark comedy with suspense and Efraim’s chaotic nature adds to this atmosphere. War Dogs is an underrated movie and Hill’s performance here is overlooked within his filmography.

Seth in Superbad (2007)

Michael Cera and Jonah Hill as Evan and Seth looking shocket at a mall in Superbad.
Image via Sony Pictures 

While not his first acting job, Hill really broke out due to his role in Superbad. In this Judd Apatow-produced comedy, Hill plays Seth, a high school senior who is trying to have one awesome night of partying before he graduates. When his crush, Jules (Emma Stone), asks him to get alcohol for her party, he and his best friend Evan (Michael Cera), go on a tumultuous adventure that quickly goes sideways.

Hill breathes a lot of life into Seth as Seth is desperately trying to be what he thinks of as cool. He is crass, insulting, crude, and perverse but this is mainly to hide his deeper insecurities. Hill and Cera have great chemistry even though their relationship becomes strained as Evan doesn’t feel the desperate need to hook up or be popular. Hill does a great job portraying a character who seems confident but is really more insecure than anyone else in the movie, including McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).

Schmidt in 21 Jump Street (2012)

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Image via Columbia Pictures

Hill’s role as Schmidt in 21 Jump Street is easily one of his funniest. Schmidt is a character who had a horrible high school experience and was constantly bullied by Channing Tatum’s Jenko. However, when the two become cops, Schmidt and Jenko become best friends. When the two go undercover in a high school, Schmidt ends up becoming popular, giving him a chance to redo this experience.

Hill does a great job as the awkward high-schooler, especially as an adult. The task of acting while acting is always difficult and Hill is hilarious as an adult pretending to be a teenager. Hill and Tatum have fantastic chemistry and this carries over into 22 Jump Street which is just as funny. Tensions do brew in their relationship as Schmidt becomes too attached to his newfound popularity. It’s a nice switch-up of two characters who now have to adapt to a modern-day high school. Hill and Tatum both bring excellent comedic timing and slapstick to these roles.

Peter Brand in Moneyball (2011)

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Image via Sony Pictures

Moneyball is the first role that proved to the world that Hill was a marvelous dramatic actor. His role as Peter Brand is very subdued as a young economist who is making his way into the dog-eat-dog world of baseball. However, he is essentially the mastermind behind the Moneyball team, which uses statistics to win a championship instead of raw talent. Hill does an excellent job explaining the complicated stats while still being accessible.

He also is able to show the areas where he doesn’t excel. Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is more of the people-person while Brand likes to stick with numbers. When Brand is forced to interact, his introverted nature shows up, especially when he tells a player he is being traded. He doesn’t show a ton of emotion, but his silence actually reveals more about the character than if he were to be less subtle. He also works well off of Pitt as the two share many scenes together and both Hill and Pitt’s drastically different personalities create an interesting dynamic. This role earned Hill his first Academy Award nomination and made audiences think about him differently as an actor.

Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

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Even though Hill has plenty of comedic roles, he has never been as insane as he is in The Wolf of Wall Street. This could be due to the fact that he is high in almost every scene. Whether it’s cocaine, crack, or Lemmons (the funniest scene in the movie), Hill is basically always on drugs in this movie. His character, Donnie Azoff, is truly despicable and enables a lot of Jordan Belfort’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) behavior as well. Still, there are times when even Donnie can’t control Belfort, leading to Hill performing as someone who is in over their head.

The way Hill delivers dialogue in this movie is hysterical. Whether it’s explaining why the side dishes were so expensive or trying to justify marrying his cousin, Hill’s delivery is on-point in every scene. Plus, everything from his teeth, his large glasses, and his accent make his character even more bizarre and entertaining. It’s hard to shine alongside DiCaprio, but Hill manages to equal the chaotic and frenzied energy emitted throughout this movie.