"It's no laughing matter."
The King of Comedy - Characters & Cast
Character Analysis
Rupert Pupkin
Robert De Niro
Motivation
To be acknowledged as a "somebody" and to escape the crushing anonymity of his life. He is driven by the mantra: "Better to be king for a night than a schmuck for a lifetime."
Character Arc
Rupert moves from a nuisance autograph-seeker to a criminal kidnapper. His development is less about growth and more about the deepening of his psychosis until he achieves the "success" he craves by any means necessary.
Jerry Langford
Jerry Lewis
Motivation
Maintaining his privacy and professional dignity in a world that feels entitled to his time and energy.
Character Arc
Jerry remains static and guarded, a "rock" in the face of Pupkin's chaos. He begins as a powerful icon and ends as a victim of the very fame that created him.
Masha
Sandra Bernhard
Motivation
Erotic and obsessive love for Jerry Langford; a desire for intense emotional connection that she cannot find in reality.
Character Arc
Masha descends into total madness, transitioning from a stalker to a captor who tries to live out a romantic fantasy with a kidnapped, terrified man.