Comedic actors take serious career turns, earn Oscar attention

LOS ANGELES -- This year, a trio of actors who rose to fame through their roles in comedy received Oscar attention for their dramatic work. It isn't the first time a funnyman has been recognized for getting serious: think Robin Williams and Jamie Foxx.

For veteran actor Michael Keaton, awards season has been a new experience. Keaton first made us laugh with his out of this world character "Beetlejuice." Twenty-seven years later, he's flying high in "Birdman."

"It's not like you don't think, 'I would really love that someday, to be honored with an Academy Award or a Golden Globe or an Independent Spirit or SAG, anything!" Keaton said. "But I don't really go into things thinking like that. I just say 'Can I do this? Is this something I've not done before?' or 'Does it scare me a little bit?'"

Steve Carell also realized a little fear can be positive. He spent seven seasons on "The Office" and made more than a dozen comedy films. When he got serious and put on a prosthetic nose, the Oscars took notice.

"In terms of doing something dramatic, it wasn't part of a master plan," Carell said. "It wasn't something I was aiming for, it just kind of happened. I think what I take away most from it is that it was incredibly scary and that was good."

"The Hangover" trilogy shot Bradley Cooper to fame and fortune, but it was when he started working on smaller, more intimate films, not only as an actor, but also as a producer, that he also gained awards recognition.

"I'm just so fortunate the Academy has noticed it three times, it's incredible. It's insane," Cooper said. "You never think about whether you'll wind up here, but you just hope people will watch it and it's going to somehow have an impact."