She might look and sound like Amy Adams, but Isla Fisher deserves to be distinguished from her Oscar-winning doppelgänger: Fisher is one of the funniest and most charming actresses working today, and she’s got nowhere to go but up. Fisher’s played plenty of iconic roles throughout her relatively short career, and she never seems to disappoint when she’s on screen. Fisher and her husband, genius prankster Sacha Baron Cohen, must have live in one of the funniest households ever. She might come from Oman and have Scottish parents, but Fisher is undeniably a key part of 21st-century American comedies — it’s hard to imagine another actress who’s played as many funny leading ladies that didn’t come from Saturday Night Live or some other sketch comedy program. No matter if it’s a movie for kids, teens, or adults, Fisher manages to make any movie she’s in just a little bit better.
Hot Rod
The Lonely Island trio, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer, might be three of the most misunderstood and underrated comedians when it comes to box office results. Both Hot Rod and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, two films covered in their fingerprints, managed to be huge failures at the box office despite massive cult followings. Fisher plays the female lead in the group’s 2007 action comedy, a woman named Denise who’s oblivious to the fact that Andy Samberg’s Rod Kimble is in love with her.
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Nocturnal Animals
Fashion icon Tom Ford does a lot more than just design clothes, makeup, and perfumes: He also happens to be one of the most interesting up-and-coming filmmakers of the last ten years. His second film, 2016’s Nocturnal Animals, is no exception. Following up A Single Man seemed like no easy task, but Ford pulled it off — thanks in part to Isla Fisher’s role in the thriller. Funnily enough, Fisher costars alongside Amy Adams in this film.
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Rango
Rango is one of Nickelodeon’s stranger projects, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your while. As a matter of fact, it remains one of their strongest feature films to date. Isla Fisher plays Beans, a big-eyed reptile with red curls from the Wild West town of Dirt. It’s a lawless and seedy outpost, but Fisher’s character has heart and wit.
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The Lookout
Scott Frank, writer of such hits as Minority Report and Logan, didn’t manage to create a box office smash with his film The Lookout. It doesn’t matter, though — the film is as great as anything else he’s done, coming across as a sophisticated and transcendent film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Isla Fisher. It’s a pulpy neo-noir, anchored by a great cast and a great script.
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I Heart Huckabees
Before he was winning over audiences with such smash hits as Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, David O. Russell was stirring up controversy on the set of the tumultuous film I Heart Huckabees. Isla Fisher shows up in a supporting role, but that’s not a comment on her acting skills — Jonah Hill and Jean Smart are even lower on the bill than she is in this film. Fisher still had many of her most iconic roles on the horizon in front of her, but she still has a chance to stand out here.
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The Great Gatsby
While Baz Luhrmann often proves to be more style than substance, Isla Fisher’s dramatic turn in his adaptation of The Great Gatsby deserves some recognition. She’s playing Myrtle Wilson, a character who might seem insignificant to the story at first but ends up being an integral part of the plot later on. Holding one’s own alongside the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan seems like no easy task, but Fisher manages quite well.
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Definitely, Maybe
Another supporting role for Fisher, her part in Definitely, Maybe might be more memorable than many parts of the film itself. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Rachel Weisz, the 2008 movie follows a political consultant as he tries to explain his pending divorce and other huge life events to his young daughter. Fisher isn’t a lead here, but she’s far from forgettable.
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Now You See Me
Now You See Me, 2013’s crime thriller about a group of talented illusionists, presents itself as another semi-dramatic, semi-serious role from Fisher. The cast, filled out by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco, is having fun with their roles, and Fisher is no exception. It’s an absurd movie, but everyone is definitely in on the joke: Its twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end.
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Tag
The most recent film on the list, Tag is based on the true story of a group of friends since childhood who partake in a massive game of tag that’s been going on for decades. Fisher plays the wife to Ed Helms’s Hoagie Malloy, and the two prove to be a dynamic duo among a cast full of other equally funny comedians. The movie has a lot of fun with its concept, and Fisher only makes things more fun.
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Wedding Crashers
Another film where Fisher manages to hold her own among a group of A-list comedians is Wedding Crashers, this raunchy comedy allows the actress to really bring in the big laughs. Acting alongside Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, Isla Fisher has a lot of fun with the gross-out comedy’s outrageous material. It was one of the first instances where audiences really got to see what she’s capable of.
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