59. Ace Ventura

Appearance: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), When Nature Calls (1995)

Creator: Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac, Jim Carrey

Performer: Jim Carrey

Defining moment: Plenty of improv and rubber-faced japery, but for pure physical comedy the slo-mo acting out of a football play in the mental institution - and then rewinding - can't be topped.

Fascinating fact: Ace Ventura made a brief (animated) appearance in the cartoon series of The Mask, when Stanley Ipkiss loses his dog.

Buy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective now on Amazon