Rob Riggle has a face and screen presence most moviegoers would recognize. He's that square-jawed cop in The Hangover , along with well over 100 other roles in comedic movies, TV shows, and on comedy stages.

His working CV is solid, with few if any gaps, and includes some of the iconic shows in the comedic lexicon– he's even got a name that was made for comedy. And yet...he's never made it to the really big leagues of the genre.

Here's a look at why his career might never have caught on fire.

8 His Duty As A Marine Came First Early In His Career

Rob Riggle
via Call of Duty Fandom

Riggle joined the Marines while attending college at 19, and was training at flight school to become an aviator. But, he switched from active duty to the Reserves to pursue comedy. He had some notable signs of success early on, such as starting out at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), a NYC improv sketch comedy troupe that became a TV show from 1998 to 2000. After 9/11, though, comedy took a back seat again as he switched back to active duty, interrupting his comedic career for two tours in Afghanistan. It took another couple of years of minor roles to land his next shot at big time fame: SNL.

7 He Was Strongly Associated With His Identity As A Marine For 23 Years

Rob Riggle in 12 STrong
via Trailer Addict

Along with nine years of active duty, Riggle was a Reservist, and continued to be strongly associated with the Marines for another 14 years, including the roles he took on. As such, he became a Public Affairs Officer, and was sent to Albania and Liberia in that capacity.

Riggle's work with the Marines garnered him numerous medals and ribbons, and he retired in 2013 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. It's possible that his military associations kept him out of consideration for some work that might be considered really dark, edgy or political. In contrast, most comedians of his generation broach topical and political subjects regularly.

6 A Regular Gig With The NFL Took Up A Chunk Of Time

Riggles Picks
via YouTube

Riggle took over the comedic weekly picks slot for Fox's NFL pre-game coverage. Calling it Riggle's Picks, he delivered it in a different comedy skit every week from 2012 till 2020. There, his co-hosts were Curt Menefee and Terry Bradshaw and analysts Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long and Michael Strahan, and the humor was limited to family-friendly dad jokes. He also co-hosts Holey Moley, a miniature golf show with Stephen Curry, the NBA great. They're solid and regular gigs, but he was the non-athlete among big league greats. It was definitely a non-starring role, and not something that would inspire a casting agent to give him a call for same.

5 His Colleagues Were Uber Talented

Rob Riggle on SNL
via YouTube

As a comedian, Riggle has had some solid opportunities. From UCB, he went on to a key role in Saturday Night Live from 2004 to 2005. While SNL's ratings with fans have gone up and down through the years, his co-stars were a very talented group that included Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, Amy Poeher, Maya Rudolph, and Fred Armisen. During his time at The Daily Show as a regular correspondent from 2006 to 2008, he shared an office with John Oliver. He even toured as a stand-up comedian with Oliver and other Daily Show alumni. It's definitely hard to stand out in those crowds.

4 He May Have To Ask His Agent About All Those Supporting Roles

Rob Riggle - Dumb and Dummber To
via YouTube

Always the bride's maid, never the bride...so the old saying goes. It's probably true of careers in acting or comedy as well. The more audiences and critics see you in a supporting role, the less likely they are to imagine you at center stage.

He appeared with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in the largely forgotten sequelDumb & Dumber To, and had supporting roles in such films as Son of Zorn and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. He seems to have the role of a comedic cop (definitely a non-starring role) down, judging from his part in The Hangover, The Other Guys, and others.

3 He's Had Bad Luck With More Prominent Roles

NTSF SD SUV
via ScreenRant

Luck often plays a role in actor's careers. Riggle appeared in several episodes of web/TV project called Funny or Die Presents from 2010 to 2011 – the project that spawned the Drunk History series – but it wasn't a permanent gig. When it comes to (co-)starring roles, though, NTSF:SD:SUV:: (National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle::), created by comedian Paul Scheer, was a natural for the clean cut Riggle, with his classic military/cop look. The series combined comedy and action, and aired on Adult Swim for three seasons from 2011 to 2013, but then went on indefinite hiatus.

2 His Comedic Persona Is Unlikable – Even If He Seems To Enjoy It

Rob Riggle
via YouTube

Like most comedians, Riggle has developed a signature persona – for him, the dude who's both arrogant and ignorant at the same time. It's a great character to play for the comedic effect, and as a foil for the hapless adventures of other characters who most likely play the leads. It's the overbearing cop, the dude who's rude to kids – funny if played with the right timing, as Riggle does, but not liked...except by Riggle himself, as he explained in an interview. "I tend to play a lot of big characters, and arrogant ignorance is probably one of the games I play best," he said. "It's pretty satisfying comedically."

1 It's Possible Life Got In The Way

Rob Riggle Global Investigator
via YouTube

With Riggle going through a messy and public divorce spat, it seems quite possible that drama from personal life has gotten in the way of career goals. It doesn't matter who's right or wrong in the dispute between Riggle and his wife of 21 years, Tiffany; dysfunctional situations in private lives can definitely take up energy and time. Comedy is one of the hardest careers to make it big, even if it's combined with acting, and it's hard to deliver comedy when personal life is anything but funny, and even worse, when it's being displayed on headlines across the country.

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