Most actors aren’t funny. They would like to be funny. They would like to do comedy. They’ll play a scene as if it’s funny, and they’ll deliver their lines as if they’re funny but they don’t come across funny. They come across as actors trying hard to be funny.
Try this. It’s quick, painless and, if done right, pretty much guarantees you’ll create comedy and get a laugh.
Take a scene and ask yourself what are the sentiments your character’s words are expressing to the other character. Are your character’s words expressing anger toward the other character? Are your character’s words expressing love? Are your words expressing sorrow? Take just the sentiment your character’s words are expressing.
Now take the lines and imagine them in a context where the lines wouldn’t fit, wouldn’t make sense. If the words of your character’s lines are expressing anger at the other character with lines like “I hate you” and “How could you?”, play the scene as if your character’s on a first date. What you end up with is someone shy, sweet and awkward saying “I hate you.” and “How dare you?” It will get a laugh every time. There’s much more to comedy of course but you’ll make those watching laugh, and everyone will be saying to themselves “Now, that actor knows how to do comedy.” You’ll never again have to worry about how to deliver lines to make them funny.
Oh, and just as important, while you’re playing the scene, don’t change so much along the way. It’s a thing the actor’s process teaches actors to do and which they shouldn’t do with comedy. With comedy, the more you change the less we’ll laugh. The less you change the more you laugh.