Mel Brooks' once said "Dying is easy, comedy's hard." Nailing a joke can be rough business. Doing so over and over takes the stamina of an athlete. And in today's Hollywood, getting laughs on camera is only half the battle. The top talents also write, produce, or direct their projects to get their comedic visions on screen. Here's a list of some of the hardest working comedians around.

Photo by DreamWorks15. Danny McBride

As all the agents in Tinseltown say, Danny McBride is hot. Ever since writing and starring in Jody Hill's sleeper hit "The Foot Fist Way," Danny McBride has been busting up audiences in a string of memorable supporting roles from "Hot Rod" to "Pineapple Express." He also co-created and stars as a foul-mouthed ex-baseball pitcher in the HBO comedy "Eastbound & Down."

Photo by Universal Pictures14. Jane Lynch

She might not be a household name like Jack Black or Will Ferrell, but Jane Lynch has seemingly been everywhere the past few years. In 2008, Jane Lynch appeared in nine movies including "Role Models" and "The Rocker" and is slated to appear in four flicks this year. Plus she's had a myriad of TV roles too, including the brutish gym teacher in FOX's upcoming series "Glee."

Photo by Frank Micelotta, Getty Images13. Mike Judge

Though he created one of the longest-running animated series in TV history, "King of the Hill," two of the most quotable movies of the past ten years, "Office Space" and "Idiocracy," and two of the most memorable morons ever, "Beavis and Butthead," Mike Judge is not content to rest on his laurels. This year, he has not only launched another animated series, "The Goode Family," but he's also writing and directing his third live-action flick, "Extract."

Photo by Sam Urdank/Universal Pictures12. Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks worked steadily throughout this decade, racking up bigger and funnier parts. Then last year, she really exploded, with roles in six big movies. Three of them -- "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," "W." and "Role Models" -- were released within a month of each other. She branched out as the villain in "The Uninvited" this year. She's also lined up several comedies she that will both star in and produce in the coming years.

Photo by Columbia Pictures, Everett Collection11. Jack Black

Wild-eyed funny man/heavy metal rocker Jack Black struck gold last year as an ursine street fighter in "Kung Fu Panda" along with co-starring in last year's war movie spoof "Tropic Thunder." This summer, you can see him in "Year One," and next year, he's producing and starring in a comedic update of "Gulliver's Travels."

Photo by Sony Pictures Classic10. Woody Allen

He might not have always made comedies, but Woody Allen has cranked out -- writing, directing, and often starring in -- one movie every year for the past 40 years or so. 2008's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" won an Oscar for star Penelope Cruz, and he's received great reviews for this year's "Whatever Works." He's the Cal Ripken of comedy.

Photo by Warner Brothers9. Seth Rogen

Since his star turn in "Knocked Up," Seth Rogen has been seemingly everywhere. During 2008, he appeared in seven different movies and wrote two. This year, he's scaled back a bit, acting in a mere three -- this spring's "Observe and Report" and "Monsters vs. Aliens" along with this summer's "Funny People" opposite Adam Sandler.

Photo by Universal Pictures8. Will Ferrell

Since his 2003 box-office one-two punch with "Elf" and "Old School," Will Ferrell has written, produced, and appeared in a slew of flicks ranging from mega-hits like "Blades of Glory" and "Talladega Nights" to duds like last week's "Land of the Lost." Ferrell should probably stay away from dinosaurs.

Photo by DreamWorks7. Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd got his start playing romantic leads, but his career really took off when he embraced his funny side, starting with the "Sex Panther"-spritzed reporter in "Anchorman." He scored a big hit in '08 with "Role Models," which he also co-wrote. This year he starred in "I Love You, Man" along with a voice part in animated smash hit "Monsters vs. Aliens."

Photo by Universal Pictures, Everett Collection6.Tina Fey

Sure, Tina Fey was already a big blip on the cultural radar as the first female head writer of SNL, star and creator of the hit series "30 Rock," and star of last year's "Baby Mama," but what really brought her to the A-list was her dead-on impersonation of Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. This year, on top of her TV duties, she's also set to star in Ricky Gervais' upcoming comedy, "The Invention of Lying," and will be filming "Date Night" with Steve Carell.

Photo by Universal Pictures5.Adam Sandler

It seems like the best way to succeed in comedy is become friends with Adam Sandler. He's produced films for his buddies including Rob Schneider and David Spade, and this year's "Paul Blart, Mall Cop," which became a surprise smash for star Kevin James. Of course, he's still acting in his own movies, and this summer, he's blending comedy and drama in Judd Apatow's "Funny People."

Photo by DreamWorks4. Ben Stiller

In the past twelve months, Ben Stiller has chalked up three box office blockbusters. One of those flicks -- "Tropic Thunder" - which Stiller co-wrote, directed, and starred in -- was the best reviewed comedy of the year, garnered piles of accolades and an Oscar nomination to boot. Next year, he has four projects slated, and he'll soon start work on another sequel to "Meet the Parents" called "Little Fockers."

Photo by Universal Pictures3. Sacha Baron Cohen

Sacha Baron Cohen might have not have the creative output of some on the list, but if you've seen "Da Ali G Show" or "Borat" you know that he works hard -- literally risking his life at times -- to make you laugh. His next film, "Bruno," started a bidding war between studios, fought the MPAA for an R rating, and already has everybody talking. No one disappears into a comedic character as completely as he does.

Photo by Universal Pictures2. Judd Apatow

Since writing and directing "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," Adam Sandler's former roommate has become a comedy juggernaut, producing and/or directing such hits as "Knocked Up," "Talladega Nights," "Superbad," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "Pineapple Express," and this summer's "Year One" and "Funny People." He also has at least eight projects in production and development.

Photo by Lionsgate Films1. Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry wrote, directed, and starred in 14 -- count 'em, 14 -- movies since his silver screen debut with "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" in 2002. And that's not counting the two TV shows he created and his cameo role in this summer's "Star Trek." In September, Madea will return in "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," and he's working on "Why Did I Get Married Too" for next April.