Editing Circus clown (section)

==={{anchor|Character}}The character clown===
[[File:Ringling Circus Clown Emmett Kelly in Sarasota, Florida c.1947.jpg|thumb|Emmett Kelly as his hobo-clown character, Weary Willie]]
The '''character clown''' adopts an eccentric character of some type, such as a butcher, a baker, a policeman, a housewife or [[hobo]]. Prime examples of this type of clown are the circus tramps [[Otto Griebling]] and [[Emmett Kelly]]. On film, [[Red Skelton]], [[Harold Lloyd]], [[Buster Keaton]] and [[Charlie Chaplin]] would all fit the definition of a character clown. (Note: Nowadays,{{when|date=May 2020}} the hobo or tramp clown is often considered a separate class and is treated as such in competitions at clown conventions.)

The character clown makeup is a comic slant on the standard human face. Their makeup starts with a flesh tone base and may make use of anything from glasses, mustaches and beards to freckles, warts, big ears or strange haircuts. The most prevalent character clown in the American circus is the tramp or hobo clown with a thick [[five-o'clock shadow]] and wearing shabby, crumpled garments.

When working in a traditional trio situation,  the character clown will play "contre-auguste" (a second, less wild auguste), siding with either the white or red clown. Sometimes they are more cunning and less dim than the auguste.

Notable examples of character clowns in the circus include, Dev Chaube, [[Barry Lubin]], [[Bill Irwin]], [[David Shiner (clown)|David Shiner]], [[Geoff Hoyle]], [[Charlie Cairoli]], [[Oleg Popov]], and [[Bello Nock]].

Examples of the ''contre-auguste'' character in non-circus trios include [[Larry Fine (actor)|Larry Fine]] of [[the Three Stooges]] and [[Chico Marx]] of [[the Marx Brothers]].