Okay, full disclosure. An invested publicist forwarded this to me. But, well, it got me. And I had to post.

The running, cynical logic on Jean Dujardin for quite a while has been that we’ll likely see him and the rest of the crew from “The Artist” fade away after this lightning-capturing season, and that if we don’t, well, maybe Dujardin will play a Bond villain or something. Just look at Christoph Waltz, who has languished in bad-guy parts in “The Green Hornet” and “Water for Elephants” after winning his Oscar two years ago.

Funny or Die is always quick to get out ahead of a joke like that, and Dujardin is wise to be on board for something like their latest video, which spoofs the actor being tapped to audition for every Hollywood villain role available at the moment. He runs the gamut from “Mission: Impossible” and “Die Hard” sequels to hilariously dubious possibilities like follow-ups to “We Bought a Zoo” and “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.”

I’m officially pulling for this guy to hit it big. Seriously, the “Bridesmaids,” “Spy Kids” and aforementioned “We Bought a Zoo” bits got a big laugh out of me. And it’s a really smart way to further endear a wider audience to Dujardin, who, let’s face it, will be an unknown to most even after the Academy Awards. The next role will not only be key, but crucial.

Guy has been consistently saying that comparisons of Dujardin to Robert Benigni this year are “casually xenophobic,” and while I think that’s overstating quite a bit, I do think that kind of talk is obviously reductive. I get the need to boil it down to something we understand, and I do understand the perceived similarities in situations. But he (Guy) and I were chatting recently and he noted that, through all of this need to boil it down, people might be missing the emergence of a Marion Cotillard-like star.

And I’m with him on that. Say what I might about “The Artist,” Dujardin is a funny, talented guy. And he was before this year, by the way, via films like the “OSS 117” series. He’s slowly won me over (and was great on Leno last week, by the way). I think he’s likely to win the Oscar for Best Actor, but whether he does or doesn’t, here’s hoping he makes some wise decisions after this season.

Have a look at the Funny or Die sketch below. Which bit is your favorite?

For year-round entertainment news and awards season commentary follow @kristapley on Twitter.

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