His classmates remember him as 'the class clown'. [=a student who tried to make other students laugh]
a rodeo 'clown' [=a person in a rodeo who dresses like a circus clown]
He was always 'playing the clown'. [=trying to make people laugh]
(..) He is a big boy. He knows what he said. Funny, how? Just, you know. You're funny. Let me understand this. Maybe I'm a little fucked up. But, I'm funny, how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to fucking amuse you? What do you mean, funny? How am I funny? (..)1990 Goodfellas