So what happened comedic actors?

Making people laugh, although rewarding, is taxing. I think it's actually far harder to make people laugh consistently than it is to be an above average drama actor.

But....

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Was it the work of writers who made them funnier than they are?

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Yes.

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Poor script selection?

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Yes and No. Going for the cheap laughs and simple plotlines of family friendly movies is just easier than something cutting edge.

I also think comedy gets old quicker than other genres of acting too.

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So what happened comedic actors?

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Comedy is a perishable commodity.

Here's how I would rank them in the ability to consistently be funny if the script were right, at this time in their lives:

1) Tom Hanks (because he's the best overall actor on the list, and never had a schtick)
2) Steve Martin
3) Adam Sandler
4) Jim Carrey
5) Robin Williams
6) Eddie Murphy

But people earlier in this thread are right, comedy is hard, and some of these guys have made so much money in their lives that they don't see the need to try that hard, if the money is still rolling in.

I think that's his point. These 6 actors made some of the greatest comedies of all time and none of them have made a really great comedy in the last 5 years or so.

Comedy is short lived. Most comedians are funny for only a short time before their "schtick" or routine becomes too familiar to audiences. Very few comedians last a long time in the limelight. All of these comedians lasted much longer than most.

But I can think back to many comedians and say, "Wow, I thought that guy was funny?" Off the top of my head, Bo Burnham, Nick Swardson, Dane Cook... All of their stuff that I liked, I still like, but their new stuff, if they have any, has lost its luster. Just the nature of the beast. So unless they have a great team of writers, which Adam Sandler tried to get with Happy Madison (and, for the most part, succeeded - at least commercially), they will fall off.

Age doesn't exactly take away comedic talent like it does football skills so that is a very bad analogy.

Most are still relatively young Williams 61, Marting 67, Murphy 51, Hanks 56, Sandler 46, Carray 50.... So it isn't like their comedic skills dried up and diminished.

Many helped write most of their older hit movies and now rely on a bunch of new writers to write their new scripts and material. So I think it is combination of getting paid, unoriginal material, and wanting to diversify into other roles where they could make more money.

I imagine it would also be very hard to go on tour as a stand up comedian. Even if you have drama going on in your life or you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, you have to go on stage that night and get in the mood to make people laugh.

I think you under estimate Jim Carrey's acting ability. I agree Hanks is a great actor. But Carrey is actually a really good character actor. Which is pretty rare for someone tagged as just a comedic actor.