Comedy Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Comedy Quotes

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die."

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die."

Mel Brooks, American Comedian

Comedy, Open, Tragedy

53

"Dying is easy; comedy is hard."

"Dying is easy; comedy is hard."

Donald Wolfit, English Actor

48

"My new movie, Fools Rush In, is a romantic comedy and the girl I play in that is very warm, very sweet."

"My new movie, Fools Rush In, is a romantic comedy and the girl I play in that is very warm, very sweet."

Salma Hayek, Mexican Actress

Comedy, Fools, Play, Romantic

48

"I own four copies of Robin WIlliams's Live on Broadway comedy special for HBO. One in Wilmington, one in L.A., one in my trailer, and one at my parents' house. I can watch it over and over again and it never gets old. He is the funniest, wittiest man on the planet!"

"I own four copies of Robin WIlliams's Live on Broadway comedy special for HBO. One in Wilmington, one in L.A., one in my trailer, and one at my parents' house. I can watch it over and over again and it never gets old. He is the funniest, wittiest man on the planet!"

Sophia Bush, American Actress

Comedy, Man, Old, Parents

48

"The English never smash in a face. They merely refrain from asking it to dinner."

"The English never smash in a face. They merely refrain from asking it to dinner."

Margaret Halsey, American Author

Comedy, English

34

"All the jokes in my films, the comedy, they're not me, I just try to hold a big mirror up to us."

"All the jokes in my films, the comedy, they're not me, I just try to hold a big mirror up to us."

Yahoo Serious, Australian Director

33

"Friends applaud, the comedy is over."

"Friends applaud, the comedy is over."

Ludwig van Beethoven, German Composer

Comedy, Friends

33

"In comedy, something may be more absurd, but you have to believe just as much as you do when you're doing drama."

"In comedy, something may be more absurd, but you have to believe just as much as you do when you're doing drama."

Jenna Elfman, American Actress

Comedy, Drama, May

33

"Comedy is exaggerated realism. It can be stretched to the almost ludicrous, but it must always be believable."

"Comedy is exaggerated realism. It can be stretched to the almost ludicrous, but it must always be believable."

Paul Lynde, American Comedian

Comedy, Realism

32

"The human comedy is always tragic, but since its ingredients are always the same - dupe, fox, straight, like burlesque skits - the repetition through the ages is comedy."

"The human comedy is always tragic, but since its ingredients are always the same - dupe, fox, straight, like burlesque skits - the repetition through the ages is comedy."

Dawn Powell, American Writer

Comedy, Repetition

31

"The difference between tragedy and comedy: Tragedy is something awful happening to somebody else, while comedy is something awful happening to somebody else."

"The difference between tragedy and comedy: Tragedy is something awful happening to somebody else, while comedy is something awful happening to somebody else."

Aaron Allston, American Novelist

Comedy, Difference, Tragedy

30

"One always writes comedy at the moment of deepest hysteria."

"One always writes comedy at the moment of deepest hysteria."

V. S. Naipaul, Trinidadian Novelist

28

"Most modern comedy is crap."

"Most modern comedy is crap."

Adrian Edmondson, English Actor

27

"Comedy is so hard; it's so much harder than drama. The pacing of it, the energy of it."

"Comedy is so hard; it's so much harder than drama. The pacing of it, the energy of it."

Josh Lucas, American Actor

Comedy, Drama, Energy

26

"Every student of comedy should see Dame Edna at least twice."

"Every student of comedy should see Dame Edna at least twice."

Dick Cavett, American Entertainer

26

"We participate in a tragedy; at a comedy we only look."

"We participate in a tragedy; at a comedy we only look."

Aldous Huxley, English Novelist

Comedy, Tragedy

26

"I think so. I can't think of anything that requires more finesse than comedy, both from a verbal and visual point of view."

"I think so. I can't think of anything that requires more finesse than comedy, both from a verbal and visual point of view."

Stacy Keach, American Actor

26

"If you elect a matinee idol mayor, you're going to have a musical comedy administration."

"If you elect a matinee idol mayor, you're going to have a musical comedy administration."

Robert Moses, American Public Servant

25

"All I mean is, I'm not the kind of audience comedy directors want at a test screening because I seldom laugh, and if I do, it's not very loud. That doesn't mean I don't like the movie."

"All I mean is, I'm not the kind of audience comedy directors want at a test screening because I seldom laugh, and if I do, it's not very loud. That doesn't mean I don't like the movie."

Todd Solondz, American Writer

25

"Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, a blackmail."

"Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, a blackmail."

Benito Mussolini, Italian Politician

Comedy, Fraud, Socialism

25

"The violence or the vaudeville style of comedy is a technique all by itself. You get up there, and you are a comedian, and you're doing one thing. That is, you're going to make the audience laugh."

"The violence or the vaudeville style of comedy is a technique all by itself. You get up there, and you are a comedian, and you're doing one thing. That is, you're going to make the audience laugh."

Leslie Nielsen, Canadian Actor

Comedy, Style, Violence

24

"There is no essential difference between the material of comedy and tragedy. All depends on the point of view of the dramatist, which, by clever emphasis, he tries to make the point of view of his audience."

"There is no essential difference between the material of comedy and tragedy. All depends on the point of view of the dramatist, which, by clever emphasis, he tries to make the point of view of his audience."

George P. Baker, American Theorist

Comedy, Difference, Tragedy

23

"If you want to make an audience laugh, you dress a man up like an old lady and push her down the stairs. If you want to make comedy writers laugh, you push an actual old lady down the stairs."

"If you want to make an audience laugh, you dress a man up like an old lady and push her down the stairs. If you want to make comedy writers laugh, you push an actual old lady down the stairs."

Tina Fey, American Comedian

Comedy, Dress, Lady, Man

23

"I do comedy shows. I make fun of myself, first of all."

"I do comedy shows. I make fun of myself, first of all."

Steve Burton, American Actor

Comedy, First, Fun

23

"You're at the top of your game if you do comedy."

"You're at the top of your game if you do comedy."

Hector Elizondo, American Actor

22

"You're entering dangerous land when you start theorising about comedy."

"You're entering dangerous land when you start theorising about comedy."

Adrian Edmondson, English Actor

22

"Without comedy as a defense mechanism I wouldn't be able to survive."

"Without comedy as a defense mechanism I wouldn't be able to survive."

Garry Shandling, American Comedian

Comedy, Defense

22

"I'd like to come back because I really miss doing situation comedy."

"I'd like to come back because I really miss doing situation comedy."

John Goodman, American Actor

22

"With While You Were Sleeping, it was so much fun and such a Cinderella story, that I didn't want to do another romantic comedy. I wanted to do the opposite."

"With While You Were Sleeping, it was so much fun and such a Cinderella story, that I didn't want to do another romantic comedy. I wanted to do the opposite."

Bill Pullman, American Actor

Comedy, Fun, Romantic, Want

21

"It is really hard to do comedy; it takes a lot of energy and focus. It's rather like music: It's a lot of hitting notes precisely."

"It is really hard to do comedy; it takes a lot of energy and focus. It's rather like music: It's a lot of hitting notes precisely."

Christine Baranski, American Actress

Comedy, Energy, Focus

21

"Then my first film was something called Cannibal Girls, which sounds like a horror movie but was actually kind of a goofy comedy with horror elements. Like a horror spoof."

"Then my first film was something called Cannibal Girls, which sounds like a horror movie but was actually kind of a goofy comedy with horror elements. Like a horror spoof."

Ivan Reitman, Canadian Actor

Comedy, Film, First, Girls

21

"Comedy comes from conflict, from hatred."

"Comedy comes from conflict, from hatred."

Warren Mitchell, Australian Actor

Comedy, Conflict, Hatred

21

"I would recommend that anyone who wants to do comedy on TV to do radio first."

"I would recommend that anyone who wants to do comedy on TV to do radio first."

David Walliams, British Actor

20

"I had a terrible job letting me do anything that wasn't comedy."

"I had a terrible job letting me do anything that wasn't comedy."

Val Guest, British Director

20

"It was just at the end of the golden era of BBC comedy, which was fantastic."

"It was just at the end of the golden era of BBC comedy, which was fantastic."

John Leeson, British Actor

20

"Well, I think that there's a value to comedy in and of itself."

"Well, I think that there's a value to comedy in and of itself."

Al Franken, American Comedian

20

"Comedy has to be done en clair. You can't blunt the edge of wit or the point of satire with obscurity. Try to imagine a famous witty saying that is not immediately clear."

"Comedy has to be done en clair. You can't blunt the edge of wit or the point of satire with obscurity. Try to imagine a famous witty saying that is not immediately clear."

James Thurber, American Comedian

Comedy, Famous, Obscurity, Satire

20

"It's a comedy thriller, brilliantly written and it's full of twists and turns at every page. When I was reading it I was desperate to get to the end to find out what happens, it really hooks you."

"It's a comedy thriller, brilliantly written and it's full of twists and turns at every page. When I was reading it I was desperate to get to the end to find out what happens, it really hooks you."

Louise Jameson, British Actress

Comedy, End, Reading

20

"In tragedy every moment is eternity; in comedy, eternity is a moment."

"In tragedy every moment is eternity; in comedy, eternity is a moment."

Christopher Fry, English Playwright

Comedy, Eternity, Tragedy

19

"Someone I've always admired is Catherine O'Hara... I think she's one of the best actresses in the country, not only comedy. I just think she's just a step aside from everybody, she's just wonderful."

"Someone I've always admired is Catherine O'Hara... I think she's one of the best actresses in the country, not only comedy. I just think she's just a step aside from everybody, she's just wonderful."

Fred Willard, American Comedian

Comedy, Country

19

"I like that kind of 'straight-faced' comedy. I like to be straight-faced and outrageous."

"I like that kind of 'straight-faced' comedy. I like to be straight-faced and outrageous."

Leslie Nielsen, Canadian Actor

19

"I'm really not feeling one way or the other with comedy or drama, I'm just sort of doing projects that I've been finding really fun to be a part of."

"I'm really not feeling one way or the other with comedy or drama, I'm just sort of doing projects that I've been finding really fun to be a part of."

John Krasinski, American Actor

Comedy, Drama, Feeling, Fun

19

"I've mainly been in dramas, so this is one of my first comedy kind of performances in Cecil B. Demented."

"I've mainly been in dramas, so this is one of my first comedy kind of performances in Cecil B. Demented."

Stephen Dorff, American Actor

19

"I would like to do maybe a smaller romantic comedy."

"I would like to do maybe a smaller romantic comedy."

Linda Fiorentino, American Actress

Comedy, Romantic

19

"Monty Python crowd; half of them came from Cambridge, and half of them came from Oxford. But, there seems to be this jewel, this sort of two headed tradition of doing comedy, of doing sketches, and that kind of thing."

"Monty Python crowd; half of them came from Cambridge, and half of them came from Oxford. But, there seems to be this jewel, this sort of two headed tradition of doing comedy, of doing sketches, and that kind of thing."

Rowan Atkinson, English Comedian

Comedy, Tradition

19

"A straight factor is important in any comedy, because you need something to tee it up and also to ground it."

"A straight factor is important in any comedy, because you need something to tee it up and also to ground it."

Jason Bateman, American Actor

18

"I can cry at the drop of the pin. But comedy is hard for me; it's the timing."

"I can cry at the drop of the pin. But comedy is hard for me; it's the timing."

Moira Kelly, American Actress

18

"I left Indiana, and I ain't been back since. I've been doing comedy and paying my bills."

"I left Indiana, and I ain't been back since. I've been doing comedy and paying my bills."

Mike Epps, American Comedian

18

"Sometimes I wonder how I got into comedy at all."

"Sometimes I wonder how I got into comedy at all."

Don Adams, American Comedian

18

"Nobody should try to play comedy unless they have a circus going on inside."

"Nobody should try to play comedy unless they have a circus going on inside."

Ernst Lubitsch, German Director

18

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