Comedy Quotes | Beyond Motive 2/4

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Comedy Quotes

"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

4

"I got involved in improv comedy. It settled me down when I was getting wild. I was sort of an evil teenager smashing up my cars and drinking and driving, let's just say, a lot."

"I got involved in improv comedy. It settled me down when I was getting wild. I was sort of an evil teenager smashing up my cars and drinking and driving, let's just say, a lot."

Bruce McCulloch, Canadian Actor

Comedy, Drinking, Driving, Evil

4

"Years have passed since I have set foot in a comedy club. If the comic is doing badly it's painful, and if the comic is doing brilliantly, it's extremely painful."

"Years have passed since I have set foot in a comedy club. If the comic is doing badly it's painful, and if the comic is doing brilliantly, it's extremely painful."

Dick Cavett, American Entertainer

4

"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

4

"Stand-up comedy and poverty. Those were my two main endeavors."

"Stand-up comedy and poverty. Those were my two main endeavors."

Dave Foley, Canadian Comedian

Comedy, Poverty

4

"Anyone can write. But comedy, you've got to do some writing. You get one comedy script to every 20 dramas."

"Anyone can write. But comedy, you've got to do some writing. You get one comedy script to every 20 dramas."

Michael Caine, English Actor

Comedy, Writing

4

"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

4

"To be perfectly honest, drama is a lot simpler than comedy."

"To be perfectly honest, drama is a lot simpler than comedy."

Nikki Cox, American Actress

4

"Especially while television I think is going through some growing pains or is in need of - I think current comedy is a bit, uh, not happening, you know?"

"Especially while television I think is going through some growing pains or is in need of - I think current comedy is a bit, uh, not happening, you know?"

Jenna Elfman, American Actress

Comedy, Television

4

"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

4

"This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel."

"This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel."

Horace Walpole, English Author

Comedy, Tragedy, World

4

"It proved to me, though, that comedy is so much harder."

"It proved to me, though, that comedy is so much harder."

Jenna Elfman, American Actress

4

"Comedy is just to me, maybe it's a natural knack, if I can see where the joke is in the writing and I can see where the setup is and I can tell this is the way to make it."

"Comedy is just to me, maybe it's a natural knack, if I can see where the joke is in the writing and I can see where the setup is and I can tell this is the way to make it."

Matt LeBlanc, American Actor

Comedy, Writing

4

"I wear so many disguises on the show that only a real comedy fan might spot me."

"I wear so many disguises on the show that only a real comedy fan might spot me."

Paul Putner, English Comedian

4

"Next to fried foods, the South has suffered most from oratory."

"Next to fried foods, the South has suffered most from oratory."

Brooks Hays, American Politician

Comedy, Oratory

4

"I remember going to Bob Preston's dressing room because I was losing a laugh - as you do in a long run. He said, 'Give me the script. That's where you're going off the road.' That's comedy. It's never the line itself; it's in the foundation."

"I remember going to Bob Preston's dressing room because I was losing a laugh - as you do in a long run. He said, 'Give me the script. That's where you're going off the road.' That's comedy. It's never the line itself; it's in the foundation."

Jeffrey Tambor, American Actor

Comedy, Losing, Road

4

"There's always been physical suffering in comedy."

"There's always been physical suffering in comedy."

Don Martin, American Cartoonist

Comedy, Suffering

4

"Comedy is ugly. It's honest, it's raw."

"Comedy is ugly. It's honest, it's raw."

Aisha Tyler, American Actress

4

"I think that for the most part, when I started doing comedy, it had become very commercialized."

"I think that for the most part, when I started doing comedy, it had become very commercialized."

Larry David, American Actor

3

"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

3

"Drama or comedy programming is still the surest way for advertisers to reach a mass audience. Once that changes, all bets are off."

"Drama or comedy programming is still the surest way for advertisers to reach a mass audience. Once that changes, all bets are off."

Dick Wolf, American Producer

Comedy, Drama, Programming

3

"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

3

"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

3

"A pitfall of making a comedy with a studio-and it's also an American cultural thing-is that I get tired of being encouraged to go always for laughs."

"A pitfall of making a comedy with a studio-and it's also an American cultural thing-is that I get tired of being encouraged to go always for laughs."

Alexander Payne, American Director

3

"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

3

"If you want good sketches, go pick up Sid Caesar. The best of Your Show of Shows. That's the greatest sketch comedy you'll ever see on television."

"If you want good sketches, go pick up Sid Caesar. The best of Your Show of Shows. That's the greatest sketch comedy you'll ever see on television."

Jamie Farr, American Actor

Comedy, Television, Want

3

"I want to do drama, light comedy, the whole range."

"I want to do drama, light comedy, the whole range."

Bobby Darin, American Musician

Comedy, Drama, Light, Want

3

"Partly because the town is just finicky, there are strange Catch 22 clauses in the consciousness of this community and one of them was that you, I found out, you can't do a comedy unless you've just done a comedy."

"Partly because the town is just finicky, there are strange Catch 22 clauses in the consciousness of this community and one of them was that you, I found out, you can't do a comedy unless you've just done a comedy."

Val Kilmer, American Actor

Comedy, Community, Consciousness

3

"Comedy makes the subversion of the existing state of affairs possible."

"Comedy makes the subversion of the existing state of affairs possible."

Dario Fo, Italian Playwright

3

"I don't do comedy so much although I would like to do a comedy."

"I don't do comedy so much although I would like to do a comedy."

Aaron Eckhart, American Actor

3

"I think a lot of the instincts you have doing comedy are really the same for doing drama, in that it's essentially about listening. The way I approach comedy, is you have to commit to everything as if it's a dramatic role, meaning you play it straight."

"I think a lot of the instincts you have doing comedy are really the same for doing drama, in that it's essentially about listening. The way I approach comedy, is you have to commit to everything as if it's a dramatic role, meaning you play it straight."

Will Ferrell, American Comedian

Comedy, Drama, Listening, Meaning

3

"You know what I would really like to do? I'd like to do a half hour drama with comedy in it."

"You know what I would really like to do? I'd like to do a half hour drama with comedy in it."

Sharon Gless, American Actress

3

"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

3

"Comedy just pokes at problems, rarely confronts them squarely. Drama is like a plate of meat and potatoes, comedy is rather the dessert, a bit like meringue."

"Comedy just pokes at problems, rarely confronts them squarely. Drama is like a plate of meat and potatoes, comedy is rather the dessert, a bit like meringue."

Woody Allen, American Director

Comedy, Drama, Problems

3

"When I left school I was full of angst, like any teenager, and I channeled it all into comedy."

"When I left school I was full of angst, like any teenager, and I channeled it all into comedy."

Matt Lucas, English Actor

3

"I considered the years in Hollywood nothing but an interim. What I always wanted was to be was a musical comedy star."

"I considered the years in Hollywood nothing but an interim. What I always wanted was to be was a musical comedy star."

Arlene Dahl, American Actress

Comedy, Hollywood, Nothing, Years

3

"One of my biggest problems with comedy was that I did not understand some of the jokes."

"One of my biggest problems with comedy was that I did not understand some of the jokes."

Desi Arnaz, American Actor

Comedy, Jokes, Problems

3

"NBC anchor Brian Williams is a standup comic in disguise."

"NBC anchor Brian Williams is a standup comic in disguise."

Leonard Maltin, American Critic

Comedy, Disguise

3

"We are in desperate need of a well-done romantic lesbian comedy."

"We are in desperate need of a well-done romantic lesbian comedy."

Jill Bennett, American Actress

Comedy, Lesbian, Romantic

3

"I'd really been wanting to do a television series. I was looking for a comedy."

"I'd really been wanting to do a television series. I was looking for a comedy."

Jeanne Tripplehorn, American Actress

Comedy, Television

3

"I think comedy's something you can't learn. It's an instinct, which makes it rather elusive."

"I think comedy's something you can't learn. It's an instinct, which makes it rather elusive."

Julie Walters, British Actress

Comedy, Instinct

3

"I want to see Bob Dylan do sketch comedy. I'm a huge Bob Dylan fan."

"I want to see Bob Dylan do sketch comedy. I'm a huge Bob Dylan fan."

Bradley Whitford, American Actor

3

"I think when you dissect a joke too much, you have ruined whatever there is in comedy."

"I think when you dissect a joke too much, you have ruined whatever there is in comedy."

Bob Saget, American Actor

3

"The world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those who feel."

"The world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those who feel."

Horace Walpole, English Author

Comedy, Tragedy, World

3

"To listen to your own silence is the key to comedy."

"To listen to your own silence is the key to comedy."

Elayne Boosler, American Comedian

Comedy, Key, Silence

3

"I don't really like comedy."

"I don't really like comedy."

Bruce McCulloch, Canadian Actor

3

"I am a comic writer, which means I get to slay the dragons, and shoot the bull."

"I am a comic writer, which means I get to slay the dragons, and shoot the bull."

Rita Mae Brown, American Writer

3

"It's a great counter to doing the soap because it's a comedy. It's real physical comedy."

"It's a great counter to doing the soap because it's a comedy. It's real physical comedy."

Corbin Bernsen, American Actor

3

"Good comedy is ageless."

"Good comedy is ageless."

Ted Levine, American Actor

3

"There was so long from when we did the pilot and then when the show was eventually picked up by Comedy Central - and, in fact, we had to shoot the pilot twice."

"There was so long from when we did the pilot and then when the show was eventually picked up by Comedy Central - and, in fact, we had to shoot the pilot twice."

Thomas Lennon, American Actor

3

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