Quotes from Kayvan Novak

I have been 'absorbing' people - their voices, their mannerisms - all my life, to the point where I am a sort of Frankenstein of different people. My own speaking voice is, in fact, a mixture of how my two best mates speak, because they are cool, and I am not.

What I would say about the Trump travel ban is there goes my Hollywood career!

Being funny was something I was doing before I understood what that even was. Now I'm making a career out of it.

Paul Verhoeven is one of my favourite directors. I love his ability to mash extreme violence with humour and satire.

Comedy is in my bones.

I can't really walk down the street as Brian Badonde without someone going, 'Bwark.'

I miss watching TV and thinking they were all real. I used to feel like that about 'Neighbours.'

I've got to follow in the footsteps of Sacha Baron Cohen and do a prank show, or a film with real elements to it.

When I do an impression of someone or when I am pretending to be someone else, something freaky happens: I feel the person I am mimicking behind my eyeballs. Their head is sitting perfectly inside mine, helping me project a false self out on to the world. And it's not always a choice.

'MasterChef' is pretty good.

I think a lot of comedians are desperate to show their serious side, but I got that off my chest early on in my career.

I think it's always difficult to get a show on telly, whether you're George Clooney or just starting out. But there's room. If you're into it, chase it. You'll get it.

The more channels putting money into quality programming the better.

Character building is one of my favourite things to do.

My first love is doing my own comedy stuff.

People say they don't want to call a call-centre in India. Why not? They're doing the same job - you just don't like Indians.

When I was 18 years old, I had a Saturday job working in a clothing store on London's Bond Street. I would fold T-shirts for ten hours at a time and get paid £19 for the privilege.

I look at my early career, and you know, when I left drama school, for a young Asian actor, you could either play a doctor on 'Holby City,' or you could play a terrorist in 'Spooks' and get to wear a nice shiny suit.

I want to do a 'Facejacker' film. I want to explore the characters more, maybe do a Terry Tibbs chat show.

When I wind someone up, it's never to make them feel angry or aggressive; that doesn't make good telly. It's about uncovering a layer of themselves that is kind of sweet and nice.

Years ago, I was watching a debate on Fox News, when I thought, 'These guys are basically like pranksters, they bring the people in and wind them up.' I was like, 'That's what I do!'

I'm good at winding up British people, but Americans are slightly different. A lot of them are more stoical. They're harder to get a reaction out of more of the time.

Thank God for my imagination. For my abilities to mimic.

I met the Gallagher brothers, and Noel was quoting my 'Fonejacker' catchphrases. Hearing your heroes quote you is incredible.