Quotes About Comedy

I remember Jerry Lewis said once that when small, he was the nutty kid in his neighborhood and I was the same way.

If I've got a black joke, and I can't tell it in Oakland, then I shouldn't tell the joke anywhere else.

I'm from Oakland and I started doing comedy around 2001.

I really respect my craft and obligation to my audience.

'Mindy' was fun. Other than 'Superstore,' it was the other time I played an elitist, obnoxious idiot.

Making people laugh was the only thing I ever truly excelled at. But at home, I was so quiet with my family, which taught me to be really observant.

Sometimes, comics will make the observation that it's not jokes that are funny, it's characters that are funny. And isn't that true! That's why I always kill jokes. I'm terrible at them, because I get the joke right, but I can't get the character right, and it just goes down like a lead balloon.

A comedian needs more than just a sense of humour. He needs to observe everything around him.

I just like observing people - it's something I've done ever since I was a kid, and I got really good at it. That's a big part of why I became a comedian. My audience is filled with every kind of person you can imagine, and I love that.

I think that's something that people don't realize enough about when they get into comedy - it's not just about sitting back and observing and saying something funny.

A lot of being a comedian is about observing people.

I'm obsessed with this show called 'Workaholics.'

I was pretty obsessed with 'Saturday Night Live.'

Drama is what I'm really obsessed by. It's what gets me up in the morning, what I live for. But I'll always have a love for comedy because it was my first opportunity, and I associate it with my best friends, who I made during 'School of Comedy'.

The most influential thing was the two Chris Rock specials that came out when I was in high school. I was obsessed with that stuff.

I was obsessed with Carol Burnett and then Tracey Ullman. Like, obsessed with their shows.

It's a lucky kink for comedy writers that particular English obsession and interest with class and social difference. It maybe is not good for society but it's good for the comic writer.

I'm gradually working through my obsessions, and maybe, when they're all free and clear, I'll write a comedy. But I'm not there yet.

I really think if you take away a character's obstacles then there's no comedy.

Let's say there was a fat guy heckling me. I would rip him to shreds, but I would never go for the obvious, never talk about how he's fat or anything.

I guess one that wouldn't be obvious is - well, maybe it's super obvious, I can't tell - 'I Love Lucy' is my favorite show, going back to when I was 4. I've watched every episode I don't know how many times. It was something to watch women being funny when I was young.

I hate to give myself credit for anything, but I will say I really enjoy, as an actor, and especially with comedy stuff, playing with different rhythms and with different ways around a joke. There's always an obvious route, and there's one that maybe is a little bit different.

When I had the wonderful occasion to play a goofball, Jane, in 'Coupling,' it was definitely an homage to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who I just think is a genius.

Right now, I'd like to just continue on a series where I am doing good work with a balance of comedy and drama. That and do occasional features and movies.