Quotes About Stand-up

I was heavily influenced by Andy Kaufman and Steven Wright.

Steven Wright can do Steven Wright very well. Not everyone can do Steven Wright's jokes with the same results.

I've read that Steven Wright's style was born out of genuine nervousness.

One thing about being a stand-up is it's a one-man show. You gotta do everything. You're the producer, writer, director, and the actor. You just gotta be out there and perform and give your all. It's such an honest form of art that it just taught me so much, and it kind of prepared me for manhood at an early age.

Stand-up is hard. Or to keep it at a certain level is hard: I have no writers but me.

It's also that comedians don't have the kind of narcissism that actors have. They're writers who perform their own material. It's more interesting. And they're sexy because they risk more. Stand-up comedians risk more than anyone.

Neil Hamburger writes such cutting jokes.

I'm a joke comic. I tell jokes. I like writing a joke, and I like when a joke works, and I like other comics who tell jokes.

Prison widens your circle of friends. In my stand-up, I can now talk about things that no one else has the right to touch.

The comedy I like the best is comedy I can't do, stuff that doesn't touch my arena.

I have a tough time with stand-up because I am an improviser. I can riff; I can do crowd work, so I don't prepare.

I'm not a stand-up comedian by any means, but I do think it's tougher for a woman to go to that territory because it does make people go, 'Aww,' instead of laughing.

Getting up in front of the toughest crowds, you know, playing pubs in South Armagh - where people didn't necessarily even know what stand-up comedy was - you had to force yourself to do it. It went against every instinct in your body, but you did it anyway.

If you watch the 'Blue Collar Comedy Tour,' don't expect that when you come see me by myself, 'cause it's a little rougher.

I really don't work a whole lot as far as touring, but I do stand-up every night of my life, no matter where I am.

I think comics in New York are interested in being comics. And there're comics in L.A. who are touring comics, who are certainly more interested in stand-up, but a lot of L.A. stand-ups are really looking to do something else.

The touring comic is a lonely soul, sometimes dabbling into conversation with a colleague in the green room, but on the whole, we just stand around and try to cope with the random diversity that comes with the 'job.'

I see myself touring internationally - everywhere, every theater, every arena - and putting out stand-up comedy specials until I can't even stand no more. Even then, I'll probably do my comedy special in a hospital bed.

I love touring. I love stand up. I love getting on a tour bus with my friends.

I gravitated toward stand-up because there's no overhead. I mean, literally, there's no overhead: Often, you're outdoors performing in front of groups of people.

London seems to be a town with a lot of comedy fans and people that really enjoy stand-up.

I go onstage and I talk, and I remember what I'm saying, and I track it.

I don't want to demonise 'Johnny.' I was really proud of what he achieved. Especially within stand-up. He was quite a unique voice. I will always possibly be trading off 'Johnny's name, but there's a lot more things that I'm able to do now - the strengths that 'Michael' can bring to it.

While awaiting sentencing, I decided to give stand-up comedy a shot. The judge had suggested I get my act together, and I took him seriously.