Don Rickles Quotes

Once I started doing stand-up, everything fell into place. That was when I started acting more; I felt like I'd found my place in the business.

Comedy is an amazing calling. Once you get that first laugh, it's hard to turn away. Then, of course, you're hooked and you have to learn how to survive in the business.

I just went into this business for laughs. I guess I don't mind being an actor so much now.

After I got my first laugh on stage, I was hooked.

When the opportunity came along to do 'Win, Lose or Draw,' I took it selfishly to find out if I did enjoy being me on camera. And I did that for the last two years I was doing 'Mama's Family.'

I got to a point where I wanted to have some dignity in what I'm saying onstage. I want people to hear what I'm saying, regardless of whether or not it gets a laugh. That became a lot more rewarding than straight acting could ever be for me.

I started comedy in 2006. I didn't even think it was a thing I could do.

Standup led me to acting because I liked standup, and I saw people on a stage, and the closest, nearest thing to me was doing plays. It was like, that's the same thing as standup - people are on a stage; they're being seen and saying things - so, because of my love of standup, I moved towards acting.

I started standup at age nineteen. I decided that the only way I was going to try show business as a career was if I could make total strangers laugh.

I've been entertaining men with my comedy for many, many years, and I don't plan on stopping.

Ventriloquism kind of helped me find my voice. It's really helped me come out of my shell.

When I was in third grade I taught myself ventriloquism... What's hard is to learn to be an entertainer and make people laugh. I was a few years out of college before I felt I had enough material. Then in 1988 I moved to L.A. and started to do some shows at comedy clubs.

I've got too much respect for stand-ups to call myself one.

One place that I really feel comfortable is being a comedienne. I'm very socially inept. There's so many things that I can not do in life, and this is, like, the one thing that I have mastery over. It's my world. And anybody who's coming to the show, it's like they're coming because they know that this is my world.

Maybe I just wasn't a show-biz type. I didn't miss performing at all.

Stand-up can take you in so many different places, man. So many doors can be opened up from stand-up comedy, and the first one that was opened up for me was acting.

I was always the lead role in plays. I like entertaining people. I like when you're on stage doing crazy stuff and the audience gets it.

Growing up, the last thing I ever thought I'd do is be an entertainer.

There's a tremendous amount to be gained from being a performer, and being an artist, and being an actor.

I've been doing stand-up since '89.

I love the challenge of show business. It keeps me on my toes.

I wanted to be a pianist but it just wasn't my thing. I guess I wanted to stand up rather than sit down.

I will always do stand-up, even if my acting career takes off. Stand-up is my life.

I was in 'Rent,' for God's sake. The closest we came to stunts was dancing on a table.

I wasn't into acting when I was a kid. Maybe because I was shy or it didn't occur to me.