Michael Keaton Quotes

Stand-up comedy is mine: it's my entity; it's my brand; I own it. I do it when I want to do it.

The best part about stand-up is that you control everything. Period. When you work in movies, or on TV shows, there are 50 other people involved.

I prefer being known for my stand-up because I write it. I love being an actor, and saying other people's words is great. But then, when I do stand-up, I love getting my own point of view out there.

Stand-up was my entree into the entertainment world. I didn't have to act out somebody else's words. I could just stand there with a microphone, and nobody would interrupt me. It's the most narcissistic thing you could probably do.

I don't like being choreographed to a T. I like to take steps and make them my own.

Stand-up is my foundation. That's where it started at. And I love it because it's personal. It's mine. It's all me. It's my experience in life.

The way to write is well, and how is your own business.

I know that if a film is ready to emerge out of what I write, I'll be able to go off and make it without asking anyone's permission.

Stand-up will always be my first love, and it has been the primary way I've expressed myself since I was 17.

I'm an entertainer, so in whatever form I entertain... The thing about being a rapper is that you have more control over your form, whereas with acting you have to compromise a lot.

I really can't describe what my stand-up is like - people see it and they say it's like that, or it's like this, and that's really up to them, that's fine, but I don't sit around all day analysing it. I just try and enjoy a show and interest myself because if I don't do that then I won't interest anybody else.

I don't have a director. The audience directs me.

I came away from 'Saturday Night Live' feeling very well represented. I felt, and I still feel like, they let me do so much stuff that I wanted to do. Stuff that I almost didn't even know what it was.

Doing acting opened up other creative outlets; it made me feel freer as an artist.

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.

I always wanted to be an independent maverick, writing plays and putting them on myself.

Stand-up comedy is all you. It's your show, it's your game. You control every aspect of it - of that experience and that expression. There's really nothing quite as satisfying.

The way I define what I do is, basically, I do whatever I want.

I don't consider myself a comedian because I don't really concern myself too much with jokes.

To be given the reins of creativity is a beautiful thing when you're used to just showing up to a casting and standing there having clothes put on you.

All I know how to do is take what's on my mind and spit it out funny. I don't know what else I could do besides comedy.

It was very important to me that I be my own person. That's why I chose show business.

Acting is a job of permission. Someone has to give you permission to do it. But I have started to be like, 'I only want to do things that I want to do,' and writing has afforded me the luxury.

When you play with Miles, you are on your own, and then it's you who decides what to contribute.

No one controlled Frank Sinatra or told him how to sing. No secret group of managers has been telling someone like Jay-Z what to do or how to look. And no one tells me what to do except me and the people who believe in me.