Greg Kinnear Quotes

I was in a play in elementary school and had to jump up and run away. I was nervous and tripped and fell down and everyone laughed. Their laughter made me relax, so I pretended it was part of the show.

I'm used to being in front of camera and knowing what to think. But if you're asking me to be me, I get very self-conscious. My job isn't to be me. Being an actor, people think you can do a eulogy at a funeral, a speech at a wedding. I find all that very nerve-racking.

I never used to tell jokes on stage. Now I'm cutting up jokes all night long.

I don't mind talking about acting. I don't have anything interesting to say about it, but it's interesting talking about it.

I've never really told jokes. I'm not good at it.

I'm not a standup. I don't really have jokes. I don't have 10 minutes. It took a while for me to realize this.

You've got to have a sense of different audiences. I'm a kind of performer manque - I come from a long line of failed actors!

I spent a lot of time taking acting lessons... Actors have no inhibitions, and I'm inhibited by everything. To be able to make fun of yourself is a skill and a liberating experience.

I told jokes badly.

I don't really do stand-up.

I had no desire to get up onstage and tell jokes. I prefer to stand next to really funny people.

Because I'm a good reader, I'm a confident actor.

I have a terrible problem with procrastination. A friend told me, "Well, you should go to therapy." And I thought about it, but then I said, "Wait a minute. Why should I pay a stranger to listen to me talk when I can get strangers to pay to listen to me talk?" And that's when I got the idea of touring.

The only thing I know how to do is be funny - that's it.

I started by doing a little funny story, and then I started going to open mics. I realized I had a lot of work to do - you have to get over the stage fright and get your stage presence up. It took me some time, but I finally feel that I'm at a point where I feel comfortable on stage and giving my point of view.

I really do like being on stage. Compared to television I have a lot more control - it's a lot more relaxed and loose.

I'm not very good when I'm given scripts.

I think sometimes you can think up a story, but it's because you're comfortable doing that, but when you're an actor, one of the things that you have to do is take yourself out of your comfort zone.

I've been entertaining since I was kid.

I'm not a natural comic, I don't think. That's why I gave up stand-up. It was hard. It involved a lot of death. Dying. Dying on stage. But it's one of those jobs you can only learn by doing it.

I started off doing theater as a kid, and I always played a character. I hid behind the script and was told where to go. But to actually perform as yourself is very difficult. I didn't used to enjoy it, but now I do.

I've always liked being on the performance end of it. I've come up with different ideas, but as far as being a creative writer, I'm not sure about that. I've always liked the performance end of it and wrestling, getting in the ring in front of a live crowd.

I couldn't tell a story if my life depended on it. I'm the world's worst joke-teller.

I don't do standup.

When I'm on stage, that's a job. It's acting, it's faking, just making fun of yourself, telling bad jokes - I'm pretty good in this - dancing, just to entertain.