Michael Palin Quotes

For the Oscars, I had a speech in my hand, and I just knew if I opened the piece of paper, I was going to be unable to read it. So I just thought, 'I'm going to say, as coherently as I can, whatever I can.'

I talk too quiet, and I have to yell on stage.

Even though I've got quite a bit of singing experience, I still get nervous when stretchin' my pipes.

I went through voice coaching. I was absolutely terrified. I thought my knees were going to buckle, and the first couple of takes I sounded like a pubescent boy. I didn't realise I was going to have to do it live.

Although I was entirely relaxed on camera, if I had to stand up and say something to an assembled group of people, I was rendered all but inarticulate.

The first night you walk down to a comedy club, at least for me, I had my voice, and then I went on stage and I lost it.

I think my worst nightmare is standing up in front of a group of people.

There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.

Ninety percent of people's nightmares is standing in front of 1,000 people. Did you know that? And having to speak. You would have thought it would have been a madman tying you up and taking your eyes out.

But I also know in standup, there's nowhere to hide. You get on stage and you deliver, or you are eviscerated and you are thrown into a pile of bodies at the bottom of a mountain.

The first time I got up in front of an audience was terror, abject terror, which continued for another four or five years. There still is, a little bit.

I'm never quite as excited as people think because with my voice, when I shout, I squeak.

I expect if you're a professional public speaker, you probably wouldn't want to go onstage and sing and play drums.

I am not a good cue card reader.

For me, when I did 'Thor,' they changed my lines at the last minute, and then I had to speak with an English accent - and it was horrifying. I was in front of a crew of 250 people on my first day - never happened to me before.

Preachers prepare with this fear: 'Am I going to be able to fill the time?' The audience never worries about that.

The complaint with me being on stage was always that I was slightly too naturalistic and not projecting enough. I've got quite a soft voice, so that didn't help.

I'm terrible at speaking extemporaneously about my work - I get completely tongue-tied and consumed with fear.

It's always nerve-wracking when you're hosting 'Saturday Night Live.' You either sink or swim.

I'm terrified by speaking in front of people!

I do still get extremely nervous before speeches. My biggest fear is that I'll be standing there in front of hundreds of people and be incapable of talking. I'm afraid that I'll make a complete fool of myself and be unable to go on.

I wasn't exactly uncomfortable when I did my first comedy. I was just very aware of the risks; if you do a comedy that sucks, and you suck in it, then you won't get a chance to do it again.

I can't stand up in front of people. It just fills me with horror.

I was really awful at auditions. There's something about sitting down and saying into the camera: 'I'm Nina and this is the name of my agent.' That makes me just die inside.

If I have to speak in public, I am terrified.