Henny Youngman Quotes

I never worry about people not taking my work seriously as a result of the humor. In the end, the comic's best trick is the illusion that comedy is effortless. That people imagine what he's doing is easy is an occupational hazard.

The violence or the vaudeville style of comedy is a technique all by itself. You get up there, and you are a comedian, and you're doing one thing. That is, you're going to make the audience laugh.

You can't just yell jokes at people.

For me, stand-up comedy is a conversation between me and the audience. I have to keep them listening. When I'm making jokes about cake for twenty minutes, I have to make sure my audience is interested and following where I'm going.

Everyone tells me I need to do comedy. It's never something that crossed my mind, but to be able to do a true comedy and make people laugh, that would be great.

I don't like comedians who don't have conviction, and with stand-up, it is always best to have an angle.

Your number one job as a comedian is to be aware. You're supposed to understand the temperature in the room more than anyone on the planet - that's the whole craft of comedy.

Rhythm and timing are so important in comedic acting.

All I care about is making jokes that are funny and making people laugh.

Any time you can build jokes around a story that resonates on an emotional level, it is going to have a big impact.

I'd rather try and cram in another two gags than leave a pause to say, 'Hey, wasn't that bit funny?'

To deliver something deadpan is very difficult; I don't think people know how hard those jokes are.

I love the Comedy Cellar. The audience has no expectations because they don't know me. It's great. It's only winning - if I bomb, they just say, 'Oh, the French guy sucks.' But if I do well, then they remember me.

Stand-up comedians have a very important relationship to Twitter. For them, it's a place to try out material.

I always knew I was quite good at getting laughs. At school, I loved having a ready audience if I made a cheeky remark.

I do enjoy Dennis Miller, I do enjoy Chris Rock when they do their political humor, but it's never been my goal... I love relatable humor.

Everyone knows the feeling where you're in the pub and you make your mates laugh. It's awesome, you feel like you rock. That's what comedians want with a bit of extra ego.

The thing with the comedian is you can make all the jokes you want and not every joke it going to be a winner, and not every joke is going to land, there'll be some that somebody doesn't laugh at, but that's just part of the deal.

You can't teach standup comedy. You can teach someone how to formulate a joke, but making it funny is different.

A mimicry artiste should be spontaneous and he should be able to crack jokes on the spot.

I use mother-in-law jokes, kid jokes, tax jokes - anything that works.

As a comedian, frankly, I don't care that much about bad jokes.

As a comic, you are trying to please people in some way - to make them laugh.

I don't have any writers. I never get a laugh with somebody else's jokes. I can't do it justice.

Just to talk in front of people is scary. And now you gotta learn how to be funny, and now you gotta learn how to make people laugh at what you think is funny. That's not easy.