Zitat des Tages von Fred Willard:
I never got any advice in acting.
When I started, there was a phase where I wanted to be a cowboy star. I didn't want to do deep, serious parts.
I think everyone has a door in their brain that says, 'Do not exit here.' If you go past it, you'll find all the dumb thoughts in there, all the stupid things that shouldn't be said. I've probably gone there more than anyone should in a given lifetime.
Comedy is harder, because if there's no laughs, it's pretty bad. But drama, if there's no reaction, you can say, 'Well, it's not their cup of tea. Maybe it's too heavy for the audience.'
There's different kinds of improv. There's Second City improv where you try to slowly build a nice sketch. There's stuff you do in college coffee houses where you just go joke, joke, joke. Bring another funny character with a funny hat on his head. Christopher Guest is more the line of trying to get a story out.
I did a show called 'Lois & Clark' - it was about Superman - years ago. They wanted someone to play the president of the United States. The plot was the president got kidnapped by a group, and they made a clone of him, who was very irresponsible and silly.
I think my wife saw a picture of the rock group Journey, and they're kind of aging, and the one guy had dyed blonde hair with black roots, and... my idea was to get a little earring, I wanted to have a dangling earring.
I saw the 'Wizard of Oz' recently and realized that, all my life, I thought they were real monkeys with wings. That's how scary that movie was for me.
I just admire everybody and sit in awe and watch them.
I think if you have a funny thought, and you want to get off a funny point, try to do it as realistically as you can. If you try to act it funny and accent the funny points, or do it in a funny style, you kind of lose it.
I always loved comedy growing up - Bob Hope, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye.
After working with Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, and Jonathan Mangum, I said, 'I am never going to talk about improv again.'
I have always been more relaxed around comedy.
I don't know why my lines that were cut from the film didn't make it onto the DVD. I have offered to go into the editing room with Christopher and work shoulder to shoulder with him to fit all my lines in. I think he thinks I'm kidding. I'm only trying to help.
That's always a funny thing, when people think they're known for every little thing they ever did, and they're really not.
Suddenly you're like a pirate, you're 65 years old and you've got an earring.
I'll talk your ear off if you recognize me.
It's more fun in a way to do ensemble scenes, where you know your background, you know the scene, but you can't prepare because someone else is going to say something that is going to lead you off.
All America is familiar with the Yankee-Dodger-Giant trivia, but so many other teams had great moments.
Cleveland is my hometown, and the Indians have a narrow but rich history.
One of the great things about kids is they haven't heard a lot of the old jokes. You can get away with the corny ones.
If you're a cheerleader, people see you. If you're a mascot, you're just helping out.
Someone I've always admired is Catherine O'Hara... I think she's one of the best actresses in the country, not only comedy. I just think she's just a step aside from everybody, she's just wonderful.
It's not a bad typecast: the goofy guy.
Comedy relieves you. A lot of times, we think we're the only people bothered by certain things. Then you hear a comic say, 'Don't you hate it when...' And it's, 'Oh, my God! Of course!'
Because I started my career in improv, performing with Second City and the Ace Trucking Company, I always enjoy being in situations where - as an actor - you have to think fast & be light on your feet.
I've always wanted to be on a soap opera.
'Fernwood 2-Night' didn't help me too much when it was first on.
The witch in 'Snow White' is a very scary image.
When we need a policeman, God bless 'em, they're there. But, if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, everything seems suspicious.
Tobe Hooper - he did my favorite horror movie, 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre.' It's still one of my favorite horror films.
My stepfather was a military man: he was in the Air Force. Reserve. You thought he'd seen front-line action, but he was stationed in Cleveland.
I've found over the years that for some reason, people either are big fans and have to use me, or they don't quite understand what I'm doing.
Martin Landau in 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' - he gave me chills.
If I have to play an obnoxious character, try to find a redeeming feature of him. The most obnoxious people in the world were people, and they had had a reason for doing what they did. So you try to find that and let the obnoxiousness come out.
It's such a pleasure to work in these movies, it's almost like it's not really happening.