Maura Tierney Quotes

A lot of the time, a comedy script is just dialogue, and that's the main thing you have to worry about.

Because Buffy really has become the straight man, every once in a while it's nice to be the one that tells the joke and it's nice to be the one that is the joke and it's nice to do something that's a little bit different.

I think, in comedy, you only hit about one or two great characters in your career. Sometimes my character will be just a sketch... what is the funniest situation to put this person in?

In comedy, though, it's good to get feedback from the audience about what they find funny.

Religion theme aside, most of the time I'm in some sort of comedy and I'm a straight man and it's really just, let's wind this guy up and see him explode.

If you're a comedian, you are looking for material in daily life.

I don't play comedy as comedy. That would be the biggest trap. I think about the characters and their situations. Then you don't have to worry where the laugh is going to be. But comedy is harder than drama.

A lot of the jokes had some build-up to some nasty stuff. But most of it was all character situations leading to what the ultimate payoff would be for that character.

I like to play the comic relief or parts that aren't necessarily comedic but that I can find the comedy in.

If you have a character that doesn't have anything wrong with him, there's nothing funny about it. The idea of the straight man is very important. But I'd rather it be somebody else, because it's not as fun.

I've committed myself to perfecting the art of the straight man. I try really hard not to crack up.

I once did a flip-flop joke in San Diego, and I got booed... but it's all in good fun.

Actually the hardest films to make are comedies. In normal life, funny things happen by accident; to re-create those by design in a film takes real technique.

Rob and I both have this strange sense of comedy which always involves us being the butt of our own jokes.

In a lot of comedy shows, there's a safety net where you don't assume anything of real consequence will happen.

I feel that I'm a stand-up comedian more than anything else, that's my job.

I took a stand-up comedy class because I'd always wanted to.

As the funny guy, the funny frat bro, any time I try out for that role, I get it. Like, I walk in and they're like, 'Yeah, you're it.'

I'd love to do a comedy - something where a character has to use humor to navigate the absurdities of life.

A comedy scene can't really have two weirdoes in it. It doesn't make any sense that way, so you need someone to ground it and call out what's unusual about this person and this scene. Early on, I got pretty good at doing that, and I felt pretty comfortable doing that.

Even writing a script which will be funny is not easy. To make the script come to life and make the audience laugh, I will call myself more of an actor if I am able to do that.

One joke coming from one person can land completely flat, while somebody else delivering it in a unique way can really elevate it.

I love to play humorous moments in dramatic shows. That's always the most fun: to keep the logic of the character in a show that's basically action-adventure and then play the comedy moments.

The audience has reacted well to my comic timing. But, I also have other aspects to my acting talent.

I think you're a comedian as soon as you start. I don't think there's a moment where you become a full comic.