Robin Williams Quotes

I don't really like doing big stand-up. Whenever I do theaters, I don't like 'em. I don't think they're right for stand-up. I've seen people in theaters, and it just doesn't work, because you're talking to the guy next to you the whole time.

I wanted to make a living, but I really was not interested in money at all. I was interested in being a great comedian.

It takes many years to be a great comedian.

I have performed my one-man show '700 Sundays' over 400 times now. There were only two times that I can honestly say I was nervous. The first was when I knew Mel Brooks was in the audience, and the second was when Sid Caesar came.

I started comedy in 2006. I didn't even think it was a thing I could do.

I feel like every time I go out, I want to do a good job. I want people to say that he's just as good at stand-up as he is in some of the movies I've seen him in, so I try to do the best every time I go out there.

Stand-up, for me, is really more of an addiction, so you have to feed the beast whenever you can.

I'm probably more of a stand-up comedian than an actor.

I will always do stand-up, even if my acting career takes off. Stand-up is my life.

When you're a stand-up, you play in front of 600 people, and it's all about timing. I could never do stand-up comedy; it would be way too hard for me.

I do love live performing, but I'm not a stand-up naturally, and I don't like the lifestyle of working just in the evenings at clubs and stuff - not a natural gig-er.

Stand-up keeps you alive. It is definitely the most specialized field in comedy because you need to stay sharp and well-tuned every night.

I had no desire to be a stand-up comic until I decided to do it.

After I got my first laugh on stage, I was hooked.

I was a failed actor but I still wanted to show off, so I ended up doing live comedy.

The only way to stay sharp is to do live shows. There is no part-time comedy.

I didn't know if I could be funny on stage or write a joke. But I saw that there are no rules. If you're funny offstage, you can figure out a way to be funny onstage.

I think I probably would have gone into stand-up.

With stand-up you can just be yourself on stage. And ideally, you can't see the crowd most of the time - it's just lights in your face. But I still have had terrible stage fright.

I was inspired by people telling me I should be a comedian. I tried it and had a really good first set, so I was like, 'OK, I'll do this forever'.

I loved stand-up, but I never thought you could do it as a job.

I've got too much respect for stand-ups to call myself one.

I was born to do sitcoms, where you get an immediate response from the audience.

You get very comfortable doing the open mic circuit, turning up to the same places and playing to 20 people. In that situation, it won't matter if you aren't great on that night because no one will really remember who you are. Then suddenly you are doing rooms to 400 people and you have to up your game.

Just me onstage with a mike having an intimate relationship with the audience. I don't get nervous for that. I just get excited.