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When I see friends from school I think they've all grown old and I've stayed the same.
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I did not become successful in my work through embracing or engaging in celebrity culture. I never signed away my privacy in exchange for success.
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I have never wanted to be famous, as such - fame is a by-product.
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I always find it easier to portray myself as being unlikeable and idiotic;
to actually play a character that is likeable and engages the audience is far more difficult. It's a more subtle kind of challenge.
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If you do something very successful, you will then be defined by it.
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When you see a crowd of people jumping up and down at a pop concert, all gloriously in the moment, I don't think you'll ever see a comedian there. They'll all be standing at the sides, looking at how it all fits together.
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People regurgitate the same old cliches and it becomes like a photocopy of a photocopy of something that's vaguely interesting.
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If you chase something too desperately, it eludes you.
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If you are a great dramatic actor then you often don't know if people are enjoying your stuff at all because they are sitting there in silence. But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny, people laugh. If it's not, they don't.
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When I was a student I was very, very ambitious, completely immersed in my comedy career. I never had that period of reckless hedonism that you should get out of your system in your youth.
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Actors say they do their own stunts for the integrity of the film but I did them because they looked like a lot of fun.
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As soon as I see period costume, I turn off. It's like hearing drama on Radio 4.
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If you start to disrespect the character you're playing, or play it too much for laughs, that can work for a sketch, it will sell some gags, but it's all technique. It's like watching a juggler - you can be impressed by it, but it's not going to touch you in any way.
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I've always been drawn to discomfort and that limbo of unease you get between comedy and tragedy. Making people laugh one moment and the next making them feel really uncomfortable.
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There is a strong ethical dimension to the best comedy.
Not only does it avoid reinforcing prejudices, it actively challenges them.