If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you open to my ideas — John Cleese Copy Share Image
All humour is critical, you know? You make stupid jokes. I mean, stupidity is an infirmity, isn't it? — John Cleese Copy Share Image
It's too difficult to start right from scratch and try and be funny out of the blue. — John Cleese Copy Share Image
A wonderful thing about true laughter is that it just destroys any kind of system of dividing people. — John Cleese Copy Share Image
I think we're all born with a sense of humor. Creativity is another thing though. — John Cleese Copy Share Image
I think that sometimes you do something that makes a small group of people laugh, which is all we were trying to… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
I think humor is incredibly positive, I think it is life advancing. There's medical research to show that it improves your antibodies.… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
A lot of humour is about just enjoying life and spontaneity and because you make a joke that puts somebody down -… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
I'm struck by how laughter connects you with people. It's almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas. And… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
When you've been doing comedy for forty years, you really do know most of the jokes. And even if you don't know… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
Michael Palin decided to give up on his considerable comedy talents to make those dreadfully tedious travel shows. Have you ever tried… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
Everything in comedy's got to be exactly right, which is why making a comedic film is kind of a difficult process, because,… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
I think you can write very good comedy without a partner, but what I love about it, working with a partner, is… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
I started to make harder jokes before anyone else did. And the producers would get anxious. They'd say, 'That's a little bit… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
“Solemnity, I don't know what it's for. I mean, what is the point of it? The two most beautiful memorial services that… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
The main evolutionary significance of humor is that it gets us from the closed mode to the open mode quicker than anything… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
When the target audience is American teenage kids, you can have problems. My generation prized really fine acting and writing. Sometimes you… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
When you do comedy in front of an audience, they are the ones who tell you whether it's funny or not and… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
By watching the great, old comedians I picked up a few tricks about how to do physical comedy. And whenever I could… — John Cleese Copy Share Image
Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. Because you know when you do the take… — John Cleese Copy Share
years ago we would have been burned for this. Now what I am suggesting is that we've advanced. — John Cleese Copy Share
I think that sometimes you do something that makes a small group of people laugh, which is all we were trying to do; we… — John Cleese Copy Share
The very essence of playfulness is an openness to anything that may happen, the feeling that whatever happens, it's okay... you're either free to… — John Cleese Copy Share
Loving your neighbour as much as yourself is practically bloody impossible? You might as well have a commandment that states,'Thou shalt fly'. — John Cleese Copy Share
Creativity is not the possession of some special talent. It’s about the willingness to play. — John Cleese Copy Share
England is a fairly envious little country and it's embodied in the press. They don't like anyone being more distinguished than they are. — John Cleese Copy Share
I used to desire many, many things, but now I have just one desire, and that's to get rid of all my other desires. — John Cleese Copy Share
I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't have the… — John Cleese Copy Share
I wish you wusses would stop whining about your unhappiness. I'm really fed up with it. Pour yourself a scotch and pull yourself together.… — John Cleese Copy Share
On movies, I like to involve the cast in the writing of the script. I like to have a rehearsal period, after which I… — John Cleese Copy Share
I had a very, very difficult relationship with my mother, who was supremely self-centred. She was hilariously self-centred. She did not really take interest… — John Cleese Copy Share
Nothing will stop you being creative more effectively as the fear of making a mistake. — John Cleese Copy Share
I was very sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker, who was such a warm, friendly and encouraging presence to have when… — John Cleese Copy Share
