Comedy is tragedy plus time, but the time is different for everybody. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
The one thing you're most reluctant to tell. That's where the comedy is. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I feel like we can prove in real time the old trope that comedy is tragedy plus time. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
What I really need is a woman who loves me for my money but doesn't understand math. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I think Mitch Hedberg is one of the great comedians of the past 20 years. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I find my fans are really funny people. Most comedians can't say that about their fans. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
Over the years, I managed to develop this comedy career, went from opening act to headliner at comedy clubs, to playing concert… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
Sometimes you'll have a heckler who's actually attempting to be supportive, but you don't realize it. Their way of expressing it is… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
The Comedy Central CDs combined with the TV specials are what led to my stuff being traded and passed around, and a… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
Every comedian comes to a fork in the road where they have to decide if they're going to make jokes about other… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
When I was in high school I saw Steven Wright, a brilliant one-liner comedian, and I thought: 'That's what I should do;… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I think serious situations actually make for the best kind of belly laughs. But they're also the hardest to convert into comedy… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I struggled with that notion early in my career. 'I know this is funny but nobody is laughing.' This thought occurred for… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I shouldn't say bad things about the illiterate, though..I should write it. That way they won't find out. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
When I was in college my improvisation troupe and I did a road trip to Chicago, and went to The Second City… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
Eugene Mirman is the Andy Warhol of comedy. People look to him for what's next in comedy, and he emails these people… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I was completely unqualified to get into Harvard. But then I went to my interview for Harvard, and the woman asked, 'Why… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I've actually always wanted to write like a one-person show that was sort of a romantic comedy - a show that was… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I listened to this interview once with Jerry Seinfeld that really influenced my comedy and all of my writing, which is that… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I was a screenwriting major in college, and really wanted to do that after I graduated, but there are no job listings… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
When I was starting out, I thought I would go into comedy and there would be a mentor, like the Philip Seymour… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
As a comedian, you want people to like you. That's part of why you're there in the first place: You have this… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I think if anything, the fact that it's popular right now makes me go: "Well, I guess I'm going to start doing… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
Awkwardness and feeling alienated are always going to be a part of comedy. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
People come to my shows on purpose as opposed to coming to a 'comedy show.' Which was always my goal. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
The ability to workshop in stand-up comedy is incomparable to any art form, in my opinion. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
In some sense, Comedy Central has made their audience into comedy connoisseurs. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
Everything about starting out in comedy is pride-swallowing, from handing out fliers to bombing in front of audiences. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I drank the Kool-Aid of being a network star. Once it didn't happen, I realized it wasn't the best version of my… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
Sometimes when I do a joke and it doesn't get a lot of laughs, it kind of feels like I'm doing jazz.… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I think serious situations actually make for the best kind of belly laughs. But theyre also the hardest to convert into comedy… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
I gravitated toward stand-up because there's no overhead. I mean, literally, there's no overhead: Often, you're outdoors performing in front of groups… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
There are comedians who focus on everything that is external. They focus on politics and the news, what's going on in that… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share Image
So I went to a club the other day, which is timely because my self esteem had been hovering right around 'normal' and I… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
My writing process is very feedback-based. When I do stand-up, I listen to the audience. I try to understand what's connecting, what's not connecting,… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
I've actually always wanted to write like a one-person show that was sort of a romantic comedy - a show that was kind of… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
It's interesting how sleepwalking in a certain way becomes an accumulation of your outside stimuli that's actually there and what's happening in your brain. — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
I went to the doctor, and they found something in my bladder. And whenever they find something, it's never anything good like, "We found… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
Bears are simultaneously so graceful and so strong. Bears know who they are, but they often don’t know who you are, which is why… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
Once you start writing something obsessively, it's almost like someone has to rip it from your hands in order for you to put it… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
When I met my wife, I was a working comic, so the first week we went out, she saw me perform, and it was… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
I think because I've been working in front of audiences for so many years, I'm able to take in the input, good or bad,… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
Directing your first film is like showing up to the field trip in seventh grade, getting on the bus, and making an announcement, 'So… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
Media is so weird; everything is so accessible now. It used to be this thing where, if you did something on 'This American Life,'… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
As artists, we'd all love to not be commercial - to not sell out to the full extent that we are able. But you… — Mike Birbiglia Copy Share
