--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I set out to be a cross between Lenny…" description: "\"I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce.\" — Billy Connolly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/billy-connolly-2412_bruce_i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-br_2695400.png" --- # I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the… ![“I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce.” quote by Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/billy-connolly-2412_bruce_i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-br_2695400.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/billy-connolly-2412_bruce_i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-br_2695400.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/billy-connolly-2412_bruce_i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-br_2695400.png) > “I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce.” [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Aims to blend the wit of Lenny Bruce with the regal spirit of Robert the Bruce. **In simple terms:** I want to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce. Key Takeaway Combine humor with bold, heroic expression. Themes comedy historical reference personal ambition Mood humorous inspirational Type entertainment personal When to use this quote - stage performance - writing material - public speaking Key Concepts satire heroism identity Questions to Reflect On - How can humor honor serious subjects? - What defines your unique comedic voice? A Different Perspective Balancing satire with reverence can be tricky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bruce/) [Bruce Robert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bruce-robert-2690996/) [Cross Lenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross-lenny-2690994/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lenny-bruce/) [Malfunction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malfunction/) [Robert Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robert-bruce-2117922/) ## Related quotes > [I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce - my main thrust was the body and its functions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-bruce-and-robert-the-bruce-my/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [“I am the William Wallace of love. Wait, no I’m not, I’m the Robert the Bruce.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-the-william-wallace-of-love-wait-no-i-m-not-i-m-the-robert-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I’m the Robert the Bruce of Bruces. I’m also the Robert the Bruce of Roberts. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-the-robert-the-bruce-of-bruces-i-m-also-the-robert-the-bruce-of/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [When I was younger, I listened to the greats: Winters, Mel and Carl, Nichols and May, Pryor, Carlin, Klein, Berman and lots of Lenny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lewis/when-i-was-younger-i-listened-to-the-greats-winters-mel-and-carl/) [Richard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lewis/) > [I'm not a comedian. I'm Lenny Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-m-not-a-comedian-i-m-lenny-bruce/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [In my opinion, Lenny Bruce was more of an influence on Zappa's satirical lyric's than anyone that I know of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carl-black/in-my-opinion-lenny-bruce-was-more-of-an-influence-on-zappa-s/) [Jimmy Carl Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carl-black/) > [When I first started out, 'Time' magazine did an article on what it called 'the sick comics,' and they were myself, Shelley Berman, Nichols…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/when-i-first-started-out-time-magazine-did-an-article-on-what-it/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [Bill Maher fancies himself the reincarnation of Lenny Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-goldberg/bill-maher-fancies-himself-the-reincarnation-of-lenny-bruce/) [Bernard Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-goldberg/) > [My influences were Woody Allen and Lenny Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steinberg/my-influences-were-woody-allen-and-lenny-bruce/) [David Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steinberg/) > [On the comedy side of what I love as a filmmaker are Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, and Eddie Murphy; those are my favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dobkin/on-the-comedy-side-of-what-i-love-as-a-filmmaker-are-richard-pryor/) [David Dobkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dobkin/) > [Any comic like myself owes everything he has to Lenny Bruce. He was the originator. The godfather of uncensored American stand-up is clearly Lenny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/any-comic-like-myself-owes-everything-he-has-to-lenny-bruce-he-was/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [I was about 12 when I heard my first Lenny Bruce record. He was already dead. But it changed my life and really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-was-about-12-when-i-heard-my-first-lenny-bruce-record-he-was/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [One of my greatest inspirations for stand-up was Jonathan Winters. He was a genius. One thing about him, and also Lenny Bruce, is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/one-of-my-greatest-inspirations-for-stand-up-was-jonathan-winters-he/) [Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/) > [But the only comparison that I want to Lenny Bruce is that I'm funny. I'm Freddie Prinze, Puerto Rican all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-prinze/but-the-only-comparison-that-i-want-to-lenny-bruce-is-that-i-m-funny/) [Freddie Prinze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-prinze/) > [When I was 16 or 17, I saw Lenny Bruce being taken to jail. They took him off stage because he talked about race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mooney/when-i-was-16-or-17-i-saw-lenny-bruce-being-taken-to-jail-they-took/) [Paul Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mooney/) ## More by Billy Connolly > [Ally MacLeod thinks that tactics are a new kind of mint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/ally-macleod-thinks-that-tactics-are-a-new-kind-of-mint/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [I've been a poser for f--ing years. I say, pose your arse off. You know, have a laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-ve-been-a-poser-for-f-ing-years-i-say-pose-your-arse-off-you-know/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [Heckling is an act of cowardice. If you want to speak, get up in front of the microphone and speak, don't sit in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/heckling-is-an-act-of-cowardice-if-you-want-to-speak-get-up-in-front/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [I don't believe in angels and I have trouble with the whole God thing. I don't want to say I don't believe in God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-don-t-believe-in-angels-and-i-have-trouble-with-the-whole-god-thing/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [I think my securities far outweigh my insecurities. I am not nearly as afraid of myself and my imagination as I used to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-think-my-securities-far-outweigh-my-insecurities-i-am-not-nearly-as/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [People die all the time. It's just that you're not around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/people-die-all-the-time-it-s-just-that-you-re-not-around/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [I loved Japan. I used to read a lot about it when I was a child. And I always wanted to go. And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-loved-japan-i-used-to-read-a-lot-about-it-when-i-was-a-child-and-i/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [Life is supposed to be fun. It's not a job or occupation. We're here only once and we should have a bit of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/life-is-supposed-to-be-fun-it-s-not-a-job-or-occupation-we-re-here/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [I'm famous for my bottom dances, but you'll only see my bum and willy if you raise a million pounds within an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-m-famous-for-my-bottom-dances-but-you-ll-only-see-my-bum-and-willy/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [Don't buy one of those baby intercoms. Babies pretend to be dead. They're bastards, and they do it on purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/don-t-buy-one-of-those-baby-intercoms-babies-pretend-to-be-dead-they/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [Politically correct is the language of cowardice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/politically-correct-is-the-language-of-cowardice/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [I think of my life as a series of moments and I've found that the great moments often don't have too much to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-think-of-my-life-as-a-series-of-moments-and-i-ve-found-that-the/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [And then there was my mate who'd just been fitted with a brand new hearing aid. "It's the best in the world", he said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/and-then-there-was-my-mate-who-d-just-been-fitted-with-a-brand-new/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [So, have you heard about the oyster who went to a disco and pulled a mussel?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/so-have-you-heard-about-the-oyster-who-went-to-a-disco-and-pulled-a/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [Chic Murray once told me he fell in the street, and a woman said to him, "Did you fall?" He said, "No, I'm tryin'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/chic-murray-once-told-me-he-fell-in-the-street-and-a-woman-said-to/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) [Explore all 167 Billy Connolly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) ## More Bruce quotes > [What was Bruce Lee like? How did you meet? What was it like to choreograph the fight scene in Rome with him? Did you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/what-was-bruce-lee-like-how-did-you-meet-what-was-it-like-to/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) > [I completely accept, respect, and support Caitlyn, but I must admit, I sometimes miss Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thompson/i-completely-accept-respect-and-support-caitlyn-but-i-must-admit-i/) [Linda Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thompson/) > [Bill Maher fancies himself the reincarnation of Lenny Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-goldberg/bill-maher-fancies-himself-the-reincarnation-of-lenny-bruce/) [Bernard Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-goldberg/) > [I way prefer Jackie Chan films to Bruce Lee films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-evans/i-way-prefer-jackie-chan-films-to-bruce-lee-films/) [Gareth Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-evans/) > [Sir Alex, Mourinho, Wenger - none of them could have done a better job at Wigan than Steve Bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-martin/sir-alex-mourinho-wenger-none-of-them-could-have-done-a-better-job-at/) [Alvin Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-martin/) > [William Atherton has a very different acting style to Bonnie Bedelia; she has a very different style than Bruce Willis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/william-atherton-has-a-very-different-acting-style-to-bonnie-bedelia/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I would say, from an all-around point of view, Bruce Springsteen is one of the two great poet lords of America, Bob Dylan, coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-davis/i-would-say-from-an-all-around-point-of-view-bruce-springsteen-is-one/) [Clive Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-davis/) > [I remember when I was a kid, I'd watch 'Kung Fu Theater' on TV, and all the movies would star guys named things like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-lin/i-remember-when-i-was-a-kid-i-d-watch-kung-fu-theater-on-tv-and-all/) [Justin Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-lin/) > [I certainly look at them very differently now, and enjoy Jackie Chan movies and movies like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiaki-kuriyama/i-certainly-look-at-them-very-differently-now-and-enjoy-jackie-chan/) [Chiaki Kuriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiaki-kuriyama/) > [Steve Bruce is like a cat on hot tin bricks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-martin/steve-bruce-is-like-a-cat-on-hot-tin-bricks/) [Alvin Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-martin/) > [Something happened when I was in elementary school. A Disney artist named Bruce McIntyre retired, and he had done drawings for 'Pinocchio' and 'Snow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-stromberg/something-happened-when-i-was-in-elementary-school-a-disney-artist/) [Robert Stromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-stromberg/) > [My dad's weekend treat to me as a kid would be to get me the latest Jackie Chan or some old Bruce Lee classic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-evans/my-dad-s-weekend-treat-to-me-as-a-kid-would-be-to-get-me-the-latest/) [Gareth Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-evans/) > [Bruce Lee was an artist and, like him, I try to go beyond the fundamentals of my sport. I want the public to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-leonard/bruce-lee-was-an-artist-and-like-him-i-try-to-go-beyond-the/) [Sugar Ray Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-leonard/) > [If Mr. Chan ever makes another movie like 'The Tuxedo,' it's American audiences that will see him in court. With 'Shanghai Knights,' he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/if-mr-chan-ever-makes-another-movie-like-the-tuxedo-it-s-american/) [Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/) > [My name is Bruce Feiler, and I'm an explainaholic. I first heard this word used to describe Isaac Asimov, and I knew instantly that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/my-name-is-bruce-feiler-and-i-m-an-explainaholic-i-first-heard-this/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) [Browse all 221 Bruce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bruce/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Billy Connolly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-bruce-and-robert-the-bruce/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bruce" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-bruce-and-robert-the-bruce/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/billy-connolly-2412_bruce_i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-br_2695400.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/billy-connolly-2412_bruce_i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-br_2695400.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/billy-connolly-2412_bruce_i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-br_2695400.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I set out to be a cross between Lenny Bruce and Robert the Bruce.” — Billy Connolly", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Billy Connolly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I set out to be a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-bruce-and-robert-the-bruce/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/i-set-out-to-be-a-cross-between-lenny-bruce-and-robert-the-bruce/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```