--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it's just the voice, then you can only…" description: "\"If it's just the voice, then you can only do jokes. It's not really even about the impression so much. It's about the take and what you do with the per..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/frank-caliendo-27910_character_if-it-s-just-the-voice-then-you-can-only_1109352.jpg" --- # If it's just the voice, then you can only do jokes. It's… ![“If it's just the voice, then you can only do jokes. It's not really even about the impression so much. It's about the take and what you do with the person. I try to get a character across with the impression.” quote by Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/frank-caliendo-27910_character_if-it-s-just-the-voice-then-you-can-only_1109352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/frank-caliendo-27910_character_if-it-s-just-the-voice-then-you-can-only_1109352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/frank-caliendo-27910_character_if-it-s-just-the-voice-then-you-can-only_1109352.jpg) > “If it's just the voice, then you can only do jokes. It's not really even about the impression so much. It's about the take and what you do with the person. I try to get a character across with the impression.” [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective comedy relies on character depth, not just vocal imitation; the impression shapes the joke. **In simple terms:** Comedy needs character, not just voice. Key Takeaway Focus on character traits to enhance humor. Themes comedy performance characterization Mood playful analytical Type educational entertaining When to use this quote - stand‑up routines - improv workshops - character study Key Concepts impressionism storytelling timing Questions to Reflect On - How does character inform your comedic timing? - What non‑verbal cues strengthen your impression? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on voice can make jokes feel shallow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [They see us interacting with people, they see us doing serious interviews, they see us having fun, and when you're conversing with someone, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-couric/they-see-us-interacting-with-people-they-see-us-doing-serious/) [Katie Couric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-couric/) > [Sometimes I'll read an audition and I'll get a very strong first impression about who the person is, and I usually go with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-bauer-van-straten/sometimes-i-ll-read-an-audition-and-i-ll-get-a-very-strong-first/) [Kristin Bauer van Straten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-bauer-van-straten/) > [Sometimes we spend more efforts with people that are strangers in terms of making an impression than the person that's closest to us. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/sometimes-we-spend-more-efforts-with-people-that-are-strangers-in/) [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) > [I usually experiment with posture and physical attributes that may inform the character. Next, my impression gets a nice injection of inspiration when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-pinkham/i-usually-experiment-with-posture-and-physical-attributes-that-may/) [Bryce Pinkham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-pinkham/) > [Costume, hair and makeup can tell you instantly, or at least give you a larger perception of who a character is. It's the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-atwood/costume-hair-and-makeup-can-tell-you-instantly-or-at-least-give-you-a/) [Colleen Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-atwood/) > [Ultimate Warrior was a character who made an impression on people. It was his intensity, his colorfulness, but also, Warrior as an identity means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-ultimate-warrior/ultimate-warrior-was-a-character-who-made-an-impression-on-people-it/) [The Ultimate Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-ultimate-warrior/) > [“So my first impression, that he was a person of some undefined consequence, had gradually faded and he had become simply the proprietor of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/so-my-first-impression-that-he-was-a-person-of-some-undefined/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Every impression ever made on a person from newborn babyhood onwards will contribute to the shape and texture of the imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-glaister/every-impression-ever-made-on-a-person-from-newborn-babyhood-onwards/) Lesley Glaister > [“Sometimes I feel I’m just doing a poor impression of a person. Maybe I feel this way because I have no money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/sometimes-i-feel-i-m-just-doing-a-poor-impression-of-a-person-maybe-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Often he had the impression that the person answering questions from the scratchy armchair was a dummy he was controlling, that this had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/often-he-had-the-impression-that-the-person-answering-questions-from/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [The first meeting imprints 70% of the impression that one has of a person on his mind. Thus, one should treat a person as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-al-arifi/the-first-meeting-imprints-70-of-the-impression-that-one-has-of-a/) [Dr Al-Arifi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-al-arifi/) > [I don't really approach stories to make them different from other stuff I've seen, I just try to get into the character, into his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-raimi/i-don-t-really-approach-stories-to-make-them-different-from-other/) [Sam Raimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-raimi/) > [Ideally, you end up going to auditions not because you want a job but because you want to try out a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/ideally-you-end-up-going-to-auditions-not-because-you-want-a-job-but/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [When you shoot a film, you have very little time to waste, and I try to go into the character as soon as possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demian-bichir/when-you-shoot-a-film-you-have-very-little-time-to-waste-and-i-try-to/) [Demian Bichir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demian-bichir/) > [I'll try to find a character or a story that is different from those I've done before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shin-min-a/i-ll-try-to-find-a-character-or-a-story-that-is-different-from-those/) [Shin Min-a](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shin-min-a/) ## More by Frank Caliendo > [People expect me to do the classics, and it is a lot like playing a favorite song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/people-expect-me-to-do-the-classics-and-it-is-a-lot-like-playing-a/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [I love President Bush. I think it's great we have a president who always looks like he's looking directly into the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/i-love-president-bush-i-think-it-s-great-we-have-a-president-who/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [Speaking of Quarterback nicknames, you hear they're calling Jay Cutler 50 cent? Because you only get two quarters out of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/speaking-of-quarterback-nicknames-you-hear-they-re-calling-jay-cutler/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [I chose Journalism by default. I always loved TV, and I had no idea what else to do, so I studied what interested me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/i-chose-journalism-by-default-i-always-loved-tv-and-i-had-no-idea/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [I made the grandkids laugh. John Madden finally liked me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/i-made-the-grandkids-laugh-john-madden-finally-liked-me/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [Everything is awesome... Everything is cool when you're a part of a team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/everything-is-awesome-everything-is-cool-when-you-re-a-part-of-a-team/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [I love John Madden, because he makes me feel smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/i-love-john-madden-because-he-makes-me-feel-smart/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [Here's a guy that when he puts his contacts in, he can see better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/here-s-a-guy-that-when-he-puts-his-contacts-in-he-can-see-better/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [I don't know if you can tell, but I grew up watching a lot of television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/i-don-t-know-if-you-can-tell-but-i-grew-up-watching-a-lot-of/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [Guy on the plane I'm on has a text alert that sounds like a gunshot... And he isn't putting it on vibrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/guy-on-the-plane-i-m-on-has-a-text-alert-that-sounds-like-a-gunshot/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [I was always working, so I would get reading done very late at night a lot of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/i-was-always-working-so-i-would-get-reading-done-very-late-at-night-a/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [Hey, I work one full hour a day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/hey-i-work-one-full-hour-a-day/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [You know what I would do? I would remake The Wizard of Oz with Robin Williams, and that's it. Just let him do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/you-know-what-i-would-do-i-would-remake-the-wizard-of-oz-with-robin/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [Remember: Super Bowl is the biggest day of the year for pizza delivery - so no matter what happens in the game, Peyton Manning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/remember-super-bowl-is-the-biggest-day-of-the-year-for-pizza-delivery/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) > [Jay Leno's the only guy on earth who could have a bobble head made of him that would bobble less than his actual head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-caliendo/jay-leno-s-the-only-guy-on-earth-who-could-have-a-bobble-head-made-of/) [Frank Caliendo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) [Explore all 20 Frank Caliendo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-caliendo/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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