--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: comedy ... is much harder to do than…" description: "\"comedy ... is much harder to do than drama. It's not true that laugh and the world laughs with you. It's very hard to make a group of people laugh at t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98f/glenda-jackson-10384_acting_comedy-is-much-harder-to-do-than-drama-i_2645069.jpg" --- # comedy ... is much harder to do than drama. It's not true… ![“comedy ... is much harder to do than drama. It's not true that laugh and the world laughs with you. It's very hard to make a group of people laugh at the same thing; much easier to make them cry at the same thing. ... That's why great comic acting is probably the greatest acting there is.” quote by Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98f/glenda-jackson-10384_acting_comedy-is-much-harder-to-do-than-drama-i_2645069.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98f/glenda-jackson-10384_acting_comedy-is-much-harder-to-do-than-drama-i_2645069.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98f/glenda-jackson-10384_acting_comedy-is-much-harder-to-do-than-drama-i_2645069.jpg) > “comedy ... is much harder to do than drama. It's not true that laugh and the world laughs with you. It's very hard to make a group of people laugh at the same thing; much easier to make them cry at the same thing. ... That's why great comic acting is probably the greatest acting there is.” [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy is more difficult than drama because making many laugh together is harder than evoking shared tears. **In simple terms:** Comedy is harder than drama. Key Takeaway Practice timing and shared humor. Themes comedy drama challenge Mood thoughtful analytical Type opinion critical When to use this quote - stand‑up - theatre - film production Key Concepts performance arts emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - Why is laughter harder to synchronize? - Can drama be as impactful as comedy? A Different Perspective Audience tastes vary, making universal humor elusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-harder-261289/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Comic Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-acting-1843695/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder/) [Harder Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder-drama-261290/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I have done much more dramatic work than comedic work, but I think comedy is harder than drama in a way. I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-have-done-much-more-dramatic-work-than-comedic-work-but-i-think/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [I love comedy but I also enjoy drama. 'They' do say comedy is harder than drama, but I don't think about it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krysten-ritter/i-love-comedy-but-i-also-enjoy-drama-they-do-say-comedy-is-harder/) [Krysten Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krysten-ritter/) > [ Comedy is harder than drama, because with comedy you're expecting a result..you make them laugh. \[If\] they ain't laughing then you're screwed. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/comedy-is-harder-than-drama-because-with-comedy-you-re-expecting-a/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [I don't understand why people think it's harder to do drama than it is to do comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-mann/i-don-t-understand-why-people-think-it-s-harder-to-do-drama-than-it/) [Leslie Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-mann/) > [Drama is easier to do because you just have to have the emotion and not get caught acting, but comedy is much harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/drama-is-easier-to-do-because-you-just-have-to-have-the-emotion-and/) [Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/) > [Comedy is much harder, it's a lot more exacting. You can't just be real and you can't just use the same kind of techniques…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/comedy-is-much-harder-it-s-a-lot-more-exacting-you-can-t-just-be-real/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [When I left drama school, my fear was that I'd get pigeon holed into comic acting and I did so much to counter it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-sewell/when-i-left-drama-school-my-fear-was-that-i-d-get-pigeon-holed-into/) [Rufus Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-sewell/) > [When I was a kid, I wanted to be serious, like Daniel Day-Lewis. No one really dreams of being a comic actor, do they?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-dowd/when-i-was-a-kid-i-wanted-to-be-serious-like-daniel-day-lewis-no-one/) [Chris O'Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-dowd/) > [I see myself as a comic but the acting helps sell tickets for gigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-davies/i-see-myself-as-a-comic-but-the-acting-helps-sell-tickets-for-gigs/) [Alan Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-davies/) > [I don't make much distinction between being a stand-up comic and acting Shakespeare - in fact, unless you're a good comedian, you're never going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-don-t-make-much-distinction-between-being-a-stand-up-comic-and/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I think people who can do comedy well don't get enough credit. It can be harder than drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/i-think-people-who-can-do-comedy-well-don-t-get-enough-credit-it-can/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [Comedy is so hard; it's so much harder than drama. The pacing of it, the energy of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lucas/comedy-is-so-hard-it-s-so-much-harder-than-drama-the-pacing-of-it-the/) [Josh Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lucas/) > [Comedy is hard to do, and I don't know why it doesn't have its own category in awards. I don't understand why people think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-mann/comedy-is-hard-to-do-and-i-don-t-know-why-it-doesn-t-have-its-own/) [Leslie Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-mann/) > [Comedy is harder, because if there's no laughs, it's pretty bad. But drama, if there's no reaction, you can say, 'Well, it's not their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-willard/comedy-is-harder-because-if-there-s-no-laughs-it-s-pretty-bad-but/) [Fred Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-willard/) > [I think comedy's harder to pull off on the screen than on the stage, anyway. Tragedy is easier on the screen... oddly enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-think-comedy-s-harder-to-pull-off-on-the-screen-than-on-the-stage/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) ## More by Glenda Jackson > [I studiously avoid any academic dissections of the play and any kind of previous experience of playing. For me, it's all in the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-studiously-avoid-any-academic-dissections-of-the-play-and-any-kind/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I look forward to growing old and wise and audacious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-look-forward-to-growing-old-and-wise-and-audacious/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [You don't do a play to compete for an award. This was the argument I always had over the Oscars. I didn't win them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/you-don-t-do-a-play-to-compete-for-an-award-this-was-the-argument-i/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [Nobody really needs a mink coat... 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The more you do, the more you realize how painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/you-d-think-is-something-one-would-grow-out-of-but-you-grow-into-it/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [My job is to see the world through the character's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/my-job-is-to-see-the-world-through-the-character-s-eyes/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [No, I'm not recognized in London. What would people recognize?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/no-i-m-not-recognized-in-london-what-would-people-recognize/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I'm less confident now than I've ever been. In this peculiar craft, confidence is something you spend a lifetime losing. I used to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-m-less-confident-now-than-i-ve-ever-been-in-this-peculiar-craft/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [The best teacher is an audience. The ideal performance is when that group of strangers sitting in the dark gets energy from the group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/the-best-teacher-is-an-audience-the-ideal-performance-is-when-that/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [Usually, if there is a woman's part in a piece, there's only one, so you've got no other actresses to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/usually-if-there-is-a-woman-s-part-in-a-piece-there-s-only-one-so-you/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I told them I wouldn't sign a blank cheque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-told-them-i-wouldn-t-sign-a-blank-cheque/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [It would be nice if education was free to everyone who wanted it, but that's not the world we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/it-would-be-nice-if-education-was-free-to-everyone-who-wanted-it-but/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I'm the world's worst bearer of grudges. 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