--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Harold Lloyd was not a comedian. But he…" description: "\"Harold Lloyd was not a comedian. But he was the finest actor to play a comedian that I ever saw.\" — Hal Roach" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/600/hal-roach-46710_actor_harold-lloyd-was-not-a-comedian-but-he-w_2745112.png" --- # Harold Lloyd was not a comedian. But he was the finest… ![“Harold Lloyd was not a comedian. But he was the finest actor to play a comedian that I ever saw.” quote by Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/600/hal-roach-46710_actor_harold-lloyd-was-not-a-comedian-but-he-w_2745112.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/600/hal-roach-46710_actor_harold-lloyd-was-not-a-comedian-but-he-w_2745112.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/600/hal-roach-46710_actor_harold-lloyd-was-not-a-comedian-but-he-w_2745112.png) > “Harold Lloyd was not a comedian. But he was the finest actor to play a comedian that I ever saw.” [Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lloyd excelled at portraying comedic characters despite not being a comedian himself. **In simple terms:** He was a great actor playing comedy. Key Takeaway Value performance over labels. Themes acting comedy talent Mood admiring thoughtful Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - theater - film casting - career advice Key Concepts performance identity craft Questions to Reflect On - Can skill outweigh personal style? - What defines a true comedian? A Different Perspective Actors may lack the persona they portray. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Harold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harold/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [While other kids were into New Kids on the Block, I was into Harold Lloyd and Stan Laurel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-morgan/while-other-kids-were-into-new-kids-on-the-block-i-was-into-harold/) [Diane Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-morgan/) > [I grew up on Harold Lloyd, Charles Chaplin, and Buster Keaton, and those were the ones who inspired me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navid-negahban/i-grew-up-on-harold-lloyd-charles-chaplin-and-buster-keaton-and-those/) [Navid Negahban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navid-negahban/) > [Clark Kent, I suppose, had a little bit of Harold Lloyd in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-shuster/clark-kent-i-suppose-had-a-little-bit-of-harold-lloyd-in-him/) [Joe Shuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-shuster/) > [Marlon Brando. The finest actor who ever lived. He was my idol when I was 13. He's done enough work to last two lifetimes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/marlon-brando-the-finest-actor-who-ever-lived-he-was-my-idol-when-i/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [Derek Jacobi is probably our finest actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-walker/derek-jacobi-is-probably-our-finest-actor/) [Nicola Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-walker/) > [My favourite actor is Daniel Day Lewis. He's the finest actor in Hollywood. I've studied his performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushant-singh-rajput/my-favourite-actor-is-daniel-day-lewis-he-s-the-finest-actor-in/) [Sushant Singh Rajput](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushant-singh-rajput/) > [An actor's life is the shadow of a cloud, the echo of a sound, the memory of a dream, nothing come of nothing. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-kemble/an-actor-s-life-is-the-shadow-of-a-cloud-the-echo-of-a-sound-the/) [Fanny Kemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-kemble/) > [“The finest actor is he who play the comedy of life perfectly, as i aspire to do. To walk well, talk well, weep well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-corelli/the-finest-actor-is-he-who-play-the-comedy-of-life-perfectly-as-i/) [Marie Corelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-corelli/) > [Long before I was a writer, when I was just a haphazard reader and a dreamer of stories, I learnt about an influential book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-o-hagan/long-before-i-was-a-writer-when-i-was-just-a-haphazard-reader-and-a/) [Andrew O'Hagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-o-hagan/) > [I trained as an actor with Lee Strasberg, Elia Kazan, and Harold Clurman, and those guys set a very high bar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/i-trained-as-an-actor-with-lee-strasberg-elia-kazan-and-harold/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [There was a best-selling book in the late '60s and '70s called 'The Adventurers' by Harold Robbins. The lead character's name was Dax. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/there-was-a-best-selling-book-in-the-late-60s-and-70s-called-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [I was fortunate to be able to do two movies with Harold Ramis. He was the kindest of any director with whom I worked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/i-was-fortunate-to-be-able-to-do-two-movies-with-harold-ramis-he-was/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [There are not many intellectuals left of Harold Pinter's stature who dare raise their voices - and with such force - against the menace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gioconda-belli/there-are-not-many-intellectuals-left-of-harold-pinter-s-stature-who/) [Gioconda Belli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gioconda-belli/) > [I'd recommend anyone watch 'Harold and Maude,' 'cause it helps a lot with fear of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-wolfhard/i-d-recommend-anyone-watch-harold-and-maude-cause-it-helps-a-lot-with/) [Finn Wolfhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-wolfhard/) > [In writing about Harold and Maureen with their terrible unspoken secret, and all those people that Harold meets as he walks to save a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/in-writing-about-harold-and-maureen-with-their-terrible-unspoken/) [Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/) ## More by Hal Roach > [The important thing, once you get 'em laughing, is to keep 'em laughing until you're through. With a 90-minute feature, you've got to stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-roach/the-important-thing-once-you-get-em-laughing-is-to-keep-em-laughing/) [Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) > [You know it is summer in Ireland when the rain gets warmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-roach/you-know-it-is-summer-in-ireland-when-the-rain-gets-warmer/) [Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) > [You can't make people laugh for more than half an hour and be consistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-roach/you-can-t-make-people-laugh-for-more-than-half-an-hour-and-be/) [Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) > [Dolphins : Animals that are so intelligent that, within a few weeks of captivity, they can train a man to stand on the edge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-roach/dolphins-animals-that-are-so-intelligent-that-within-a-few-weeks-of/) [Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) > [My wife converted me to religion. I never believed in hell until I married her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-roach/my-wife-converted-me-to-religion-i-never-believed-in-hell-until-i/) [Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) > [The likelihood of getting lost is directly proportional to the number of times the direction-giver says, 'You can't miss it'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-roach/the-likelihood-of-getting-lost-is-directly-proportional-to-the-number/) [Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) > [The greatest comedies that were made by anybody were made in two reels; I don't care who it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-roach/the-greatest-comedies-that-were-made-by-anybody-were-made-in-two/) [Hal Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) [Explore all 8 Hal Roach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-roach/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Harold Lloyd was not a comedian. 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