--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I played Nelson Mandela in one thing for…" description: "\"I played Nelson Mandela in one thing for laughs - and I did it because this thing had come round from the BBC that we couldn't do it any more.\" — Harry..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/harry-enfield-4941_bbc_i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for_368596.png" --- # I played Nelson Mandela in one thing for laughs - and I… ![“I played Nelson Mandela in one thing for laughs - and I did it because this thing had come round from the BBC that we couldn't do it any more.” quote by Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/harry-enfield-4941_bbc_i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for_368596.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/harry-enfield-4941_bbc_i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for_368596.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/harry-enfield-4941_bbc_i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for_368596.png) > “I played Nelson Mandela in one thing for laughs - and I did it because this thing had come round from the BBC that we couldn't do it any more.” [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He performed a comedic Mandela impersonation because a BBC restriction forced him to find humor in the limitation. **In simple terms:** He used humor to cope with a broadcast ban. Key Takeaway Find comedy in constraints. Themes humor politics creativity Mood playful ironic Type satirical entertaining When to use this quote - TV sketch - live performance - creative problem solving Key Concepts satire media constraints Questions to Reflect On - How do you turn restrictions into creative opportunities? - When is satire appropriate? A Different Perspective Humor may trivialize serious subjects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bbc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bbc/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Laughs Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughs-did-3367808/) [Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mandela/) [Mandela Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mandela-thing-3367805/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Played Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played-nelson-3367806/) [Round](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/round/) [Thing Laughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-laughs-3367807/) ## Related quotes > [My first job was a film called 'Storm Damage' for the BBC. I was 16 and working with really respected British actors. 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I didn't know anything about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/in-the-early-80s-when-i-came-to-london-i-didn-t-like-opera-i-didn-t/) [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) > [Computers are dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/computers-are-dangerous/) [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) > [The history of post-war Britain shows us that we are lousy at running our economy. We need someone to do it for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/the-history-of-post-war-britain-shows-us-that-we-are-lousy-at-running/) [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) > ["I'm a victim of sexual discrimination." 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They were my specialist subject on BBC's 'Celebrity Mastermind' a few years ago!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-roberts/i-m-slightly-obsessed-with-moomins-they-were-my-specialist-subject-on/) [Alice Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-roberts/) > [I don't have any quarrel with the BBC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-don-t-have-any-quarrel-with-the-bbc/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [The BBC will always be attacked by whoever is in government. It is that George Bush thing of 'If you're not with us you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-norton/the-bbc-will-always-be-attacked-by-whoever-is-in-government-it-is/) [Graham Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-norton/) > [I'm obsessed with the BBC comedy 'Mum.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-cox/i-m-obsessed-with-the-bbc-comedy-mum/) [Sara Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-cox/) > [The BBC can be infuriating at times but I love it with a passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sweeney/the-bbc-can-be-infuriating-at-times-but-i-love-it-with-a-passion/) [John Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sweeney/) > [I wish I hadn't lost it, and for the rest of my life I can never again lose my temper on TV. The BBC…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sweeney/i-wish-i-hadn-t-lost-it-and-for-the-rest-of-my-life-i-can-never-again/) [John Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sweeney/) > [In my opinion, the BBC are one of the best producers of drama in the world, and it made me incredibly happy to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-pasqualino/in-my-opinion-the-bbc-are-one-of-the-best-producers-of-drama-in-the/) [Luke Pasqualino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-pasqualino/) > [I'm a fan of the BBC, and have worked there on many projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-watkins/i-m-a-fan-of-the-bbc-and-have-worked-there-on-many-projects/) [Jason Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-watkins/) > [I've always had an unsentimental view. I don't think the BBC is my auntie. I worked there for years, and you learn that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-wogan/i-ve-always-had-an-unsentimental-view-i-don-t-think-the-bbc-is-my/) [Terry Wogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-wogan/) > [ “Fran Katzenjammer: "You need someone normal around here". Bernard: "Normal! He's normal is he, is he"? Fran Katzenjammer: \[chuckles\] Bernard: "What am I then"?… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/fran-katzenjammer-you-need-someone-normal-around-here-bernard-normal/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [It's sad that the BBC is toning down Dennis the Menace for a cartoon series. He is losing his weapons, catapult and peashooter, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/it-s-sad-that-the-bbc-is-toning-down-dennis-the-menace-for-a-cartoon/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) > [The BBC is a very confident broadcasting organisation and it needs brands like 'Top of the Pops' and 'Top Gear.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-edmonds/the-bbc-is-a-very-confident-broadcasting-organisation-and-it-needs/) [Noel Edmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-edmonds/) > [I think with Sky and BBC Three and Channel 4, there are some great television platforms, and the stand-up movement in this country is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-coyle/i-think-with-sky-and-bbc-three-and-channel-4-there-are-some-great/) [Brendan Coyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-coyle/) [Browse all 109 Bbc quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bbc/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I played Nelson Mandela in one thing for laughs - and I did it because this thing had come round from the BBC that we couldn't do it any more.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harry Enfield" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for-laughs-and-i-did-it-because/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bbc" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for-laughs-and-i-did-it-because/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/harry-enfield-4941_bbc_i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for_368596.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/harry-enfield-4941_bbc_i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for_368596.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/harry-enfield-4941_bbc_i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for_368596.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I played Nelson Mandela in one thing for laughs - and I did it because this thing had come round from the…” — Harry Enfield", "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": "Harry Enfield", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I played Nelson Mandela in one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for-laughs-and-i-did-it-because/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/i-played-nelson-mandela-in-one-thing-for-laughs-and-i-did-it-because/#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 } } ] } ```