---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The key to doing 'Harold and Kumar'…"
description: "\"The key to doing 'Harold and Kumar' movies is you make it earnest. Primarily what we do is make Harold and Kumar's relationship and friendship believab..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/john-cho-3086_comedy_the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies_2915211.jpg"
---

#  The key to doing 'Harold and Kumar' movies is you make it…

![“The key to doing 'Harold and Kumar' movies is you make it earnest. Primarily what we do is make Harold and Kumar's relationship and friendship believable, and we don't actually work on being that funny.” quote by John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/john-cho-3086_comedy_the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies_2915211.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/john-cho-3086_comedy_the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies_2915211.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/john-cho-3086_comedy_the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies_2915211.jpg)

> “The key to doing 'Harold and Kumar' movies is you make it earnest. Primarily what we do is make Harold and Kumar's relationship and friendship believable, and we don't actually work on being that funny.”

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The success of a comedy hinges on genuine relationships rather than forced jokes.

**In simple terms:** Earnestness beats forced humor.

Key Takeaway

Focus on authentic friendship.

Themes

comedy friendship authenticity

Mood

lighthearted reflective

Type

cinematic motivational

When to use this quote

- film production
- writing
- directing
- acting

Key Concepts

character development relatable humor

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you ensure character chemistry feels real?
- What role does sincerity play in comedy?

A Different Perspective

If the relationship feels fake, humor falls flat.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [“He had started; and in doing so Harold could already see the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/he-had-started-and-in-doing-so-harold-could-already-see-the-end/)

[Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/)

> [The Yale group was doing the Harold. So by our senior year we were trying to do the Harold. Again, we had no idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-dratch/the-yale-group-was-doing-the-harold-so-by-our-senior-year-we-were/)

[Rachel Dratch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-dratch/)

> [I don't look to save the world with any of the movies that I make. I'm not trying to make any political statement with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-don-t-look-to-save-the-world-with-any-of-the-movies-that-i-make-i-m/)

[Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/)

> [The kinds of movies I make are not easy to get made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hedges/the-kinds-of-movies-i-make-are-not-easy-to-get-made/)

[Peter Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hedges/)

> [I've always said that to make movies, to make images and sound, is possible by one way or another. And it has not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/i-ve-always-said-that-to-make-movies-to-make-images-and-sound-is/)

[Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/)

> [“since you are spending time to watch a movies , make it a useful time for a great movie , not just a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahdi-khmi/since-you-are-spending-time-to-watch-a-movies-make-it-a-useful-time/)

Mahdi Khmi

> [It's tough to make a good movie. I think the bigger the movies are, the worse they are. A lot of big movies make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/it-s-tough-to-make-a-good-movie-i-think-the-bigger-the-movies-are-the/)

[Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/)

> [3-D movies can make me nauseous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paxton/3-d-movies-can-make-me-nauseous/)

[Sara Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paxton/)

> [We don't make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/we-don-t-make-movies-to-make-money-we-make-money-to-make-more-movies/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [ There are three huge, titanic, space movies which if you ever make a film \[about space\] you cannot avoid. You may want to avoid… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/there-are-three-huge-titanic-space-movies-which-if-you-ever-make-a/)

[Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/)

> [Movies make you immortal and ageless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-scott-thomas/movies-make-you-immortal-and-ageless/)

[Kristin Scott Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-scott-thomas/)

> [The movies I make don't take place in reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobcat-goldthwait/the-movies-i-make-don-t-take-place-in-reality/)

[Bobcat Goldthwait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobcat-goldthwait/)

> [Horror movies make a lot of money in India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikramaditya-motwane/horror-movies-make-a-lot-of-money-in-india/)

[Vikramaditya Motwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikramaditya-motwane/)

> [I'm not unashamed to say that I like movies that make me verklempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-m-not-unashamed-to-say-that-i-like-movies-that-make-me-verklempt/)

[Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/)

> [A good movie can take you out of your dull funk and the hopelessness that so often goes with slipping into a theatre; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/a-good-movie-can-take-you-out-of-your-dull-funk-and-the-hopelessness/)

[Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/)

## More by John Cho

> [What was exciting to me in talking to Kogonada was I was just very convinced that he was a very real and pure artist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/what-was-exciting-to-me-in-talking-to-kogonada-was-i-was-just-very/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [I didn't think it was possible for Asians to be actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-didn-t-think-it-was-possible-for-asians-to-be-actors/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [There was a while where every role I was getting offered was extremely noble - like the judge or the kindly nurse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/there-was-a-while-where-every-role-i-was-getting-offered-was/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [I don't know if I trust entertainment to teach anyone anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-don-t-know-if-i-trust-entertainment-to-teach-anyone-anything/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [With music I get to feel real ownership with what I do. I write it, I perform it and even if it is crap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/with-music-i-get-to-feel-real-ownership-with-what-i-do-i-write-it-i/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [I've found that one's language abilities, especially for Korean kids like me, get frozen at the age you immigrated. So I've always associated Korea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-ve-found-that-one-s-language-abilities-especially-for-korean-kids/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [It's really weird to be in more than one franchise because an actor's life is so nomadic, and so it's a real privilege to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/it-s-really-weird-to-be-in-more-than-one-franchise-because-an-actor-s/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [I feel like there's this need that the Asian-American community has to feel like people. It's something that Asians in Asia do not understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-feel-like-there-s-this-need-that-the-asian-american-community-has/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [Not sleeping, listening to Paul Auster on Fresh Air. His function, tonight and ever, has been to remind me that I will die. Thanks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/not-sleeping-listening-to-paul-auster-on-fresh-air-his-function/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [Conversely, the most powerful thing an actor can say is "no." If something is presented and it's a stereotypical role or something, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/conversely-the-most-powerful-thing-an-actor-can-say-is-no-if/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [For a while, I was feeling like I was always playing characters that weren't specifically Korean or specifically Asian, even - that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/for-a-while-i-was-feeling-like-i-was-always-playing-characters-that/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [I hereby call for the execution of the person who designed the layout of rite aid stores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-hereby-call-for-the-execution-of-the-person-who-designed-the-layout/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [Typically, actors overplay jargon or toss it away in an extravagant display of casualness. Real people hit the important parts hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/typically-actors-overplay-jargon-or-toss-it-away-in-an-extravagant/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [I grew up speaking Korean, but my dad spoke English very well. I learned a lot of how to speak English by watching television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-grew-up-speaking-korean-but-my-dad-spoke-english-very-well-i/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

> [Sometimes I feel indie directors are in the game so they can make a film to get hired to do a big film -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/sometimes-i-feel-indie-directors-are-in-the-game-so-they-can-make-a/)

[John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

[Explore all 140 John Cho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/)

## More Comedy quotes

> ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/)

[Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/)

> [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/)

[Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/)

[Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/)

> [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/)

[Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/)

> [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/)

[Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/)

> [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/)

[Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/)

[Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/)

> [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/)

[Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/)

> [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/)

[Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/)

> [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/)

[Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/)

> [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

[Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The key to doing 'Harold and Kumar' movies is you make it earnest. Primarily what we do is make Harold and Kumar's relationship and friendship believable, and we don't actually work on being that funny.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Cho"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies-is-you-make-it-earnest/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Comedy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies-is-you-make-it-earnest/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/john-cho-3086_comedy_the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies_2915211.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/john-cho-3086_comedy_the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies_2915211.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/john-cho-3086_comedy_the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies_2915211.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The key to doing 'Harold and Kumar' movies is you make it earnest. Primarily what we do is make Harold and…” — John Cho",
                "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": "John Cho",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The key to doing 'Harold and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies-is-you-make-it-earnest/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/the-key-to-doing-harold-and-kumar-movies-is-you-make-it-earnest/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
