--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This to me is the secret comedy of all…" description: "\"This to me is the secret comedy of all author interviews, down through the ages, even the good ones in the 'Paris Review' and places. They're all actin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/john-jeremiah-sullivan-19344_acting_this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-a_3224637.jpg" --- # This to me is the secret comedy of all author interviews… ![“This to me is the secret comedy of all author interviews, down through the ages, even the good ones in the 'Paris Review' and places. They're all acting. It's like watching a person in a play.” quote by John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/john-jeremiah-sullivan-19344_acting_this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-a_3224637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/john-jeremiah-sullivan-19344_acting_this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-a_3224637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/john-jeremiah-sullivan-19344_acting_this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-a_3224637.jpg) > “This to me is the secret comedy of all author interviews, down through the ages, even the good ones in the 'Paris Review' and places. They're all acting. It's like watching a person in a play.” [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Author interviews are performances where participants play roles, revealing a staged authenticity. **In simple terms:** Interviews are like plays, with scripted authenticity. Key Takeaway Recognize the performance, seek genuine insight. Themes media authenticity performance Mood critical analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - journalism - literary festivals - media literacy - critical reading Key Concepts Narrative construction self-presentation literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern authenticity? - What role does performance play in truth? A Different Perspective Not all authenticity is genuine; beware of manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ages/) [Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author/) [Author Interviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author-interviews-6076262/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-ones/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Interviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interviews/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Paris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paris/) [Paris Review](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paris-review-2139767/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/places/) [Places Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/places-acting-6076263/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Review](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/review/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-comedy-1069429/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Watching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching/) ## Related quotes > [I'd been writing poems for many years, but most of them I didn't like. Then, when I was 23, I wrote one I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-d-been-writing-poems-for-many-years-but-most-of-them-i-didn-t-like/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [I published my first poem in 'The Paris Review' in 1980.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-published-my-first-poem-in-the-paris-review-in-1980/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [“If you criticize what you’re doing too early you’ll never write the first line.” \[ Paris Review , interview with Jodi Daynard, The Art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/if-you-criticize-what-you-re-doing-too-early-you-ll-never-write-the-2/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [“I'm a California boy. I don't tell anyone how to write and no one tells me. (Paris Review Interview)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-m-a-california-boy-i-don-t-tell-anyone-how-to-write-and-no-one/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Aspiring writers should read the entire canon of literature that precedes them, back to the Greeks, up to the current issue of The Paris…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kennedy/aspiring-writers-should-read-the-entire-canon-of-literature-that/) [William Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kennedy/) > [My secret to comedy is don't offend anybody. Don't offend anybody ever. That's my secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-roiland/my-secret-to-comedy-is-don-t-offend-anybody-don-t-offend-anybody-ever/) [Justin Roiland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-roiland/) > [The secret to riches is the same as the secret to comedy - timing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-crowe/the-secret-to-riches-is-the-same-as-the-secret-to-comedy-timing/) [Russell Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-crowe/) > [The secret of comedy is enjoying it. If you're not laughing, it's not going to be funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-alexander/the-secret-of-comedy-is-enjoying-it-if-you-re-not-laughing-it-s-not/) [Sarah Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-alexander/) > [The secret to comedy is not playing the comedy, but actually playing the situation, playing the drama of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/the-secret-to-comedy-is-not-playing-the-comedy-but-actually-playing/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [The secret of comedy is don't grow up. That's why some comedians are a nightmare, because they never grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/the-secret-of-comedy-is-don-t-grow-up-that-s-why-some-comedians-are-a/) [Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/) > [I don't have to change anything. I think that's the secret to comedy. You want to be universal and appeal to everyone. You want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/i-don-t-have-to-change-anything-i-think-that-s-the-secret-to-comedy/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [Obviously, drafts sometimes are good ones, or bad ones; I think you can get a good, quality player late in the lottery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-hill/obviously-drafts-sometimes-are-good-ones-or-bad-ones-i-think-you-can/) [Grant Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-hill/) > [I love to make soups. My father used to say, 'There's nothing like a nice bowl of soup.' One of my favorites is... ready?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-danza/i-love-to-make-soups-my-father-used-to-say-there-s-nothing-like-a/) [Tony Danza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-danza/) > [But nothing is better than the market, where the customer and the business deal directly with each other, because if you rip people off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/but-nothing-is-better-than-the-market-where-the-customer-and-the/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [But the good ones go The good ones go, if you wait too long So you should go You should go, before you stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-maynard-good-ones-go/but-the-good-ones-go-the-good-ones-go-if-you-wait-too-long-so-you/) [Conor Maynard Good Ones Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-maynard-good-ones-go/) ## More by John Jeremiah Sullivan > [Ireland starts for me with the end of 'The Dead,' which my father read to me from his desk in his basement office in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/ireland-starts-for-me-with-the-end-of-the-dead-which-my-father-read/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [“If we put aside the self-awareness standard -- and really, how arbitrary and arrogant is that, to take the attribute of consciousness we happen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/if-we-put-aside-the-self-awareness-standard-and-really-how-arbitrary/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [I'm just saying, take courage. That and pretty much that alone is never the incorrect thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/i-m-just-saying-take-courage-that-and-pretty-much-that-alone-is-never/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [What’s old doesn’t need to be old-fashioned. It gets reborn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/what-s-old-doesn-t-need-to-be-old-fashioned-it-gets-reborn/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [The city of Cork - the urban center, where all the shops and bars and everything are - is actually an island, a river…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/the-city-of-cork-the-urban-center-where-all-the-shops-and-bars-and/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [The justification for rap rock seems to be that if you take really bad rock and put really bad rap over it, the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/the-justification-for-rap-rock-seems-to-be-that-if-you-take-really/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [A good writer wants from us — or has no right to ask more than — intelligence, good faith and time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/a-good-writer-wants-from-us-or-has-no-right-to-ask-more-than/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [It is a curious fact that the word 'essayist' showed up in English before it existed in French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/it-is-a-curious-fact-that-the-word-essayist-showed-up-in-english/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [The initial research will be very indiscriminate. I do a lot of reading, buy a stack of books and read and digest them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/the-initial-research-will-be-very-indiscriminate-i-do-a-lot-of/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [One of the best things I’ve read about that inexplicably, but endlessly, fascinating group of people, the so-called Serious Collectors of 78s. Petrusich burrows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/one-of-the-best-things-i-ve-read-about-that-inexplicably-but/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [The greenness of Ireland is a false greenness, after all. Not that it isn't green - the place can still make you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/the-greenness-of-ireland-is-a-false-greenness-after-all-not-that-it/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [This is why you can never reason true Christians out of the faith. It's not, as the adage has it, because they were never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/this-is-why-you-can-never-reason-true-christians-out-of-the-faith-it/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [Thinking you're a genius is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/thinking-you-re-a-genius-is-death/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [Not watching TV gets me in a lot of trouble in my household because my wife and daughter have a lot of shows they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/not-watching-tv-gets-me-in-a-lot-of-trouble-in-my-household-because/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [There's a half-conscious state you enter when you're actually generating prose, and you are simply a better writer in that place. In fact it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/there-s-a-half-conscious-state-you-enter-when-you-re-actually/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) [Explore all 33 John Jeremiah Sullivan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) ## More Acting 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/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [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/) > [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/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This to me is the secret comedy of all author interviews, down through the ages, even the good ones in the 'Paris Review' and places. They're all acting. It's like watching a person in a play.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Jeremiah Sullivan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-author-interviews-down-through/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-author-interviews-down-through/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/john-jeremiah-sullivan-19344_acting_this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-a_3224637.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/john-jeremiah-sullivan-19344_acting_this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-a_3224637.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/john-jeremiah-sullivan-19344_acting_this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-a_3224637.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This to me is the secret comedy of all author interviews, down through the ages, even the good ones in the…” — John Jeremiah Sullivan", "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 Jeremiah Sullivan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This to me is the secret...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-author-interviews-down-through/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/this-to-me-is-the-secret-comedy-of-all-author-interviews-down-through/#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 } } ] } ```