--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did stand-up for a long time, and I did…" description: "\"I did stand-up for a long time, and I did classical theater. As much time as you could spend on a stage will always inform you and your job, as you evo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/kevin-durand-33002_able_i-did-stand-up-for-a-long-time-and-i-did_52579.jpg" --- # I did stand-up for a long time, and I did classical… ![“I did stand-up for a long time, and I did classical theater. As much time as you could spend on a stage will always inform you and your job, as you evolve. I feel the freedom of being able to find comedy in the darkest moments because it makes it way more interesting, I think.” quote by Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/kevin-durand-33002_able_i-did-stand-up-for-a-long-time-and-i-did_52579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/kevin-durand-33002_able_i-did-stand-up-for-a-long-time-and-i-did_52579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/kevin-durand-33002_able_i-did-stand-up-for-a-long-time-and-i-did_52579.jpg) > “I did stand-up for a long time, and I did classical theater. As much time as you could spend on a stage will always inform you and your job, as you evolve. I feel the freedom of being able to find comedy in the darkest moments because it makes it way more interesting, I think.” [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stage experience hones observational skills and emotional resilience, allowing performers to extract humor from hardship, enriching both art and personal growth. **In simple terms:** Live performance sharpens insight and adaptability. Key Takeaway Comedy thrives on confronting darkness. Themes creativity resilience humor personal development storytelling Mood reflective optimistic inspired Type personal anecdote philosophical insight When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - theatrical rehearsals - improvisational workshops - writing dark comedy - teaching performance arts Key Concepts observation emotional intelligence risk-taking Practical Applications - writing jokes from personal pain - using stage confidence in public speaking Questions to Reflect On - How does confronting difficult topics change your comedic voice? - What stage lessons translate to everyday problem‑solving? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Classical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classical/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I did stand-up for a long time and I did classical theater. As much time as you could spend on a stage will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-did-stand-up-for-a-long-time-and-i-did-classical-theater-as-much-2/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [There's a fine line between comedy and the darkest place ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-myers/there-s-a-fine-line-between-comedy-and-the-darkest-place-ever/) Meg Myers > [I feel the freedom of being able to find comedy in the darkest moments because it makes it way more interesting, I think. Otherwise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-feel-the-freedom-of-being-able-to-find-comedy-in-the-darkest/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [When I first became an actress, I expected to do regional and classical theater; I just love the whole creative process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-parisse/when-i-first-became-an-actress-i-expected-to-do-regional-and/) [Annie Parisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-parisse/) > [As someone who's been doing a lot of classical theater recently, I loved the idea of getting to run around in Steven Alan, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/as-someone-who-s-been-doing-a-lot-of-classical-theater-recently-i/) [Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/) > [For me, because I've had classical theater training, when people say, "Oh, my god, the play is amazing!," I'll never get to see it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stevenson/for-me-because-i-ve-had-classical-theater-training-when-people-say-oh/) [Ray Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stevenson/) > [I love the theater and I particularly love the classical theater and I love doing Shakespeare. It pays the soul, but it doesn't pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-keach/i-love-the-theater-and-i-particularly-love-the-classical-theater-and/) [Stacy Keach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-keach/) > [I come from classical theater training and when I went to college it was a bunch of kids that were hand-picked from around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manganiello/i-come-from-classical-theater-training-and-when-i-went-to-college-it/) [Joe Manganiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manganiello/) > [I still feel like a novice when it comes to classical theater, but I don't ever want to become comfortable with anything. The greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-tyler-ferguson/i-still-feel-like-a-novice-when-it-comes-to-classical-theater-but-i/) [Jesse Tyler Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-tyler-ferguson/) > [When I was doing theater for all those years in New York, I did a lot of classical theater, wearing big corsets and big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-enos/when-i-was-doing-theater-for-all-those-years-in-new-york-i-did-a-lot/) [Mireille Enos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-enos/) > [I actually grew up seeing a lot of classical theater - a lot of Shakespeare - but I have such a passion for music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillipa-soo/i-actually-grew-up-seeing-a-lot-of-classical-theater-a-lot-of/) [Phillipa Soo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillipa-soo/) > [I've never had any feeling of disconnection between the classical theater, or the contemporary theater, or musical theater, or the thing that we call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/i-ve-never-had-any-feeling-of-disconnection-between-the-classical/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [I'm not turning my back on classical theater. It's all about opportunities and timing a lot of the time when things come up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gugu-mbatha-raw/i-m-not-turning-my-back-on-classical-theater-it-s-all-about/) [Gugu Mbatha-Raw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gugu-mbatha-raw/) > [The great thing about theater is that you have so much time to prepare, and to fail, before presenting it to the public. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/the-great-thing-about-theater-is-that-you-have-so-much-time-to/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [I love theater. I go all the time. It's one of the reasons I moved to New York. But I understand that I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-earle/i-love-theater-i-go-all-the-time-it-s-one-of-the-reasons-i-moved-to/) [Steve Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-earle/) ## More by Kevin Durand > [I think the first villain that I ever played was on 'Stargate'. I was this superior being that would take over a human host…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-think-the-first-villain-that-i-ever-played-was-on-stargate-i-was/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [I cook some damn good eggs!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-cook-some-damn-good-eggs/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [As an actor, I've been all over the map, but since I've moved to Hollywood, people tend to cast me in these more imposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/as-an-actor-i-ve-been-all-over-the-map-but-since-i-ve-moved-to/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [I did stand-up for a long time and I did classical theater. 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Being a big guy and being imposing, I had to use my size to protect my teammates.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-was-a-hockey-player-growing-up-being-a-big-guy-and-being-imposing-i/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [I started off as a rapper from Thunder Bay, Ontario, believe it or not. There was a little group of 10 or 12 of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-started-off-as-a-rapper-from-thunder-bay-ontario-believe-it-or-not/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [I'm always excited to carry more and more weight and responsibility within a story. It's all about putting my time in and showing people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-m-always-excited-to-carry-more-and-more-weight-and-responsibility/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [I was a hockey player growing up. Being a big guy and being imposing, I had to use my size to protect my teammates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-was-a-hockey-player-growing-up-being-a-big-guy-and-being-imposing-i-2/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [I'm always excited to carry more and more weight and responsibility within a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-m-always-excited-to-carry-more-and-more-weight-and-responsibility-2/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [I'm really open to anything that's good. If I read something and it's good, and I like the director, it never really needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-m-really-open-to-anything-that-s-good-if-i-read-something-and-it-s/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [There's a whole new set of rules, in this new world. If you don't abide by them, then you'll perish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/there-s-a-whole-new-set-of-rules-in-this-new-world-if-you-don-t-abide/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [I've always been way more attracted to playing imposing characters than the hero. I've always been more intrigued by Iago in Shakespeare than playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-ve-always-been-way-more-attracted-to-playing-imposing-characters/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) [Explore all 15 Kevin Durand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [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/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. 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And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did stand-up for a long time, and I did classical theater. As much time as you could spend on a stage will always inform you and your job, as you evolve. 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