---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even when I'm being funny, I'm deadly…"
description: "\"Even when I'm being funny, I'm deadly serious.\" — Lily Tomlin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35b/lily-tomlin-3278_being-funny_even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-ser_1967298.png"
---

#  Even when I'm being funny, I'm deadly serious.

![“Even when I'm being funny, I'm deadly serious.” quote by Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35b/lily-tomlin-3278_being-funny_even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-ser_1967298.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35b/lily-tomlin-3278_being-funny_even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-ser_1967298.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35b/lily-tomlin-3278_being-funny_even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-ser_1967298.png)

> “Even when I'm being funny, I'm deadly serious.”

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

## About This Quote

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

Even while joking, I maintain a serious underlying intent.

**In simple terms:** Humor can mask seriousness.

Key Takeaway

Balance humor with genuine purpose.

Themes

humor seriousness authenticity

Mood

playful insightful

Type

entertaining philosophical

When to use this quote

- stand‑up comedy
- public speaking
- writing

Key Concepts

communication performance art

Questions to Reflect On

- When is humor appropriate for serious topics?
- How does seriousness affect comedic impact?

A Different Perspective

Humor may dilute the seriousness of the message.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Being funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-funny/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Deadly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadly/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Funny Deadly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-deadly-3281326/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/)

## Related quotes

> [Being funny is one of my greatest strengths. I can make girls smile when they're down, and when they're having a good time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/being-funny-is-one-of-my-greatest-strengths-i-can-make-girls-smile/)

[John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/)

> [I think my way of being "funny" is just saying things that people think but have learned not to say, whereas, I haven't learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-chang/i-think-my-way-of-being-funny-is-just-saying-things-that-people-think/)

[Victoria Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-chang/)

> [I direct with energy. I believe in energy. I think energy is an electric thing in actors. I try to inspire, encourage, and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/i-direct-with-energy-i-believe-in-energy-i-think-energy-is-an/)

[Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/)

> [I knew nothing about farce until I read Puce a l'Oreille, and had no idea what a deadly serious business it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/i-knew-nothing-about-farce-until-i-read-puce-a-l-oreille-and-had-no/)

[John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/)

> [I never like to be the same, whether it be comedy or drama, funny or serious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-prince/i-never-like-to-be-the-same-whether-it-be-comedy-or-drama-funny-or/)

[Faith Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-prince/)

> [On 'The Simpsons,' I will say that we definitely like to comment on what's going on in the world, and we try to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/on-the-simpsons-i-will-say-that-we-definitely-like-to-comment-on-what/)

[Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/)

> [Thing is, I'm a funny actor, but I'm not good at being funny. I'm going to ramble for a second: I'm an actor who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/thing-is-i-m-a-funny-actor-but-i-m-not-good-at-being-funny-i-m-going/)

[Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/)

> [I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-was-the-troublemaker-always-being-funny-that-s-just-who-i-am/)

[Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/)

> [You know, I love airplane food. I'm not being funny; I'm not being ironic. It reminds me of being 12 years old and putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-freese/you-know-i-love-airplane-food-i-m-not-being-funny-i-m-not-being/)

[Josh Freese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-freese/)

> [It is a difficult thing to like anybody else's ideas of being funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/it-is-a-difficult-thing-to-like-anybody-else-s-ideas-of-being-funny/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [For my first gig, I got $75. I could make money being funny, so I pursued it as a career and have turned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/for-my-first-gig-i-got-75-i-could-make-money-being-funny-so-i-pursued/)

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

> [If you don't follow the stock market, you are missing some amazing drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/if-you-don-t-follow-the-stock-market-you-are-missing-some-amazing/)

[Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/)

> [I like to have fun, but I don't think of myself as being funny. But I'm a big jokester, so I make fun of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-lautner/i-like-to-have-fun-but-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-being-funny-but-i-m/)

[Taylor Lautner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-lautner/)

> [I guess I'm pleased and proud of the respect of my peers, and that when I disappear from the scene or from this earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/i-guess-i-m-pleased-and-proud-of-the-respect-of-my-peers-and-that/)

[Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/)

> [He's never portrayed as being funny. He was a very funny, happy, lively person. Fun to be around and exciting. He was my hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hemingway/he-s-never-portrayed-as-being-funny-he-was-a-very-funny-happy-lively/)

[Jack Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hemingway/)

## More by Lily Tomlin

> [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [“So if you've had a good time tonight, or if you've had a good time any night, for gosh sake's why not drop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/so-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-tonight-or-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-any/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [I bought a box of animal crackers, but there was nothing inside. They'd eaten each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-bought-a-box-of-animal-crackers-but-there-was-nothing-inside-they-d/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [You know being relevant or coming up with something interesting, funny to say about what's current is just as hard as it might ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/you-know-being-relevant-or-coming-up-with-something-interesting-funny/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [I wanted to be a stage actress. I wanted to be a New York actress and have a community with other actors. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-wanted-to-be-a-stage-actress-i-wanted-to-be-a-new-york-actress-and/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for masturbation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-have-reason-to-believe-that-man-first-walked-upright-to-free-his/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-don-t-care-we-don-t-have-to-we-re-the-phone-company/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/no-matter-how-cynical-i-get-i-can-t-keep-up/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [In the depths of the night, fear grips my heart. It paralyzes my mind. But most of all, I feel very, very alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/in-the-depths-of-the-night-fear-grips-my-heart-it-paralyzes-my-mind/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [“I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. And then I realized I was somebody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-always-wondered-why-somebody-didn-t-do-something-about-that-and/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/sometimes-i-worry-about-being-a-success-in-a-mediocre-world/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [And yet humanity is so not evolved that how can you expect anything absolutely major to happen? Look how long, we move ahead in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/and-yet-humanity-is-so-not-evolved-that-how-can-you-expect-anything/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

> [The whole idea of being in captivity in such limited space, especially in a zoo, causes elephants to suffer. They develop all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-whole-idea-of-being-in-captivity-in-such-limited-space-especially/)

[Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

[Explore all 135 Lily Tomlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/)

## More Being funny quotes

> [Being funny is one of my greatest strengths. I can make girls smile when they're down, and when they're having a good time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/being-funny-is-one-of-my-greatest-strengths-i-can-make-girls-smile/)

[John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/)

> [I direct with energy. I believe in energy. I think energy is an electric thing in actors. I try to inspire, encourage, and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/i-direct-with-energy-i-believe-in-energy-i-think-energy-is-an/)

[Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/)

> [I think my way of being "funny" is just saying things that people think but have learned not to say, whereas, I haven't learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-chang/i-think-my-way-of-being-funny-is-just-saying-things-that-people-think/)

[Victoria Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-chang/)

> [I guess I'm pleased and proud of the respect of my peers, and that when I disappear from the scene or from this earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/i-guess-i-m-pleased-and-proud-of-the-respect-of-my-peers-and-that/)

[Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/)

> [I like to have fun, but I don't think of myself as being funny. But I'm a big jokester, so I make fun of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-lautner/i-like-to-have-fun-but-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-being-funny-but-i-m/)

[Taylor Lautner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-lautner/)

> [If you don't follow the stock market, you are missing some amazing drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/if-you-don-t-follow-the-stock-market-you-are-missing-some-amazing/)

[Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/)

> [For my first gig, I got $75. I could make money being funny, so I pursued it as a career and have turned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/for-my-first-gig-i-got-75-i-could-make-money-being-funny-so-i-pursued/)

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

> [It is a difficult thing to like anybody else's ideas of being funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/it-is-a-difficult-thing-to-like-anybody-else-s-ideas-of-being-funny/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [You know, I love airplane food. I'm not being funny; I'm not being ironic. It reminds me of being 12 years old and putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-freese/you-know-i-love-airplane-food-i-m-not-being-funny-i-m-not-being/)

[Josh Freese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-freese/)

> [I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-was-the-troublemaker-always-being-funny-that-s-just-who-i-am/)

[Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/)

> [Thing is, I'm a funny actor, but I'm not good at being funny. I'm going to ramble for a second: I'm an actor who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/thing-is-i-m-a-funny-actor-but-i-m-not-good-at-being-funny-i-m-going/)

[Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/)

> [On 'The Simpsons,' I will say that we definitely like to comment on what's going on in the world, and we try to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/on-the-simpsons-i-will-say-that-we-definitely-like-to-comment-on-what/)

[Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/)

> [He's never portrayed as being funny. He was a very funny, happy, lively person. Fun to be around and exciting. He was my hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hemingway/he-s-never-portrayed-as-being-funny-he-was-a-very-funny-happy-lively/)

[Jack Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hemingway/)

> [People used to make fun of alternative comedy because sometimes it would be someone being funny, and sometimes it was a crazy man with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mirman/people-used-to-make-fun-of-alternative-comedy-because-sometimes-it/)

[Eugene Mirman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mirman/)

> [One second here and there will make all the difference between something being funny and not being funny. That's why I like going, 'Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-krisel/one-second-here-and-there-will-make-all-the-difference-between/)

[Jonathan Krisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-krisel/)

[Browse all 218 Being funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-funny/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Even when I'm being funny, I'm deadly serious.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lily Tomlin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-serious/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Being funny"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-serious/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35b/lily-tomlin-3278_being-funny_even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-ser_1967298.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35b/lily-tomlin-3278_being-funny_even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-ser_1967298.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35b/lily-tomlin-3278_being-funny_even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-ser_1967298.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Even when I'm being funny, I'm deadly serious.” — Lily Tomlin",
                "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": "Lily Tomlin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Even when I'm being funny, I'm...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-serious/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/even-when-i-m-being-funny-i-m-deadly-serious/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```