--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People think drama drives story, but I…" description: "\"People think drama drives story, but I think the comedy is really the heart and soul.\" — Richard Linklater" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/richard-linklater-2192_comedy_people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-th_2896999.jpg" --- # People think drama drives story, but I think the comedy is… ![“People think drama drives story, but I think the comedy is really the heart and soul.” quote by Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/richard-linklater-2192_comedy_people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-th_2896999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/richard-linklater-2192_comedy_people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-th_2896999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/richard-linklater-2192_comedy_people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-th_2896999.jpg) > “People think drama drives story, but I think the comedy is really the heart and soul.” [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy often carries the emotional core of a story, revealing truth through humor. **In simple terms:** Humor reveals a story’s heart. Key Takeaway Use humor to connect emotionally. Themes storytelling humor emotion narrative character Mood playful insightful Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - film analysis - writing workshops - creative brainstorming Key Concepts psychology emotional resonance dramatic structure Questions to Reflect On - How can humor deepen audience empathy? - When does humor undermine seriousness? A Different Perspective Comedy may be dismissed as less serious, limiting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comedy Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy-really/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Drama Drives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama-drives-4100270/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart and soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-and-soul/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Think Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-comedy/) [Think Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-drama-593466/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think comedy really does change people's minds; I think you can only get someone who is almost ready to change their mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-don-t-think-comedy-really-does-change-people-s-minds-i-think-you/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [I think that comedy really tells you how it is. The other thing about comedy is that - you don't even know if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-reiner/i-think-that-comedy-really-tells-you-how-it-is-the-other-thing-about/) [Carl Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-reiner/) > [I think comedy is a really, really good tool for trying to say something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/i-think-comedy-is-a-really-really-good-tool-for-trying-to-say/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [I often think that drama helps people feel less lonely about things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-purefoy/i-often-think-that-drama-helps-people-feel-less-lonely-about-things/) [James Purefoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-purefoy/) > [I really enjoy comedy, but I also still really enjoy the drama aspect. So, I don't like to narrow my possible chances out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-durance/i-really-enjoy-comedy-but-i-also-still-really-enjoy-the-drama-aspect/) [Erica Durance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-durance/) > [I like making material that people can relate to and see how I'm going through it or my character deals with it. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minka-kelly/i-like-making-material-that-people-can-relate-to-and-see-how-i-m/) [Minka Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minka-kelly/) > [I think since I was in drama school, I wanted to direct in the theatre. When you are an actor, you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-garcia-bernal/i-think-since-i-was-in-drama-school-i-wanted-to-direct-in-the-theatre/) [Gael Garcia Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-garcia-bernal/) > [My parents brought us up in a very clever way, which was that they saw what we were interested in naturally, and then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-harington/my-parents-brought-us-up-in-a-very-clever-way-which-was-that-they-saw/) [Kit Harington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-harington/) > [If you think drama follows you where ever you go, maybe it's time you realize you are the drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/if-you-think-drama-follows-you-where-ever-you-go-maybe-it-s-time-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I think my drama club teacher really didn't like me, because I would be the goof-off. I wouldn't get the part, so I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-stalter/i-think-my-drama-club-teacher-really-didn-t-like-me-because-i-would/) [Megan Stalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-stalter/) > [I think that even in a drama, we all want to smile, and laugh because what a horrible life if we're just like "I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-koechner/i-think-that-even-in-a-drama-we-all-want-to-smile-and-laugh-because/) [David Koechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-koechner/) > [I really like films and plays that cross over different genres. So I'd like to do something that you think is a drama and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romola-garai/i-really-like-films-and-plays-that-cross-over-different-genres-so-i-d/) [Romola Garai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romola-garai/) > [I think drama school really teaches you how to annunciate; you're conscious that people might not understand you if you speak too fast and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iwan-rheon/i-think-drama-school-really-teaches-you-how-to-annunciate-you-re/) [Iwan Rheon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iwan-rheon/) > [I think I was always a drama queen. I really, really, really loved playing pretend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-hahn/i-think-i-was-always-a-drama-queen-i-really-really-really-loved/) [Kathryn Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-hahn/) > [Because I was familiar with Taika's Watiti work and there's a very subversive, funny streak amongst all of them. I don't think he turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-neill/because-i-was-familiar-with-taika-s-watiti-work-and-there-s-a-very/) [Sam Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-neill/) ## More by Richard Linklater > [There are so many great artists, I think, who kind of suffer from being icons, legends, acknowledged masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/there-are-so-many-great-artists-i-think-who-kind-of-suffer-from-being/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [I think people forget how radical the narrative of 'Slacker' is. There's no story, you know? We could go from one character to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-think-people-forget-how-radical-the-narrative-of-slacker-is-there-s/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [I always sensed instinctively from the earliest age that I was being lied to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-always-sensed-instinctively-from-the-earliest-age-that-i-was-being/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [It's just too late to ban all guns. There are 300 million. We should've done that after the Civil War - that's when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/it-s-just-too-late-to-ban-all-guns-there-are-300-million-we-should-ve/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [I remember when I made 'A Scanner Darkly,' going, 'I hope people see it in theater - but I think it's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-remember-when-i-made-a-scanner-darkly-going-i-hope-people-see-it-in/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [Normally my process is to sit in a room and read a script and talk about it and ask questions and just create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/normally-my-process-is-to-sit-in-a-room-and-read-a-script-and-talk/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [No one is asking what happened to all the homeless. No one cares, because it's easier to get on the subway and not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/no-one-is-asking-what-happened-to-all-the-homeless-no-one-cares/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [If you establish rules and play by them, the audience will buy in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/if-you-establish-rules-and-play-by-them-the-audience-will-buy-in/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [I like films that just put you in someone's world. It can be very subversive. Hitchcock would put you in the mind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-like-films-that-just-put-you-in-someone-s-world-it-can-be-very/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [Being alone is better than sitting next to a lover and feeling lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/being-alone-is-better-than-sitting-next-to-a-lover-and-feeling-lonely/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [I admire people who can just brazenly go through the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-admire-people-who-can-just-brazenly-go-through-the-world/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [The '70s kind of sucked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/the-70s-kind-of-sucked/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [Memory is a wonderful thing if you don't have to deal with the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/memory-is-a-wonderful-thing-if-you-don-t-have-to-deal-with-the-past/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [I want cinema to be a part of my life. It's natural for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-want-cinema-to-be-a-part-of-my-life-it-s-natural-for-me/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [My dad's chill. He's the guy who, you wreck the car, he says, 'Well, nobody was hurt. It's just some metal.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/my-dad-s-chill-he-s-the-guy-who-you-wreck-the-car-he-says-well-nobody/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) [Explore all 180 Richard Linklater quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) ## 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": "People think drama drives story, but I think the comedy is really the heart and soul.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Linklater" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-think-the-comedy-is-really-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-think-the-comedy-is-really-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/richard-linklater-2192_comedy_people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-th_2896999.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/richard-linklater-2192_comedy_people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-th_2896999.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/richard-linklater-2192_comedy_people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-th_2896999.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People think drama drives story, but I think the comedy is really the heart and soul.” — Richard Linklater", "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": "Richard Linklater", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People think drama drives story, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-think-the-comedy-is-really-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/people-think-drama-drives-story-but-i-think-the-comedy-is-really-the/#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 } } ] } ```