A Quote by Michael Winterbottom
From my experience working with comedians, there is that competitive aspect. With actors, for instance, they don't want to look competitive even if they are, whereas comedians, I think, are openly happy to play on the idea that they all compete with each other to get the laughs. There's something about comedy, I think, that encourages that. There's this kind of schoolboy sense of wanting to top the other person that we play off of to show them competing for who's smarter or cleverer.
Related Quotes
A lot of times people will have after-parties or try and host an event for comedians, and they misunderstand us. They think it should be wild and crazy, or loud music, and comedians are typically pretty mellow people that just want to talk to each other. I think it would be highly unusual to find comedians who want to be at a loud, crowded party.
I'm a competitive person by nature, and I have been in competitive companies, and I love to compete - joining a company where, certainly, there is a real fire in the belly to compete and bring that energy is something I look forward to.
I think there are different kinds of comedians, and I prefer the clowns who are going: 'I'm an idiot, aren't we all a bit like this, laugh at me.' Whereas, a lot of other comedians are saying: 'Aren't I clever? You want to be me, aren't I cool? Revere me.' Which is fine. But that's not my bag.
I'm a very competitive person, but competitive with myself. I want to be the best that I can be, and if that means that I'm eventually better than everyone else, then so be it. But I don't go around comparing and contrasting myself with other actors if I can help it. It's also, I think, the key to my success.
Actors are insanely competitive and they hold back on each other. They are like magicians and none of them want to show their tricks.
On screen, we have to pretend we hate each other, or dislike each other, or don't want to talk or listen to each other, but off camera, it's just one big happy family. We hang out off the show and we play cards together and go have dinner together.
I love the competitive aspect of it [business]. It's like playing chess. Why do people play chess? Knowing the realm of moves? Even when you get to be a chess master, there are other chess masters you want to beat or outperform. And to me business is just a sport that I love to compete in; a continuous intellectual challenge that really motivates me.
There's so many variables in comedy. Comedy is not this thing that's a performance like a play. It's really an interaction with every single person in the room. And if there's a weirdness in the room for any people, be it something the comedians did at the top of the set or be it the mixture of the people isn't right, something can go awry. So it's really great to see you proven wrong about someone.
Actors are like magicians. They'll sit there and do all their tricks to each other. It's very competitive, and the goal is to get them bonding, to get them to know the real person as quickly as possible.
A lot of times, people will have after-parties or try and host an event for comedians, and they misunderstand us. They think it should be wild and crazy, or loud music, and comedians are typically pretty mellow people that just want to talk to each other.
I'm friends with a lot of comedians, but we don't talk about material. Most comedians I know don't watch a lot of other comedy.
I'm not a competitive player at all, but I don't want competitive games to go away, because for some people that's why they play games, to compete.
You have comedians who just do jokes, and they're called comics, not comedians. You have comedians that do bits - a person that has a lot of jokes that have a beginning, a middle and an end, but it's not a real story. And you have someone that does great stories, the one that blends those things together - that person is doing comedy.
It's hard to be so mentally competitive and when you're not competing you try to turn it off but it doesn't work like that. I don't think you can just turn it off, I think you still find ways to be competitive - if it's playing a video game, if it's playing cards.
I was incredibly competitive, growing up with two brothers; we'd argue and play against each other in the garden continuously. If we have a competition, I want to beat them.
There are elements of comedy that can be competitive and back stab-y, but one of the underreported sides is that we love each other and help each other, kind of like a messed up extended family.
Related Authors
Alex Prager Quotes
American
Filmmaker
Ari Marcopoulos Quotes
American
Filmmaker
Astra Taylor Quotes
American
Filmmaker
Avi Lewis Quotes
Canadian
Filmmaker
Cory Trepanier Quotes
Canadian
Filmmaker
David Gordon Green Quotes
American
Filmmaker
Gregory Colbert Quotes
Canadian
Filmmaker
Haile Gerima Quotes
Ethiopian
Filmmaker
Joe Berlinger Quotes
American
Filmmaker
Kalle Lasn Quotes
Canadian
Filmmaker
Kim Longinotto Quotes
British
Filmmaker
Mary Harron Quotes
Canadian
Filmmaker
Pamela Yates Quotes
American
Filmmaker
Warren Miller Quotes
American
Filmmaker
