It's very hard for a woman in comedy. It's hard for women to be bold and not care what anyone, particularly men, think. Maybe that is why so many women comics are lesbians.
I grew up watching Letterman, 'Seinfeld,' 'SNL,' and Monty Python movies. But nothing made me want to get into comedy more than when 'Mr. Show' started airing.
I'd see movies, comedies, and I loved 'Animal House', I loved all the John Hughes stuff, but I never saw me and my friends totally represented.
The problem with romantic comedies is you know the ending by the poster. So they're not movies you can keep doing over and over again expect satisfaction somehow.
There's plenty of room for all sorts of movies and all sorts of comedies, so I never saw that as a competitive thing. I think there's room in the marketplace for everything.
Because I've done so many hour dramas, people tend to think of you as more of a dramatic actor and don't see you as doing comedy.
I do films that I like. I have done comedy, romance, everything, and I always like to do it differently from the previous ones.
My comedy does not come from a place of deep cynicism, and I tend to play characters who are naive in some way.
I feel like comedy had a boys'-club label when we were starting.
I think one of the big things about comedy is the ability for the audience to identify.
People in blind love throw away common sense, conscience and comedy from the life.
Someone once described me as the Zelig of comedy, and I think I know what he means.
I was in NYC during 9/11; it happened on a Tuesday, I was on stage Thursday. It was a small crowd, but it took about 10 days and comedy clubs were packed.
The first night you walk down to a comedy club, at least for me, I had my voice, and then I went on stage and I lost it.
I try and write satire that's well-intentioned. But those intentions have to be hidden. It can't be completely clear, and that's what makes it comedy.
I think the comedy clubs tend to homogenize the acts a little bit, because they force them to be palatable in way too many environments.
I'm trying to make sure that there's comedy as well as sadness. It makes the sadness more memorable.
The Russian male audience, they loved 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door,' and they like my comedies, but the Russian male audience is action, action, action.
My idol is Bea Arthur. I really tried to follow her example. She is one of my comedy 'she-roes.'
I feel that the work that I have done in the comedy arena, is priceless in terms of what I learned, timing, everything that these incredibly talented performers were generous enough in teaching me.
I've done a lot of work other than sci-fi, and between half-hour comedy, stage, and various movie roles, I've really tried to avoid being typecast.
