John Cleese on acting

All humans are stupid, but the smarter ones at least have a handle on their own ignorance.

I’m struck by how laughter connects you with people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy.

When you get to my age, and I’m 66 now, you realize that the world is a madhouse and that most people are operating in fantasy anyway. So once you realise that, it doesn’t bother you much.

The secret of acting is sincerity. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.

George Burns1896–1996

The art of acting consists in keeping people from coughing.

Ralph Richardson1902–1983Often credited to Benjamin Franklin

If there’s anything unsettling to the stomach, it’s watching actors on television talk about their personal lives.

Marlon Brando1924–2004

• Television