Funny things tend not to happen to me. I am not a natural comic. I need to think about things a lot before I can be even remotely amusing.

I think I have an inner confidence that my tastes are pretty simple that what I find funny finds a wide audience. I'm not particularly intellectual or clever or minority-focused in my creative instincts. And I'm certainly not aware of suppressing more sophisticated ambitions.

I'm never afraid to try something if I think it's funny. And I know I'll regret it if I don't.

I don't really necessarily think I'm a funny guy but I like the opportunity to take on something that I don't feel I'm the best at doing.

I think things are funny when the character is taking it totally seriously.

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is a form of service journalism. To be successful I think it has to be a combination of a good story it has to be funny and it also needs to be packed with useful information.

I think a lot of humor is about distracting yourself. Pretend you're not trying to make it funny. Because for some reason the effort to be funny smells like sulphur in our culture.

Some of the writers I admire who seem very very funny and very emotional to me can develop a closeness with the reader without giving too much of themselves away. Lorrie Moore comes to mind as does David Sedaris. When they write the reader thinks that they're being trusted as a friend.

I'm an unorthodox type of guy a funny guy - at least I think I'm funny. And one of the things I like to do is come up with nicknames for myself.

This is going to sound really funny. I have a poster of Zac Efron on my wall! I think every girl has a poster of him in their room so why not join the club!

I think Chris Rock at the Oscars was a great example. I thought that was intellectually hilarious. The Gap starts a war with Banana Republic... That to me was funny.

I don't think 'Gee I'd like to dress this person.' There was a picture in Us magazine. It was a jersey dress and Courtney Love was wearing it. I have this thing about Courtney Love this funny worship.

As a writer or as a filmmaker you have to present yourself and part of what yourself is is what you're interested in or what you think is funny or what you think is sad or what you think is horrible.

I sometimes lie awake at night trying to think of something funny that Richard Nixon said.

If Joy Behar or Sherri Shepherd was a dude they'd be off TV. They're not funny enough for dudes. What if Roseanne Barr was a dude? Think we'd know who she was?

I love things made out of animals. It's just so funny to think of someone saying 'I need a letter opener. I guess I'll have to kill a deer.

I think there have always been funny women from Carol Burnett to Joan Rivers. When the audience sees a woman they innately know she's worked twice as hard to get there she's had to prove that she can be the leader first and then be funny on top of it. She has to emit a confidence that she's in control.

I need to be cheered up a lot. I think funny people are people who need to be cheered up.

In this world everyone wants to know everything about you and I think that's funny.

People used to be funny about approaching me but now they seem to think I'm as sane as anyone who's done what I've done in movies can be.

I never know when I am being funny and the other way too. I don't think you can think about that. I don't think you can try to be funny. Some people are just funny.

Laurence Olivier said in an interview once that when he plays a tragedy he always aims for the funny parts and the other way around. Because in a comedy you look for what's serious. I think that's true. Sometimes things are really funny if you're absolutely earnest. If you're really serious it's hilarious.

It's funny how people who ain't never been down there can think that America is so fair and that we should be alright. It's funny that the people who have their foot on our neck are telling us 'Get up. What's wrong with you?'

Who do I like? I am a big fan of French and Saunders - not that that they are particularly stand-up I have to say but I think they have been great for women and they are of themselves just incredibly funny whether they are male or female.