Quote

I wasn't playing Nixon's satirical stick figure. I was playing Nixon the man. As an actor, I felt I had to get to the deeply flawed humanity of the guy.

Harry Shearer

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Harry Shearer
Age: 80
Born: 1943
Born: December 23
Actor
Dub Actor
Film Actor
Film Director
Film Producer
Journalist
Musician
Radio Personality
Screenwriter
Television Actor
Voice Actor
LA
California
Harry Julius Shearer
Men
Figures
Actor
Satirical
Playing
Nixon
Wasn
Flawed
Humanity
Stick
Guy
Sticks
Actors
Deeply
Felt
Figure

More quotes by Harry Shearer

Image
Music can happen with equal ease as a solo or collaborative venture, it seems to me.
Harry Shearer
Image
Here's a guy [Richard Nixon] who had no gift for small talk, never liked to be around strangers, was physically awkward, and he goes into the one business that calls for ease with strangers and a gift for small talk.
Harry Shearer
Image
As a kid, I really did want to hang out with the grownups, so it was hanging out with the hippest grownups in the world. This was the nicest bunch of people I've worked with in show business, with the exception of the people around 'A Mighty Wind.' It really was a wonderful eight years.
Harry Shearer
Image
When it moved to Friday night it disappeared, when they find another show that can do what The Simpsons does, they will be delighted to do cancel The Simpsons.
Harry Shearer
Image
To do then now would be retro. To do then then was very now-tro, if you will.
Harry Shearer
Image
I think the British learn their history through the prism of this gallery of grotesques known as the royals.
Harry Shearer
Image
When I was growing up, we learned our history almost as lives of the saints. And it came as a shock, Oh, Jefferson had slaves? It always comes as a shock to us that elevation to the White House didn't somehow cleanse them of all their deep character flaws.
Harry Shearer
Image
If Nixon were a Republican senator today, he would have been primaried out.
Harry Shearer
Image
You know, radio was a really easy way to do the shows. You'd come in, do a read-through, there'd be a few rehearsals, then you'd come the night of the show and do it in front of the audience and then go home.
Harry Shearer
Image
[The word class has] been excised from the acceptable political vocabulary, except in the limited usage of right-wingers when they accuse liberals of inciting 'class warfare' - a charge that means it's okay for rich people to vote their economic interests but it's not all right to encourage poor people to do so.
Harry Shearer
Image
I have a very strong visual memory of the first time I made him laugh. That was remarkable. I was like, Oh, God, I just made Jack Benny laugh.
Harry Shearer
Image
You have to do real acting, not just do a voice.
Harry Shearer
Image
I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines. Nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.
Harry Shearer
Image
I didn't have a lot of independent film connections. It really took until the digital film revolution came along that I realized that I could do it myself.
Harry Shearer
Image
I've got an odd, negative bond with C. Montgomery Burns. He reminds a lot of people of bosses they've worked for. He certainly reminds me of someone I'm working for.
Harry Shearer
Image
Nixon's genius was that he was able to portray himself as the toughest of the anti-communists, and yet run on a platform that he had a plan to end the Vietnam War. And, of course, his plan was to prolong it until his second election - but he didn't tell us that then.
Harry Shearer
Image
Anybody who says that having the public recognize them and relate to the work they do is irritating should get into another line of work. You're in this business for people to know what you do and like it.
Harry Shearer
Image
I think in most cases, if you're with good people, comedy creation happens faster in collaboration. That's how I can tell if it's a good collaboration: If it's faster than me by myself, then it works. If it's slower than me by myself, then I get out of the room.
Harry Shearer
Image
Well Washington DC what are you going to do. They think the capitol steps are the state of the art in comedy. You try to drag them into the 20th century let alone the 21st and they refuse to come with you.
Harry Shearer
Image
I always used to sit next to Mel Blanc when we'd do the shows. When you have Jack Benny on one side and Mel Blanc on the other, you're not going to go far wrong.
Harry Shearer