15 Quotes by Jason Mantzoukas

Maybe it's just my improv and sketch background, but I'm a lot more comfortable in a group. I like sharing focus and populating an ensemble.

People know my background and for people who need an improviser, I'm one of the people they think to use if I'm appropriate for the part.

There are the class clowns that are disruptive and the kids laugh and you earn the teacher's disdain, I was the kind of class clown that also cracked the teacher up. I was funny in a way that was not dissing the teacher; I was funny just to be funny.

A good comedy with a purpose behind it is exhilarating.

When I was a child, I was referred to as the Danny Kaye of the family, because I was always impersonating and mimicking people. I was a song and dance man.

Looking the way I look, whenever anybody's looking for a light brown funny guy, I get the call... I'm 100 percent Greek, but I look like I could be Indian or Middle Eastern or Hispanic. If it's ethnic, they'll try and put me in it.

I like antagonizing the audience, poking at them.

At a certain point, I had to be like, 'I will not do any more auditions with a Middle Eastern accent.'

There are girls who find the giant beard 'gross' and 'creepy.' I know because they tell me.