I want to do what I can lend my talents to, but I want it to be as a human being and not as a two-dimensional character.
Gene WilderRead
If there's an audience, I think they're going to expect me to be funny. But what if I'm not funny? What if I fail?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses the pressure to be humorous in front of an audience and the fear of failing to meet their expectations.
Gene Wilder highlights the anxiety that performers often face when they feel compelled to be funny for their audience. This fear of not living up to expectations can create significant pressure, leading to self-doubt about their abilities and the risk of failure in entertaining others.
Themes
AudienceFunnyFailurePressureExpectations
In practice
Example use cases
In a comedy club setting, a comedian might use this quote to illustrate the common fears of performing.
More from Gene Wilder
All quotes βSo my idea of neurotic is spending too much time trying to correct a wrong. When I feel that I'm doing that, then I snap out of it.
Gene WilderRead
A lot of comic actors derive their main force from childish behavior. Most great comics are doing such silly things; you'd say, 'That's what a child would do.
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What good is a character who's always winking at the audience to let them in on the secret?
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I never used to believe in fate. I used to think you make your own life and then you call it fate. That's why I call it irony.
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If my mother hadn't laughed at the funny things I did, I probably wouldn't be a comic actor. After she had her first heart attack, the doctor said, 'Try to make her laugh.' And that was the first time I tried to make anyone laugh.
Gene WilderRead
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