Richard Lewis Quotes

#1. When I was younger, I listened to the greats: Winters, Mel and Carl, Nichols and May, Pryor, Carlin, Klein, Berman and lots of Lenny Bruce albums. But once I started doing fairly well, I didn't want to hear anybody's jokes or premises.

Richard Lewis

#2. I never wanted to do observational humor because I never wanted to tell people what they were seeing.

Richard Lewis

#3. Most Texans think Hanukkah is some sort of duck call.

Richard Lewis

#4. I tried phone sex - it gave me an ear infection ...

Richard Lewis

#5. For 45 years I've worked without an audience.

Richard Lewis

#6. My parents were my worst audience.

Richard Lewis

#7. When I started out, I struggled, and I was broke a lot. But I'm glad I struggled, and I'm glad I was broke a lot.

Richard Lewis

#8. I quit therapy because my analyst was trying to help me behind my back.

Richard Lewis

#9. My performance level has risen - and my anxiety-level has sky-rocketed.

Richard Lewis

#10. I like to read biographies of authors that I love, like Richard Yates. I also like to see what non-fiction authors are out there. My bible is Something Happened. It's one of the greatest books I've ever read. But if I don't read a Dostoevsky soon I'm going to kill myself.

Richard Lewis

#11. My grandmother was a Jewish juggler: she used to worry about six things at once.

Richard Lewis

#12. During sex I fantasize that I'm someone else.

Richard Lewis

#13. There's a thin line between narcissism, even if it's a healthy narcissism, and entertainment.

Richard Lewis

#14. I didn't ever feel close to my real family. I didn't feel validated; I never felt right because I was always wrong.

Richard Lewis

#15. I'm psyched-up when I do radio. I can reach hundreds of thousands of people in a market. And way psyched-up when I'm on television. For people not to take it seriously is foolish.

Richard Lewis

#16. My wife's hip, beautiful and independent and never jealous.

Richard Lewis

#17. I read somewhere that when I go on stage, people realize that they're not me and they feel better. When I walk off the stage, people know who I really am. I'm not saying it's great comedy, cool comedy or better comedy - but that's what I do, and I do it first for myself.

Richard Lewis

#18. When you're in love it's the most glorious two and a half days of your life.

Richard Lewis

#19. I'm paranoid. On my stationary bike, I have a rear view mirror.

Richard Lewis

#20. I love being famous. It validates that I have something to say.

Richard Lewis

#21. My humor is channeling everything through my brain. For example, when I talk about something, it's how Richard Lewis feels about it. I'm a storyteller. I do a lot of free association.

Richard Lewis

#22. My act is always a work in progress. I pray I have a bad day before a show.

Richard Lewis