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Even in the depths of dreadful situations, there's usually something rather comic, or something you can laugh about afterwards, at least. So, I do look for the comedy in those things.

Why do we laugh at such terrible things? Because comedy is often the sarcastic realization of inescapable tragedy.

I don't really find things funny unless they're deeply tragic at the same time. I think if you're funny just for the sake of being funny, it's just frivolous nonsense. To me, all the best comic plays have been written about really serious and rather bleak things.

I'm able to see humor in a lot of things.

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.

When you're a comedic actor and you're used to just getting laughs, it's kind of scary to go serious, even for a second.

Sure, the comedians who swear or use scatological humor can get laughs, but they're uncomfortable laughs.

In life, comedy occurs naturally, as it should, in the most appalling of circumstances.

I think in life, the sense of humor and comedy always exists.