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I remember being onstage once when I didn't have fear: I got so scared I didn't have fear that it brought on an anxiety attack.

It's interesting - years ago, I had such bad stage fright during musical theater auditions that I just gave up. And now I'm on Broadway.

I continue to be very shy. I think a lot of actors and performers are really weird, shy people working it out onstage. I don't know why that is.

It's kind of weird - I get shy when I'm around new people, still, even when I'm onstage. I come from not really wanting to be in lights or known or in front of people.

Even though I was very shy, I found I could get onstage if I had a new identity.

I've always had to conquer fear when I'm on stage. Basically, I was and still am a very shy person. It's absolutely in conflict with what I do. But once I deliver the first joke I'm okay. It's like I'm out there all by myself just delivering my lines to nobody in particular without ever trying to notice the audience in front of me.

Even when I became the typical shy adolescent, I never minded performing. I felt there was a kind of safety, a protection about being on stage, about losing myself in another character.

I started out doing my mother's nightclub act, and I had stage fright.

I conquered my stage fright a long time ago. In my line of work, it's kind of a pre-requisite that you not feel bad about looking stupid in front of a lot of people.

I was not naturally meant to be on stage. I hated being in the spotlight; I was scared.