Fred Willard

“Kids can relate to having some scary person living near their house. They can relate to, 'Hey, don't go near that house.' We all can.”

“I still think 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' was what they call one of those watershed movies. That and 'The Exorcist' and 'Psycho' were just landmarks for those horror films.”

“I never think I'm old enough to play someone's dad, even though I have a daughter of my own and a grandson.”

“When I started, there was a phase where I wanted to be a cowboy star. I didn't want to do deep, serious parts.”

“'Fernwood 2-Night' didn't help me too much when it was first on.”

“Because I started my career in improv, performing with Second City and the Ace Trucking Company, I always enjoy being in situations where - as an actor - you have to think fast & be light on your feet.”

“There's different kinds of improv. There's Second City improv where you try to slowly build a nice sketch. There's stuff you do in college coffee houses where you just go joke, joke, joke. Bring another funny character with a funny hat on his head. Christopher Guest is more the line of trying to get a story out.”

“Christopher Guest, he'll call and say, 'We're doing this movie, and I'd like you to play _' and he gives you the character, then I always like to enlarge on the character.”

“I love sketch; it's my favorite form. But if it's all improv, they're either very good, and it's annoying how good they are, and it makes you feel bad, or they're not too good; then you're sweating for them.”

“I think everyone has a door in their brain that says, 'Do not exit here.' If you go past it, you'll find all the dumb thoughts in there, all the stupid things that shouldn't be said. I've probably gone there more than anyone should in a given lifetime.”

“I'll go in a minute to see a sketch show.”

“I am re-collecting the baseball cards my mom had thrown out when I went away to school. You know you are an adult when you can buy a whole set of baseball cards instead of two packs at a time.”

“My first improv was Second City in Chicago. Before that, I worked at - with a partner, doing comedy sketches.”

“Looking back, I was a very good kid, very studious and all. But I would always come out with a quip - and I was sent to the principal's office several times.”

“I have a guy who does my hair. He's a car nut. And he was taking motorcycle lessons. And, what was my point?”

“'Field of Dreams.' Definitely one of the best baseball films of all time. When Kevin Costner spoke to his dad, and his dad answered, I, um, I mean a lot of guys I know couldn't help crying.”

“I always loved comedy growing up - Bob Hope, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye.”

“If you're going to take a risk as a comic, make sure it's surrounded by other things that you're certain are funny.”

“Everybody I run into goes, 'Hey, 'Best in Show!'' Or, 'Hey, that dog movie!' which I don't mind because I'm not too good on titles.”

“Comedy relieves you. A lot of times, we think we're the only people bothered by certain things. Then you hear a comic say, 'Don't you hate it when...' And it's, 'Oh, my God! Of course!'”