A biography for Yakov Smirnoffhasn’t been written yet.
“Falling in love is a chemical reaction. But it wears off in a year.”
“If you have something important to say, Broadway and New York are great places to say it.”
“To my real estate agent, Chernobyl is a fixer-upper.”
“Americans think Soviets are so grim. I want them to see that they can smile.”
“Homosexuality in Russia is a crime and the punishment is seven years in prison, locked up with the other men. There is a three year waiting list.”
“I like American women. They do things sexually Russian girls never dream of doing - like showering.”
“I was not only typecast as a Russian, but I was typecast as Yakov Smirnoff. This is understandable, and I was very happy to get the roles, but it would be nice to be in a movie where I could be someone else.”
“I have American in-laws, and I care about the environment. We don't use disposable diapers, which, of course, creates an environmental problem of our own.”
“I believe that love and laughter can only happen when one person takes the time to think about what would cause the other person to feel good.”
“I came to America to make it my home, and I did.”
“Balance is so important in our lives. In our busy world, we can give ourselves balance between thinking and feeling.”
“My father described this tall lady who stands in the middle of the New York harbor, holding high a torch to welcome people seeking freedom in America. I instantly fell in love.”
“It's kind of bittersweet. The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart.”
“We have been learning since we were children how to make money, buy things, build things. The whole education system is set up to teach us how to think, not to feel.”
“After the Soviet Union collapsed, people thought I wasn't funny anymore.”
“In today's society we sometimes forget to balance our hearts and our heads; this is the reason we stop laughing.”
“Never having alone time is real tough on people.”