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Denis Leary

Denis Leary Quotes

Actor

Denis Leary, born on August 18, 1957, is a renowned American actor. Known for his distinctive humor and profound character portrayals, he has starred in numerous television series and films.

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Famous Denis Leary Quotes

“No matter what anybody says, relationships are based on physical attraction. The first time I saw my wife, it was pure animal whatever.”

Firsts Matter Animal Saws Wife Pure First Time No Matter What My Wife Attraction Physical Attraction

Author:Denis Leary

“Once you have a firefighter in your family, your family and the families from his crew become one big extended family.”

Bigs Crew Firefighter Extended Family

Author:Denis Leary

“Science fiction was never my thing. I have no interest in it.”

Interest Fiction Science Fiction

Author:Denis Leary

“Sometimes 'great acting' is just showing off - chewing up scenery and dialogue and other actors - the equivalent of a theatrical sugar rush.”

Sometimes Actors Acting Dialogue Sugar Theatrical Showing Off Scenery Chewing

Author:Denis Leary

“The best comedy audiences in the country and this is tried and true, I'm not just saying it, in my opinion are Boston, Atlanta, and Chicago.”

Country Opinion Audience Comedy Chicago Boston Just Saying Atlanta Best Comedy

Author:Denis Leary

“The best thing about series TV is that everyone you work with is hand-picked, as compared to working on a film.”

Hands Film Tvs Series Best Things

Author:Denis Leary

“The Social Wishlist on Facebook is a great example of everything right about social media.”

Social Media Example Social Media

Author:Denis Leary

“There's no male Oprah.”

Author:Denis Leary

“There's no way around it, drama is very difficult to shoot. It's very heavy and something that you carry with you for the course of the day.”

Way Courses Difficult Drama Heavy

Author:Denis Leary

“There's not going to be a 'Rescue Me' movie. Not a chance.”

Chance Rescue Rescue Me

Author:Denis Leary

“Vacuuming is great. I do the laundry. I love washing machines. I'm the maid in my house.”

House Machines Washing Maids Laundry Washing Machines

Author:Denis Leary

“When I was doing standup, I always wanted to get out of the standup world and take it back into the theatrical world, like with "No Cure For Cancer."”

World Wanted Cancer Cures Theatrical

Author:Denis Leary

“When I'm on stage, that's me. It's blown up, but that's me.”

Author:Denis Leary

“Where I grew up, the basketball courts were rarely used.”

Used Grew Basketball Grew Up Court Basketball Court

Author:Denis Leary

“Wolfhounds helped kill off the wolves in Ireland.”

Author:Denis Leary

“You try to - you want to fly on both sides of the political fence because that's where the - where the comedy is.”

Want Trying Political Sides Comedy Fence Both Sides

Author:Denis Leary

“People saying, 'Life didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.' Welcome to the club. I wanted to be the starting center-fielder for the Boston Red Sox, for chrissakes!”

People Way Wanted Turns Red Starting Clubs Welcome Boston Boston Red Sox Saying Life Center Fielders

Author:Denis Leary

“If you want a long-term relationship that doesn't require a lot of work, I say, get a dog. They love you no matter what. But when it comes to humans, there's no secret; you really have to appreciate the person every single day.”

Ifs Want Humans Persons Long Matter Term Secret Love You Dog Appreciate No Matter What Long Term Long Term Relationship

Author:Denis Leary

“Stand-up comedy and comedy in general is the ultimate form of free speech, because you get to poke holes in all the pretentious bubbles politicians and pundits and popes and pretenders try to float over our heads.”

Trying Form Comedy Politician Speech Ultimate Holes Bubbles Free Speech Pope Floats Pretentious Poke Stand Up Comedy Pundits Pretender

Book:Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid

Source: Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid

“Anthony Mackie in 'The Hurt Locker' is everything an actor can hope to be. So rock steady in his portrayal that you immediately forget every performance he may have previously given, and focus only on the character in front of you.”

May Character Actors Given Hurt Forget Focus Rocks Fronts Performances Steady Lockers Portrayal Hurt Locker

Author:Denis Leary

“Anybody who's done standup will tell you that there's nothing like it. The show starts at 8:00, the curtain goes up and there's nobody else except you and the audience, and you just perform for them for two hours. Nobody yells, 'Cut!' There are no retakes. That is still the most exciting medium for me, and I love it.”

Stills Two Done Shows Hours Audience Cutting Exciting Mediums Curtains

Author:Denis Leary

“Certain movies like 'Wag The Dog,' we used improv on every scene that we did. Pretty much, we would shoot from the script and then some stuff that we came up with in rehearsal, and then we'd have at least one or two takes where we completely went off the script and just flew by the seat of our pants.”

Two Used Certain Stuff Dog Scene Scripts Seats Pants Rehearsal Flew Wags Wag The Dog

Author:Denis Leary

“Everyone's got skeletons in their closet, and I've got a million in mine, believe me. I tested the envelope; I pushed it. Whenever somebody in authority told me not to do something, I did it just to find out why they said not to do it.”

Believe Said Millions Mines Authority Believe In Me They Said Closets Tested Skeletons Envelopes Pushing The Envelope

Author:Denis Leary

“First of all, I have to have trucks because I live most of my time on a horse farm, so I've gotta have trucks. It's in the northeast; I've got to have pickup trucks to move snow, number one. Number two, just if I'm driving, I don't have to have an SUV, but I want a big car.”

Ifs Want Firsts Two Bigs Moving Numbers Car Horse Driving Snow My Time Farms Truck Pickups Suvs Pickup Trucks Big Cars

Author:Denis Leary

“For us as writers, it's really important to have songs we believe in - even before sometimes we shoot a scene. If we have a song that's so perfectly designed for a scene on 'Rescue Me,' we'll play it on loud speakers during the shooting. It helps the cameraman and it helps the director, and it helps the actors know what the feel is.”

Ifs Knows Feels Believe Important Sometimes Play Helping Song Actors Scene Directors Shooting Loud Speakers Rescue Cameraman Rescue Me

Author:Denis Leary

“Good actors, especially when they know their character, will come in and either tell you in advance that they have an idea, or in the middle of the rehearsal or the scene they'll let it loose and you go, "Ah that's great."”

Knows Ideas Character Actors Middle Scene Rehearsal Good Actors

Author:Denis Leary

“Having dealt with a lot of real firefighters, I know there are a lot of guys who, for lack of a better term, become addicted to the grief because it has kept them connected to these guys that they felt responsible for having lost.”

Knows Real Guy Lost Felt Term Grief Responsible Connected Firefighter

Author:Denis Leary

“Here's the problem with Easter. The Catholic Church needs to pick a date because it keeps moving. And I think the reason they always have Easter moving to different dates is to catch us.”

Thinking Needs Different Reason Problem Moving Church Picks Catholic Easter Keep Moving Catholic Church

Author:Denis Leary

“I basically - I don't like tattoos, unless you're a firefighter who has a tattoo that has to do with that or a military guy. That's - those are people who should have tattoos.”

People Should Guy Military Should Have Tattoo Firefighter

Author:Denis Leary

“I fell asleep during 'Year One' twice. And my son, who never falls asleep during a Jack Black movie, also nodded off. That's how bad it was. I was incredibly disappointed.”

Years Fall Black Son My Son Disappointed Year One Black Movie

Author:Denis Leary

“I guess you get pigeon-holed in Hollywood, but I'm ok with that because I've been able to do a lot. I started in the theater, then I went to stand-up comedy, and then when I went into the movies to do comedy and drama and big movies and small movies.”

Bigs Able Comedy Drama Hollywood Theater Pigeons Stand Up Comedy Big Movie

Author:Denis Leary

“I learned a long time ago, if you want to keep your friends in show business, don't get famous. Because as soon as you get famous, a lot of the people you used to know, who didn't, become incredibly bitter and jealous. It's part of the territory.”

People Ifs Knows Want Long Shows Used Long Time Bitter Jealous Territory Show Business Long Time Ago

Author:Denis Leary

“I obviously identify with the anti-authority figure. I've pretty much always had problems with authority, ever since I was a kid. But, yeah, it's not identifying, I think it's more a part of my natural DNA that I question anybody who has a plan. Everybody's got to have an angle; that's the way I grew up.”

Thinking Way Problem Kids Natural Plans Figures Grew Authority Grew Up Yeah Angle Dna Identifying Authority Figures

Author:Denis Leary

“I remember 9/11; we had 'Comics Come Home' about a month after those events. That night, even the comedians were concerned. Would the audience be ready to laugh? It was a release for everyone.”

Home Remember Night Audience Laughing Events Ready Months Concerned Release Comedian Coming Home

Author:Denis Leary

“I think daycare is great for people who have to work two jobs. My problem is with people who are dropping kids off at daycare because they want to go out and spend the day golfing or getting their nails done. You know what I mean? That's not why they invented daycare.”

People Thinking Knows Want Mean Two Done Problem Kids Jobs Nails Dropping Golfing Two Jobs Daycare Nails Done

Author:Denis Leary

“I think it's a shame when you come across young actors and musicians who haven't had the time to learn their craft. It doesn't matter if it's acting or music, you really have to learn how to do it from the bottom up because unless you have a great work ethic... fame is a terrible thing to have.”

Ifs Thinking Matter Young Actors Acting Havens Terrible Fame Musician Ethics Shame Bottom Crafts Work Ethic Great Work Terrible Things Young Actors Great Work Ethic

Author:Denis Leary

“I wanted to be a hockey player. Where I grew up, the basketball courts were rarely used. I was terrible in school and actually said, 'I'm going to be a hockey player.'”

Said Wanted School Used Player Grew Terrible Basketball Grew Up Court Hockey Hockey Player Basketball Court

Author:Denis Leary

“I went to school with Steven Wright who was the shyest guy I knew, and one day someone suddenly told me that he was in a club doing standup comedy. I went down to his club and he was great. Another friend of mine, who was pretty much a thief by trade, was hosting the show. So I thought if these guys can do it then so can I.”

Ifs Shows School Guy Can Do Comedy Mines One Day Trade Clubs Thieves

Author:Denis Leary

“I'd love to play in a Red Sox game. It would be so awesome to actually walk out on the field and play, just for one inning. I'd also steal everything I could get my hands on in the clubhouse, which is why they won't let me do it.”

Play Hands Would Be Games Walks Fields Red Let Me Stealing

Author:Denis Leary

“I'm born and raised in the Northeast. My parents are Irish immigrants. So our tendency is to shy away from the big yellow ball that comes up in the sky every once in a while.”

Bigs Parent Born Sky Balls Raised Come Up Tendencies Shy Immigrants Yellow Born And Raised

Author:Denis Leary

“I'm not saying being a comedian is brain surgery, but it is definitely - it's like being a carpenter. You learn how to make tables and chairs. You have to have the right tools, and you have to know how to put the thing together, right?”

Knows Together Brain Know How Tools Tables Comedian Chairs Surgery Carpenter Brain Surgery Tables And Chairs

Author:Denis Leary

“I'm praying for 'Ice Age' 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Because I really think we can run those characters into the '60s, and I'm talking the 1960s, you know? The Civil Rights Movement. That's what I'm praying for, because then I wouldn't have to do anything else.”

Thinking Knows Character Running Age Talking Rights Movement Praying Civil Rights Ice 1960s Civil Rights Movement Ice Age

Author:Denis Leary

“If I'm president, there are going to be government vans that drive around and pick up people who shouldn't be wearing certain clothing. Talk about lack of civil rights - I'm sorry, I'm pulling you right off the street, and we're giving you clothes that you're going to be O.K. in.”

People Ifs Giving Government Certain President Rights Streets Clothes Picks Sorry Civil Rights Clothings Pulling I'm Sorry Vans

Author:Denis Leary

“In my experience in series TV if you have a good crew and a great cast it's going to be a great group - similar to the theater where it's a bunch of people who are really talented and go to work each day and challenge each other and if you are lucky enough to get a hit then it's five or six or seven years of this kind of work.”

People Ifs Years Kind Enough Challenges Five Groups Tvs Lucky Six Theater Series Seven Casts Bunch Each Day Crew Seven Years

Author:Denis Leary

“It would be great if firefighters across the country had the guarantee that they would be making enough money to support their family right from the get-go, but that's not the case.”

Ifs Country Enough Would Be Cases Support Guarantees Guarantees That Firefighter

Author:Denis Leary

“Kids are incredibly expensive. But it pays off later when they are better educated, bigger, and better-looking than you. And find you incessantly boring and uncool.”

Kids Pay Bigger Boring Educated Expensive Incessantly Uncool Bigger And Better

Author:Denis Leary

“Most of the women placed in the fire department here in New York never passed the physical test. And a fat guy or a short guy, or anybody not passing the test in a life-or-death job, leads to friction.”

Jobs Guy Fire New York Tests Passing Fats Passings Department Friction Life Or Death Fire Department

Author:Denis Leary

“My career plan at this point is 'Ice Age 5' through '10,' and even '12,' and 'Spider Man' - you know, basically I'd be Emma Stone's dad for the rest of my career. I really don't have any problem doing that.”

Knows Men Problem Age Careers Plans Dad Stones Ice Spiders Emma Spider Man Ice Age

Author:Denis Leary

“My charity is in the business of helping firefighters in any way that we can. For instance, after 9/11 we were the second-fastest charity to raise and distribute money to the widows and surviving family members of the 343 firefighters who died that day.”

Way Helping Members Died Raises Charity Instance Surviving Widows Family Members Firefighter

Author:Denis Leary

“My cousin Jerry Lucey and five other firefighters died in a warehouse fire in Worcester, Mass. - my hometown - right in the middle of our old neighborhood downtown when a homeless couple started a fire to keep warm and the entire building went up. My cousin died trying to save homeless people who had already left the building.”

People Trying Left Fire Five Middle Building Couple Mass Died Warm Neighborhood Homeless Cousin Jerry Hometown Downtown Firefighter My Cousin Warehouse Homeless People Old Neighborhood

Author:Denis Leary

About the Author

Born: August 18, 1957
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 239

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Popular Topics

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Books & Sources

No Cure for CancerRelated source material

Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and StupidRelated source material

Why We Don't Suck: And How All of Us Need to Stop Being Such Partisan Little BitchesRelated source material

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