Wanda Sykes
I tried theatre. I played Miss Hannigan for a short run of Annie at a regional theatre. That was fun. I enjoyed it! I enjoy theatre and have so much respect for theatre actors.Collection: Respect
People are going to label you anyway, but the one that bugs me the most is when they say, 'One of the funniest female comedians.' There's s no 'funniest male comedians.' You're either a funny comedian, or you're not!Collection: Funny
I'm always thinking of stuff; I just don't sit down and write it. I come up with material more as I go along; if something funny happens, I'll make a note of it on my phone.Collection: Funny
I have a sidekick, Keith Robinson, who's very funny. I've known Keith for over 20 years; he's my best friend.Collection: Funny
That's why I talk about the breast cancer: because I want women - and everyone - to stay on top of things and get checked. I know how scary it can be. When I dealt with it, I was like, 'Oh my God.' And I have so many other friends who have gone through it or have suffered a loss.Collection: Women
I worked with people like Edward Snowden. Well, not people who took stuff home.Collection: Home
Sometimes black people really want to hold onto our oppression - 'This is ours! This belongs to us.' You can't just talk about equality for somebody else. Let's pass it on. Let's pass it on to somebody else. At the end of the day, it is all about inequality.Collection: Equality
I'm here today because I refused to be unhappy. I took a chance.Collection: Chance
There's obviously a group who enjoys what Tyler Perry is putting out there. And why fault them? And there's a group that loves the things that Spike does. So they should enjoy that, too. Is it my taste? Maybe not, but I'm not going to fault anybody for doing what they're doing as long as people are showing up.
I'm a huge Sia fan. I love Sia, I have just about all of her stuff.
I'm a stand-up comic. I'm always doing dates; it's just that, if I'm working on a project or I'm busy, I can't get out on the road or book any shows. Since the beginning of my career, I'm usually out for at least 10-15 dates throughout the year. If I have time, then I try to get at least 30-40 dates.
My shows and my material are grounded in reality. It's pretty much something that's either happened in my life or in the news, and I start there and give you my take on it.
People are getting careers from YouTube and uploading videos. And they're totally different - you can't necessarily be funny on a video, and then all of a sudden you're live in a theater. You don't have the tools yet. It's a lot more involved to go from being funny on a little iPhone screen to being live in front of people and being funny.
I think sometimes celebrities can hurt a candidate. You don't want people to judge them on your last project.
I had breast cancer. Yeah, I know it's scary.
It wasn't until after the reduction that in the lab work, the pathology, that they found that I had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in my left breast. I was very, very lucky because DCIS is basically stage-zero cancer. So I was very lucky.
I have a lot of breast cancer history on my mother's side of the family.
D.C. is where I started. That's home for me. I always love coming back to the area. They treat me so well, and people show up. They're excited and claim me as their own. I love it.
There's so many good comedians in D.C. I started hanging out with those guys. Dave Chappelle was there. Actually, Dave was too young to be in the clubs, so when his mom couldn't make it, he would ask me to pretend I was his aunt, so he could do open mike.
In this business, you get an opportunity, and you pounce on it.
My voice is distinctive: there's a rhythm to it, and also, it's funny. I was just blessed with a funny-sounding voice.
I knew I was outspoken when I was a kid because, whenever my parents had company coming over, they would pay me to leave. 'Go see your grandmother. Get out of here.' That was my first paying gig.
People - I hate to use the word 'fans' - are very respectful. It's not like I'm some pop idol or big movie star. I'm very approachable, and I love the people who enjoy me, because they react like they've run into a friend. Usually, it's like, 'Hey, Wanda! How ya' doing?'
Stand-up, by far, is my favorite.
I'm constantly preparing. Material hits me; I'm always writing. I go back and listen to my shows and just prepare and put my set together. But the day of, I like to have some downtime. A nice lunch is important for me.
To me, in life, if there's, like, a rule, and I think it's ridiculous, then of course I'll circumvent that but also point out how ridiculous the rule is. Other than that, if I go to a concert, and my seat is Row G, Seat 12, I'm sitting in Row G, Seat 12. I don't care if I'm with five other friends, I'm supposed to be in Seat 12, that's my seat.
I tried snowboarding, and that scared the hell out of me.
I remember, when I was a kid, my summers were pretty much running around, riding your bike, and then complaining about you were bored.
My wife asked me if I ever thought I would ever retire from stand-up. And I thought about it, and I was like, 'No, because it's my job; it's what I do, and I enjoy it.' It's still the most challenging thing for me to do.
I love working with other actors and other people - you know, stand-up - it's lonely; it's just you out there and the audience. But it's fun working with other actors. I love doing that, too.
If I'm talking about something current, a current issue or something political, it's because I was able to read it when I was on the plane getting to the gig... a lot of it happens when I'm on the road because when I'm home, you're just mom, and that's it.
I couldn't believe that Donald Trump won. I couldn't believe that we elected an orangutan to front the country.
If you feel like there's something out there that you're supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.
I had real big boobs, and I just got tired of knocking over stuff. Every time I eat, 'Oh, Lord'. I'd carry a Tide stick everywhere I go. My back was sore, so it was time to have a reduction.
I don't understand why people really get upset about something that doesn't affect them at all.
I'm shy. I am. I mean, if I get around, you know, in a room of a bunch of people especially I - you know, I don't know or - it takes me a while to warm up. I'm - and the real me, I'm not as witty as, you know, as the comic Wanda. The comic, she's had time to work on some things.
Men are dogs. Men are dogs. We got to stop it. Men are not dogs. Uh-uh. Dogs are loyal.
If you're passionate about your work, it makes the people around you want to be involved too.
And then also I think it's harder for women because comedy is so opposite of being ladylike.
If a topic hits me, I'll start going on it. But you can't force it.
What drives the creative person is that we see it all.
I have to be socially aware; I feel like that's my job.
A woman would pitch a joke. Nothing. Then a guy would pitch it and everybody would laugh.
I have a very diverse crowd from old, young, black, white, straight, gay. It's a little bit of everybody.
I was working at the NSA. I don't know, I was just bored. I just knew that's not what I was supposed to be doing with my life.
It's hard to get fired from the government. You have to, like, kill people.
Actually, I majored in marketing and I have a bachelor of science.
It wasn't until I became more confident with myself and I put myself forward instead of the jokes; at first it was put the jokes out there and I'm just behind the jokes.
I have a funny family, but none of them are remotely in show business.
But I think funny and talent will always win out; I mean, of course there are hurdles, but I think if you're funny you will get over all of that.