Eddie Griffin

My inspiration is the one and only godfather of comedy himself, Richard Pryor. He's the greatest.

I had some major league help. Andrew Dice Clay and Robert Townsend were there for me.

Me, I'm an avid CNN watcher.

As far as best comedy show, Richard Prior live. The Long Beach show. That's the apex, that's the pinnacle. That's what everybody's trying to reach for. When he walked on that stage he had the red shirt on in Long Beach and when he walked on that stage to the time he left, he was on fire.

You know, if James Brown is the godfather of soul then Richard Pryor is the godfather of comedy, period. That man knocked down all those last freedom of speech doors.

Getting on stage doing standup anytime is hard. You never know what you're going to say. You live and die on your next word.

America is one big dysfunctional family and we are still trying to figure out how to live together.

We need more intellect and humor back on television, instead of the lowest common denominator of comedy - like the fart joke!

When you come out of the NBA, you get a hundred million-dollar contract and a white woman!

Austin Powers' is a huge success. If we get half of those numbers we will be elated. I think this film is more an 'Austin Powers' meets 'Shaft.' But, 'Undercover Brother' is totally unique.

Platform shoes will come back.

Comedy has a way of dealing with serious issues and finding humour in it.

Life is all about cycles.

Those series from the '70s and '80s with a studio audience are dead.

We don't live in reverse. We live forward.

I've panhandled before, and I can panhandle again.

Money isn't that important to me.

We went to open-mike night at a comedy club called Stanford & Sons and the comics were terrible. My cousin dared me to get up there and, well, he was challenging my manhood. I had to do it.

When I was 6, my mother put me on a picnic table in front of the whole family and told me to do my James Brown impression. I realized it was a great way of getting attention.

I'm a comic and I'm having way too much fun with the comedy. I do the music for myself.

If there are things that are off limits, why would you do standup?

People are just people; the only thing that's different is the form of government that leads them astray.

People are people no matter where the hell you go. People still want to find relationships, fall in and out of love... that's what I've noticed as I've travelled around the world.

I take a subject, then I go on stage, and whatever is in there comes out. You can edit as you go and continue to work it out on stage until it's something you like, but I never think about it. I just go up and flow.

Nobody wants people following them around 24 hours a day with a camera.

When you watch CNN, you see the custom graphics - 'War in the Desert,' or 'Showdown: Iraq,' and it's being presented like a TV show, like 'The Cosby Show' or 'Roseanne.'

Stand-up is good therapy.

I'd always do bits on street corners like Richard Pryor's Mudbone character. And my friends kept telling me, You could make money doing that.'

I grew up watching 'The Jeffersons' and 'Good Times' as much as I watched The Mary Tyler Moore Show' and 'All in the Family.'

All artists are a little off.

Being poor gets you thinking quicker.

You got access to nothing, you want to use everything.

I'm not that cool in real life. I'm only cool in a goofy way.

I love Parliament Funkadelic.

George Clinton was my first concert ever.

It's not always easy to go from funny on the page to funny on the screen.

The whole world is one big dysfunctional family. But no matter how dysfunctional we are, we can still have a positive impact on each other's lives. We can still try to get along together.

The international launch of 'Undeniable' is special because now fans all across the globe can laugh along to some of the funniest jokes in history.

After my first 'One Night Stand' on HBO, I lost my focus. I was mad at the world. I would have meetings with directors and agents and cuss them out. I was a hothead.

Everyone says, 'What is it like to wreck a Ferrari?' Man, it felt good, especially when you don't have to pay for it.

Everybody's family is dysfunctional.

There are no 'Leave It to Beaver' families. Everybody's family's got that one nut that comes to the family reunion and you're like, OK, that guy's here.

Stereotypes start somewhere. There's different sides to all of us.

I don't go to the running of the bulls because I don't like being chased by bulls.

Some people are looking for the big scene in their movie called life.

I also know you're only as good as your last show.

I am telling you, Lebanon was fun. I played for 5,000 people in a sold-out venue. The clubs there don't even open until 4 A.M. If a bomb goes off, people don't get excited. They live every day like it's their last because it could possibly be.

I feel great about coming to Saudi Arabia.

Even the brokest Saudi got a Mercedes.

Me and Dave Chappelle were at Charlie Murphy's funeral. I got up there and I got to preaching, and I took over the church.