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My First Lessons In Comedy, How To Construct A Joke, I Learned From Eileen Brennan, Who Had Unbelievable Timing.
-Rob Lowe
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My First Lessons In

Rob Lowe
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My First Lessons In Comedy, How To Construct A Joke, I Learned From Eileen Brennan, Who Had Unbelievable Timing.

Understanding the Quote: "my first lessons in comedy, how to construct a joke, i learned..."

This quote by Rob Lowe reflects deeply on the theme of lessons. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Lessons, Firsts, Comedy, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Rob Lowe interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe is celebrated for insightful thoughts on lessons and firsts. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Lessons
Firsts
Comedy
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Living My Life
Interfere
I'd Done Light Comedy. In Some Quarters, About Last Night... Is A Romantic Comedy. So It Wasn't Like I'd Been Doing Sophie's Choice My Entire Career. But For Whatever Reason, Nobody Had Really Given Me The Room Or The Ability To Be Out And Out Funny. And Lorne [michaels] And Mike [myers] And Chris [farley] And Dana [carvey], That Crop Really Helped Me Do That.
Night
Careers
Light
I Went From Doing Something That Was Very Original, Sort Of Subversive, And Specific In Its Voice - The Grinder - And Loved Every Minute Of It, But Having Done That, I Was Anxious To Do Something That Had More Broad Appeal And To Embrace The Good Things About That.
Voice
Done
Good Things
Intelligence Is That Aspect Of Human Cognition That We Haven't Managed To Emulate Yet.
Cognition
Aspect
Humans
Francis [ford Coppola] Was On The Cover Of Time Magazine For One From The Heart And For Owning A Studio, And He Was Fresh Off Of Apocalypse [now] And The Godfather Films, So He Was At The Absolute Top Of His Game And Legend [in The Outsiders ].
Heart
Games
Magazines
We Had Shot Six Episodes Of The West Wing Season When 9/11 Happened. An Extraordinary Thing That Would Never Happen Today Is Aaron Going To The Network And Saying, "i Think We Need To Go Back And Reshoot, I Have Something I Want To Do," And The Network Just Kind Of Let Him Do It.
Thinking
Today
Kind
You Show Me Someone Who's Led A Perfect Life And I'll Show You A Dullard.
Perfect
Perfect Life
Show Me
I Just Had Such A Blast Coming Up With This Corporate Dweeb [in The Sex Tape], A Sort Of Nerd Who Was Also Doing Coke And Listening To Death Metal And Was Obsessed With Walt Disney Art. I Just Felt It Was A Type Of Guy You Hadn't Really Seen Before, And I Was So Happy With How It Came Out.
Art
Sex
Guy
Medical-genre Shows Have Been Around Forever, They Will Be Around Forever, And I Think This [code Black] Is A Great Iteration Of The Next Generation.
Thinking
Forever
Black
We Knew We Were Doing Something That Would Make An Impact, Because Of Francis [ford Coppola], But I Don't Think We Were Surprised By How Well The Movie [the Outsiders] Did, But I Think We Would All Say We Were Surprised At How Well We All Did Coming Out Of It.
Thinking
Impact
Outsiders
One Of My Favorite Books [the Stand] Of All Time. I Grew Up Reading It.
Book
Reading
My Favorite
Everybody Is Naughty, Everybody Is Good.
Naughty
I Am The Guy Dressing Up In, You Know, The Caveman Outfit For The Kids Birthday Parties.
Party
Kids
Dressing Up
[on "john F. Kennedy" Set] Everybody Was Very Interested In The Accent. Even My Collaborators Were Very Curious To Know If I Was Even Going To Do It. And I Was, Like, "you Just Can't Not Do It." I Think Everybody Was Worried That It Was Going To Sound Like The Guy From... Is It The Simpsons?
Thinking
Guy
Sound
[j.f.kennedy] Is An Iconic Figure. And To Make It Even Worse, He's A Hero Of Mine. And Every Actor Will Tell You That You Can't Play Heroes. And You Can't Play Villains. You Can Only Play Human Beings.
Hero
Play
Actors
Trying To Execute That Kind Of Intricate Staging In The West Wing At The Same Time You're Doing Intricate Dialogue - It's Like Patting Your Head And Rubbing Your Stomach!
Trying
Kind
Dialogue
I'll Be Sober Ten Years And Married Nine Soon.
Years
Nine
Married
I Don't Like Any Sport Where You're Already Exhausted When You're Done Putting On The Equipment.
Sports
Done
Exhausted
[wayne's World And Tommy Boy] Was All From Hosting Saturday Night Live The First Time [in 1990]. I Just Had Such A Great Time, And I Had Such A Simpatico Relationship With Mike Myers. And Lorne [michaels]. I'll Always Be Grateful For Lorne, Who Saw Me As Funny.
Grateful
Night
Boys
Can Someone Explain The Vitriol Whenever Ayn Rand Comes Up? 'atlas' Is The Greatest Motivator For The Individual That I Can Imagine.
Atlas
Imagine
Individual
It's Easy To Live In A Fantasy World, And That's Why I Refuse To Live In An Isolated Environment.
World
Fantasy
Environment
Anything That Is Stifled Will Eventually Ferment Or Explode.
My Life Is Really Based Around My House And My Friends And My Family At The Moment, And Has Been For A While Now.
House
Life Is
Moments
[jodie Foster] Is One Of My Favorite Actors And People In The Business.
People
Actors
My Favorite
When People Consent To Do Something, They Should Be Able To Do Whatever They Want.
People
Want
Able
I Love That Movie [the Specials]. I Love James Gunn. I Always Sort Of Suspected That He Would Do Well For Himself.
Wells
You Would Not Believe The Amount Of Feedback I've Gotten Over People Binge-watching The West Wing. Most Of Them Have Binge-watched It Countless Times.
Believe
Wings
People
When I Hear That I Realize How Quickly Time Passes And How Everybody Goes On Their Journeys And They're Always Unbelievable And They Never Go Where You Think They're Going To Take You And, Quite Frankly, It Also Makes Me Feel A Little Old.
Thinking
Journey
Goes On
Conventions Are, By Nature, A Party. I Mean, That's Why People Become Delegates. They Come From All Over The World To Exercise Their Democratic Rights And To Party.
Party
Mean
Exercise
Nothing In Life Is Unfair. It's Just Life. To The Extent That I Had Any Inner Turmoil, I Had Only Myself To Blame. I Also Thought Of My Two Boys And What Kind Of Example I Hoped To Be. I Would Always Want Them To Take Charge Of Their Own Futures And Not Be Paralyzed By The Comfort And Certainty Of The Status Quo Or Be Cowed By The Judgment Of Those On The Outside Looking In.
Boys
Two
Comfort
Anyone Who's Lived Their Life To The Fullest Extent Has A Scandal Buried Somewhere.
Scandal
Buried
I Think I Have A Pretty Good Ear. I Mean, Even Just Starting With, Like, Austin Powers, Where I Did Young Robert Wagner. People Were, Like, "how Do You Imitate Robert Wagner? What Does He Sound Like? What Does That Even Involve?".
Mean
Thinking
People
In The Business Of Acting, Those Are The Actors That Make The Trains Run On Time, You Know? There's Nothing Without Them.
Running
Acting
Actors
[chris] Farley Was A Dear Friend, And We Remained Close Right Up Until The End. You Know, There Was Nobody More Fearless Comedically Than Chris. And That's Saying A Lot, Because I'm Friendly With A Lot Of Funny People.
People
Fearless
Friendly
Every Relationship Has Its Complications.
Complication
Contrary To Popular Belief, I Don't Go Out Very Much. When I Do Go Out, A Lot Of Times It'll Be To Something Like A Heavyweight Fight, And I'll Be Photographed, So That People Have This Conception That I Go Out A Lot.
Fighting
People
Heavyweights
Somebody Once Told Me - And I Could Be Wrong About This - That The West Wing Was, On Any Given Episode, $300,000 Over, On Average. Now Today, If You Were $10,000 Over Budget, They Would Cancel You. For Sure.
Today
Show Me Someone Who Doesn't Have Some Sort Of Experience That They Would Be Uncomfortable For People To Know About And I'll Show You A Dullard.
People
Would Be
Uncomfortable
It Was A Little Company That Released [bad Influence], It Was Really Ahead Of Its Time... I'm Really Proud Of It. And It's Curtis Hanson. He'd Directed A Small Movie Before That, But It Was His First Directorial Work That Really Worked.
Proud
Littles
Firsts
The Really Good Thing About My Career Is That I Never Went Through A Phase Where I Played Characters Who Had Names Like "partygoer," "waiter," Or "guy #1."
Character
Careers
Names
The Fact Is, I Have A Great Home And I Like To Have People Come Up. I Meet Enough People Just Doing My Grocery Shopping; I Don't Need To Go Out And Meet Any More People.
Home
Shopping
People
It's Part Of Your Job As An Actor To Put Your Personal Problems Behind You And Work. Good Actors Can Do That.
Jobs
Actors
Behind You
[doctor Cukrowicz In Suddenly, Last Summer Is] Is One Of The Most Unpronounceable Roles In The Modern-day Theater Day Canon, And One Of The Most Boring!
Summer
Doctors
Lasts
About Last Night... [movie] Still Stands Up For Me. Like, I'm As Proud Of That Today And Still Have The Kind Of Faith In It Today To Show It To A Young Couple As I Did When It Came Out.
Couple
Night
Proud
I Don't Look Back With Any Bitterness, Though There Are A Couple Of Judgment Calls And Some '80s Hairdos That I'd Like To Do Over.
Couple
Looks
Bitterness
I'm Thinking Of How Unexpected And Yet Oddly Preordained Life Can Be. Events Are Upon You In An Instant, Unforseen And Without Warning, And Often Times Marked With Disappointment And Tragedy, But Equally Often Leading To A Better Understanding Of The Bittersweet Truth Of Life.
Disappointment
Thinking
Understanding
I Happen To Be A Movie Star, But I'm Not Saying, "hey, I'm A Role Model. Imitate Me."
Stars
Role Models
Roles
I'll Be A Role Model On My Terms, But Don't Make A Role Model On Your Terms.
Role Models
Roles
Term
The Script Was Given To Me By One Of My Agents And They Didn't Tell Me Anything About It. My First Reaction Was, "the West Wing? Is It About A Squadron Of Fighter Jets?" Then I Turned The Page And Saw, 'by Aaron Sorkin' And I Knew It Was Going To Be Something Good.
Fighter
Jet
You Wouldn't Want Somebody In Office Who Hasn't Experienced Life.
Office
Want
Last Night, We Were All Watching Harry Potter In Bed, And I Thought, 'this Isn't Something You Have When You're Single, That's For Sure.'
Night
Bed
Potters
If People Find Me Attractive, It Would Be For Reasons That Anybody Finds Anybody Attractive. It's Something That Comes From Within, And It Manifests Itself Physically.
People
Would Be
Reason
David Mamet, Tim Kazurinsky, And Denise Declue, Who Adapted [ About Last Night]. Between The Three Of Them... I Mean, It's Always Down To The Writing. You're Only As Good As Your Writing.
Writing
Mean
Night
We Shot Every Scene Of Mine In The Entire Movie In Five Days. All My Coverage, Everything. I Left. They Went Back And Shot Everybody Else Around Me. Insane. The Part [billie In Crazy Six] Called For A Handsome, Coiffed Cool Guy Romantic Lead, And I Showed Up Like You See Him In The Movie. And They Let Me Do It.
Crazy
Guy
Insane
[maggie Smith] Brings New Meaning To The Phrase "doesn't Suffer Fools." She Has Just The Most Amazing, Dry Timing Of Anyone Ever, I Think. I Think Everyone's Always Known About It, But With Her Resurgence On Downton Abbey, A Whole New Generation Has Been Introduced To It, Which Is Just Great.
Thinking
Suffering
Generations
I Have Other Obligations Now - The Show, My Family, My Life... Though I Know That Without My Sobriety I Wouldn't Have Any Of Those Things.
Inspirational
Recovery
Addiction
I Enjoy Experiencing Life. Being A Celebrity Can Really Stand In The Way Of That.
Way
Enjoy
Stephen [king], Who Wrote The Script Himself, Was On The Set [of The Stand], And I Was Just So Fortunate To Get To Know Him. What A Wonderful Man. He May Go Down In History As The Greatest American Writer, Pound For Pound.
Kings
Men
May
I Feel Like Every Movie Is Definitely The Last One That I've Had My Moment; That I'm Going To Be Selling Autographs At Malls.
Lasts
Moments
Selling
It's Always A Good Day When I Get To Work With Jim Belushi, Who I Adore.
Good Day
Adore
I Had No Regrets When I Did It, I Have Even Less Regret Now Because I Can't Imagine Staying On The West Wing Show And Then, Six Weeks Later, Aaron Sorkin Leaving.
Regret
Leaving
Imagine
I Think Part Of Maturity Is Knowing Who You Are.
Maturity
Thinking
Knowing Who You Are
You Can Meet People Who Are Really Beautiful. Then, When You See Them Angry For The First Time, All Of A Sudden They're Not Beautiful Anymore. They Didn't Just Step Into The Other Room And Have Plastic Surgery; They're Still The Same Physically. It's Just That Something Inside Of Them Has Changed. They're No Longer Attractive.
Beautiful
People
Rooms
Sobriety Was The Greatest Gift I Ever Gave Myself.
Recovery
Sobriety
Addicts In Recovery
Whether You're A Movie Star Or Doing Time In A Correctional Institute, Everybody Can Have Bad Judgment, And It's Something You Have To Address. You Learn To Go On From It. It Shouldn't Stand In Your Way. You Shouldn't Let People Continue To Throw It In Your Face.
Stars
People
Goes On
I Was Sick Of Playing High-school Kids. I Liked Being A Teenager, But I Would Not Go Back For All The Tea In China.
Teenager
Tea
China
I Think My Thing Is That I Try And Pick Up On Things That Other People Have Maybe Not Picked Up On.
Thinking
People
Trying
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