Johnny Vegas Quotes

I came back from university thinking I knew all about politics and racism, not knowing my dad had been one of the youngest-serving Labour councillors in the town and had refused to work in South Africa years ago because of the situation there. And he's never mentioned it - you just find out. That's a real man to me. A sleeping lion.

- Johnny Vegas

Politics, University, Been, South

I used to be good with kids, but as I get older, I'm grumpy and terrible with them. As for doing a gig at a 6-year old's birthday party, you couldn't pay me enough.

- Johnny Vegas

Birthday, Doing, Old, Gig

You always hear people saying, 'I hope I'm not turning into my dad', but I'd be honoured if I became half as decent a bloke as he is.

- Johnny Vegas

Always, Became, Half, Honoured

I get obsessed with decorations and decorating the house. I keep it tasteful outside, but when you get inside it is a bit like Blackpool illuminations, I go bonkers!

- Johnny Vegas

Go, Like, Obsessed, Decorating

'Johnny' was always a lone wolf when he got on stage. Him against the world, whereas suddenly, when I got into acting, people were relying on me.

- Johnny Vegas

Wolf, Always, Against, Johnny

In credits, I'm 'Michael' sometimes now, but people know you as something, so there's no point fighting it. 'Squiggle,' you'll always be 'Prince,' and 'The Rock,' just accept it. I want to move on, but not that much. So I'm still known as 'Johnny Vegas.'

- Johnny Vegas

Fighting, Sometimes, Point, Johnny

I couldn't be 'Johnny' in front of a camera in acting jobs and behind the camera I like to be 'Michael.' With directing, you can't do it by halves. There's a lot of reflection, and I have found that I, as 'Michael,' thrive on it. It's lovely coming home and feeling that stuff from a day's work as myself.

- Johnny Vegas

Behind, Found, Lot, Johnny

People are always asking, 'Where does Michael Pennington end and Johnny Vegas begin,' and you're going, 'It's not like that: it's blurred right across.'

- Johnny Vegas

Vegas, Asking, Always, Johnny

I wanted to try and trace the genuine origins of 'Johnny' and how he so successfully staged this takeover of 'Michael Pennington.' 'Johnny' is a contradiction to who I am as a person. I'm not very good at confrontation, I have a tendency to internalise and to carry things around.

- Johnny Vegas

Very, Takeover, Tendency, Johnny

'Johnny' was a coping mechanism who could take those things which could have ordinarily destroyed me, by tweaking my past and throwing it back out there, getting laughs from things that would have otherwise upset me.

- Johnny Vegas

Upset, Which, Otherwise, Johnny

I am very proud of what 'Johnny' achieved in stand-up comedy because he believed entirely in giving an audience the best kick he could. But he was someone who was quite detrimental to my health, both emotionally and physically.

- Johnny Vegas

Best, Stand-Up Comedy, Very, Johnny

I've been offered all the reality TV shows but have turned them down. If I did it as 'Johnny,' there'd be no jungle left! It was really hard regaining control of myself, so I am reluctant to let 'Johnny' back out of the box.

- Johnny Vegas

Been, TV, Turned, Johnny

Being 'Johnny' was almost like an out of body experience. I thought he was just a character that I'd created and could quite easily step away from, but it was much more difficult than that.

- Johnny Vegas

Thought, Away, Almost, Johnny

Being behind the camera is where I feel comfortable. I've found something that I feel I, as 'Michael,' can be as confident in as 'Johnny' was on the stage. It's great being part of the creative process. You're right at the start of an idea, and you get to see it all the way through till the end.

- Johnny Vegas

Behind, Through, Till, Johnny

I thought I could play the hellraiser and then put 'Johnny Vegas' back in his box. I found popularity through self-destruction. The more you damage yourself, the more people are drawn to you, and that can be quite addictive. It is not a lifestyle you can maintain.

- Johnny Vegas

Play, Through, Damage, Johnny

I don't want to demonise 'Johnny.' I was really proud of what he achieved. Especially within stand-up. He was quite a unique voice. I will always possibly be trading off 'Johnny's name, but there's a lot more things that I'm able to do now - the strengths that 'Michael' can bring to it.

- Johnny Vegas

Voice, Bring, Trading, Johnny

There was always that thing with 'Johnny' - I always saw myself as his writer and PR. But when he got out there, I had no control. His whole thing was going off on those flights of fancy. Going, 'Let's see what we can possibly do that hasn't been done before up here.' And when it works, it's lovely; it's a great night.

- Johnny Vegas

Fancy, Here, Been, Johnny

I came from a very loving home, had a happy life with no great aspirations, but going to the seminary changed me. There was a chunk of my childhood missing. Once I'd realised it wasn't for me, I still felt a tremendous pressure to continue for fear of letting everybody down.

- Johnny Vegas

Happy, Everybody, Very, Missing

When I wasn't as attractive as I am now, I suffered at the hands of cruel children and their taunts until I realised that confidence and a bit of aesthetic care can overcome that.

- Johnny Vegas

Hands, Aesthetic, Attractive, Taunt

I used to attract a lot of feeders. I'd be quite happy to be locked in someone's flat and fed liquidised burgers.

- Johnny Vegas

Happy, Attract, Fed, Locked

My first holiday to San Francisco in 1998-99 was supposed to be a two-week vacation but I ended up staying five weeks and nearly didn't come home.

- Johnny Vegas

Francisco, San, Weeks, Vacation

I've got little ankles and a bit of a belly, so it makes me look rather an egg on legs.

- Johnny Vegas

Egg, Rather, Belly, Ankles

You can sway an audience if you win the women over. The gentlemen will follow 'cause they can be so foolish like that at times, they are easily led.

- Johnny Vegas

Audience, Will, Over, Sway

I always feel like an interloper when I do serious drama. It's my own paranoia.

- Johnny Vegas

Always, My Own, Like, Paranoia

They look outside the windows of their apartment in town and realize they're not living in a terrace anymore. This is a room full of dreamers who like to go to London for a day.

- Johnny Vegas

London, Living, Town, Dreamers

I found popularity through self-destruction, and that can be quite addictive.

- Johnny Vegas

Through, Self-Destruction, Addictive

I struggle as a writer, and I'm convinced that if I was at school now, I'd be termed as having ADS. Two minutes and I'm drifting.

- Johnny Vegas

Drifting, Minutes, Having, Struggle

I also want to return to doing stand-up. I've become frightened of live audiences. This is a really telling sign that I need to go back on the comedy circuit again.

- Johnny Vegas

Doing, Telling, Circuit, Frightened

I think if you're at the point where you're popular enough to sell your wedding photos to OK! Magazine then you don't need the money.

- Johnny Vegas

Think, Need, I Think, OK

I avoid any kind of organised trips as that's one of my bugbears.

- Johnny Vegas

Kind, Avoid, Organised, Trips

The cheese board is my big treat at Christmas that I have to deny myself during the rest of year.

- Johnny Vegas

Treat, Rest, Big, Board

Baldness is visually enough of a stigma as it is without a big sweaty bloke on stage pointing it out.

- Johnny Vegas

Big, Baldness, Stigma, Sweaty

I still give myself the right to be highly critical of others, though.

- Johnny Vegas

Give, Critical, Still, Highly

There's this idea that it has to be made in London. But we've got everything up here, and if you've got comics who are gifted because of where they're from, you shouldn't drag them away from that natural resource.

- Johnny Vegas

London, Here, Away, Drag

I think it sort of dawns on you that if you're not gigging constantly you're not actually relevant. You may be relevant to a different part of the media now, to television commissioners and editors, but to a young live-comedy audience you're not, really.

- Johnny Vegas

Think, Audience, I Think, Editors

I hate flying, airports and the whole rigmarole - queuing up, security and lost luggage.

- Johnny Vegas

Flying, Lost, Security, Luggage

Never try to be witty with U.S. airport officials. It's always lost on them and you'll find yourself being put back on the plane.

- Johnny Vegas

Back, Always, Plane, Officials

For the greater good, I thought I should be a spiritual leader for people for some reason.

- Johnny Vegas

Leader, Reason, Some, Greater Good

I love the way my weight fluctuates in the newspapers. It was 18 stone and then people look at a bad picture of me and add a few more stone on. I think the highest was 22 stone.

- Johnny Vegas

Love, Think, Add, Stone

I've always said that with kids' TV that people get stuck in it from drama school but that's not fair because I know myself that when you go in creatively, kids are so much more open to ideas. You're so much freer to mess about and try things.

- Johnny Vegas

Fair, TV, About, Freer

I sang 'American Pie' a lot in my stage set. It had a knack of uniting an audience in a sing-along. It's a clever song about American history but wrapped in a fantastic tune.

- Johnny Vegas

Song, Audience, Set, American Pie

I'm loath to use my personal life to promote what I do, but at the same time, I don't like a journalist going away with no more than you could get off Wikipedia, where most of it's invented anyway.

- Johnny Vegas

Life, Away, Use, Loath

There have been times I've finished a big job and thought, 'Great, a couple of weeks off.' But then a couple of weeks turns to three weeks and then after a month you're staring at the phone willing it to ring.

- Johnny Vegas

Big, Been, Couple, Staring

From a certain age, I sort of accepted myself for what I was. And although to other people it was like nothing ever goes right, I had a really nice attitude that I'd inherited from my parents, and especially from my dad.

- Johnny Vegas

Other, Had, Dad, Inherited

I do need to explore my faith, because it has got lost over the years and it has been kind of tainted through experience. But I also know it's enriched my life, my dad being a Catholic.

- Johnny Vegas

My Life, Through, Over, Catholic

I'd never experienced stress before I did stand-up, and it was a massive shock to my system, this thing of waking up, and the nerves of, 'You're on stage tonight.'

- Johnny Vegas

Stress, Before, Tonight, Experienced

Oh, I'm terrible at travel.

- Johnny Vegas

Travel, Oh, Terrible

Health-wise, I couldn't have said what my life expectancy would've been if I'd just carried on doing solid blocks of stand-up.

- Johnny Vegas

My Life, Been, Carried, Life Expectancy

I think I'm realising more and more that I've got a job to do and I can't be doing the big nights out and working to my full potential the next day. I feel much better for it.

- Johnny Vegas

Doing, Big, Next, Realising

There's lots of stuff about me being a fan of Cliff but not being gay. Which suggests that he is, but he's not. Anyway, this is Channel 4, let their lawyers sort it out.

- Johnny Vegas

Lawyers, Cliff, Which, Gay

You get people who come to London, sever links with where they come from, and then when they need people, there's nobody there. To feel like you can't go back home would be a horribly sad place to be, as is mistaking fame for genuine love and affection.

- Johnny Vegas

Love, London, Feel, Affection

The idea of being on TV 24 hours a day and people seeing the real me... No.

- Johnny Vegas

Seeing, Hours, TV, 24 Hours

Had I become a priest, the sermons would've been electric!

- Johnny Vegas

Electric, Been, Priest, Sermons

It is easy for me to love myself, but for ladies to do it is another question altogether.

- Johnny Vegas

Love, Funny, Altogether, Ladies

We had a week off in the middle of shooting, but as soon as everyone stopped, we all went down with six different types of flu and other unmentionable diseases.

- Johnny Vegas

Other, Stopped, Types, Different Types

I actually enjoy being heckled; it keeps it interesting, and I think it is a nice feeling for people once they have left the show.

- Johnny Vegas

Interesting, Think, I Think, Keeps

I was loved as a kid; I was raised with more love and emotional support than most folks could wish for... my memories aged nought to ten... are all bound up together in a mesh of innocence and fun.

- Johnny Vegas

Love, Kid, Innocence, Folks

Up North you are holding your own. Everyone considers themselves a comedian.

- Johnny Vegas

Everyone, Holding, Considers, Comedian

I believe that Britain is becoming more class-conscious, and I quake at the very idea of Old Etonians ruling the world again.

- Johnny Vegas

Becoming, Very, Britain, Ruling

You don't want to be flattered and become big-headed by getting awards. But, well, I am.

- Johnny Vegas

I Am, Getting, Flattered, Awards

My forte is playing drunks down the ages. When my agent rings me about a role, I don't ask what the part is, but what century it's in.

- Johnny Vegas

Role, Part, Agent, Rings

You know, there's that temptation in interviews to make yourself sound - well, to give yourself a bit of mystery.

- Johnny Vegas

Mystery, Give, Sound, Temptation

I'm getting positive feedback for my acting so we'll see if any other interesting parts come up.

- Johnny Vegas

Interesting, Other, Come, Parts

You can't be a proper comic unless you've been out on stage and felt the fear.

- Johnny Vegas

Stage, Been, Unless, Comic

My name is Michael Pennington, and I am not a comic character.

- Johnny Vegas

Character, I Am, Michael, Comic

My agent once said, 'You're not very driven.' And it's true. I'm not the type to ring up and go, 'Get me this part!'

- Johnny Vegas

Ring, Very, Agent, Driven

Some comics are in it for what they can get out of it. Others are in it for a love of comedy. I think those that are in it for a genuine love of comedy find each other within the circuit and become friends.

- Johnny Vegas

Love, Think, Some, Genuine

Writing a book about yourself is like therapy, and you go 'Oh My God, that's the reason that happened.' Writing about it, you're forced to really examine things.

- Johnny Vegas

Reason, Like, Examine, Oh My God

There's a domino effect with certain things you say.

- Johnny Vegas

Say, Effect, Certain Things, Certain

I am a big fan of smelly cheeses but the rest of the family don't seem to be particularly keen on them.

- Johnny Vegas

Rest, Big, Smelly, Keen

I always say that the stand-up world is the arena of the unwell, and it is.

- Johnny Vegas

World, Say, Always, Arena

With stand-up you've just got that one chance. Audiences can be quite fickle.

- Johnny Vegas

Chance, Audiences, Quite, Fickle

This autocue was obviously written for someone else and I've been brought in at the last minute.

- Johnny Vegas

Someone, Been, Brought, Minute

I use very few muscles at the best of times.

- Johnny Vegas

Very, Use, Times, Muscles

We all have days where we can't pronounce things or give it the emotion it deserves.

- Johnny Vegas

Give, Emotion, Things, Pronounce

I've got my finger in a lot of pies.

- Johnny Vegas

Got, Lot, Finger

Comedy's so subjective, and if someone comes to watch, doesn't get it, doesn't find it funny, then fine.

- Johnny Vegas

Comedy, Someone, Then, Subjective

I trained to be a priest - started to. I went to seminary school when I was 11. I wanted to be a priest, but when they told me I could never have sex, not even on my birthday, I changed my mind.

- Johnny Vegas

Birthday, Mind, Trained, Priest

I've spent lots of time in London, I studied in London, I like London. It's just not my home.

- Johnny Vegas

London, Like, Lots, Studied

I had a massive amount of self-belief when I did stand-up.

- Johnny Vegas

Had, Amount, Did, Massive

It's lovely being a parent and being in a strong marriage with somebody who is your best friend.

- Johnny Vegas

Strong, Parent, Lovely, Best Friend

If an original piece of wardrobe came up from Star Wars, I'd probably spend a lot of money on it.

- Johnny Vegas

Star, Original, Lot, Star Wars

Class still matters in Britain today.

- Johnny Vegas

Today, Still, Britain, Matters

My work's never been accepted by my family, but it's something I'll always carry on with.

- Johnny Vegas

Never, Always, Been, Accepted

If you write, produce and direct, you own things and see them through to the end.

- Johnny Vegas

Own, Through, See, Produce

I've always been looking for other people's approval.

- Johnny Vegas

Always, Other, Been, Approval

There is something more spiritual to us than what we are on this earth, but how you access it I'm not sure.

- Johnny Vegas

More, Access, Sure, Spiritual

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