Joel McHale Quotes

“If you have a dream, just lie about it. Lie your way unto your dreams.”

— Joel McHale

“You have to have talent. You have to get the audition and then you have to nail the audition.”

— Joel McHale

“In prison, inmates sometimes use Cheetos and grape juice as makeup. I wouldn't use that beauty regimen around Britney Spears - she might lick your face off!”

— Joel McHale

“It's important to have the right agent - people that are working hard for you. But an actor needs to be in control of their career no matter how good the representation is.”

— Joel McHale

“Follow what your head is telling you and work hard. That's the big secret.”

— Joel McHale

My goal and my career is definitely not to be famous. That's a really horrible goal, just to be famous for the sake of having fame.

— Joel McHale

“Yes, I would say my comedy is grunge, evidenced by the fact my jokes have put an end to big-hair glam comedy.”

— Joel McHale

It's an awesome thing to be flung out onto the stage twice a weekend in front of 250 people, and you have to make it up as you go along.

— Joel McHale

Joel McHale is so money, he should be printed on money.

— Joel McHale

“I don't think the NFL had the slightest intention of taking me, except as maybe a water boy.”

— Joel McHale

“Once you've been booked, people in Hollywood say, 'Oh he must be good.' All the while you're the same actor.”

— Joel McHale

“Bill O'Reilly, Megyn Kelly, and Sean Hannity are the Mount Rushmore of keeping old people angry.”

— Joel McHale

“People have always said since TV was invented what a cultural wasteland it is but I think it is the worst and the best. It is the golden age of television.”

— Joel McHale

When I initially met with Robert I was just so excited to meet the guy. I was able to go to Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas and just hanging out was fantastic. Working on this took up all of my weekends while I was shooting Community. It was crazy, but again, no regrets.

— Joel McHale

“Without a doubt, Robert Rodriguez is the reason I was drawn to it. The fact that he even knew who I was and then was interested in me for the role was amazing. I am a huge fan of his and it's like a bucket list thing for me to be able to work with him and knowing that Jessica Alba and Jeremy Piven were in it I knew that part was going to be good and as you said, the pedigree of the series was great, so it was really one of those things I couldn'tresist.”

— Joel McHale

I loved New Jersey. I thought it was the greatest place in the world because on Halloween kids could start trick or treating right after school. Isn't that great?

— Joel McHale

Before Community started up again for the season, we had the chance to go on a long family vacation where we drove for ten days down the coast. I was like wow, look at these people that I am related to and am actually spending some quality time with! So it was great to be with them, but now my schedule is really difficult so I have to take what I can get.

— Joel McHale

I didn't have to do too much "research" or acting to play this guy. (laughs) It is actually very difficult to manage all the time. The Community schedule is crushing and it kills me because I don't get to be with my family as much as I'd like.

— Joel McHale

“So when Community came up and then the movie roles started happening I was very grateful. I am trying to be careful with the movie roles I select because if you pull the trigger too quickly, like choosing a lead role in a crappy movie then you will be put in movie jail and you will never be heard from again. If it's not a big hit you'll be forgotten pretty fast.”

— Joel McHale

My intention with The Soup was to hopefully follow in the footsteps of past hosts, like Greg Kinnear. The pedigree of that show was really good and if it could just get me into some of those audition rooms I've always wanted to get into that I could not get into, then I would be very happy.

— Joel McHale

“I'm very happy and being raised Catholic I assume it will end tomorrow. The rug will be pulled out from under me and someone will say, now go to your real job, shoveling poop somewhere.”

— Joel McHale

“Well, that would be a title [the busiest guy in Hollywood] still reserved for Ryan Seacrest. I have one assistant; he has about nine. I don't have a food taster yet, I don't have a fluffer either. But, yes there are some days when I don't know if I am coming or going.”

— Joel McHale

“I love performing, and it allows me to be very discerning about what I choose next, thank god.”

— Joel McHale

I have always survived with comedy, in that I grew up very dyslexic and did not get good grades. I always thought I was dumb, and there are many people out there that would agree

— Joel McHale

“I used comedy as a way to combat my dyslexia. I was barely getting by scholastically, so I used a lot of humor.”

— Joel McHale

“I used humor as survival, as a weapon and as comfort.”

— Joel McHale

I knew I wanted to be an actor. I just kept saying, "Until somebody tells me to stop, until I have to go get a real job, and until I'm practically homeless, I'm not gonna get one."

— Joel McHale

“It really is great. Especially having people who we make fun every week come on and poke fun at themselves is really cool, I love that. No reality star has been mad at me yet for making fun of them. I'm sure that one day soon though, someone is going to take a swing at me.”

— Joel McHale

“Five-hundred years ago people were saying in manuscripts, "Can you believe these kids today?" They were saying that same phrase everyone says now. No one can believe the youth and what they're doing and how culture is going and how it might fall apart.”

— Joel McHale

I think we are as screwed as a culture as we are saved as a culture.

— Joel McHale

I love the challenge of an entire year has gone by and how has that affected the character you're playing.

— Joel McHale

“It's pretty difficult to promote something the week after Christmas and the week before New Year's.”

— Joel McHale

“Yes, believe me I am black and blue. Plus I just finished a Seth MacFarlane movie called Ted and I can't believe the cast I got to work with there [Mila Kunis, Mark Wahlberg]. I feel like I am winning some kind of contest to trick people into working with me.”

— Joel McHale

I don't know how (producer) Dan Harmon put that together but he did. Everyone gets along and we all babysit Chevy Chase (laughs) and it all works out. Plus we are given a lot of freedom to riff off each other and compliment each other's comedic style. The group is so talented, whether it be Donald Glover or Allison Brie and now Jim Rash who plays the Dean is finally a full member of the cast - oh my gosh, he is so funny. I call him Rumplestiltskin; he can spin comedy out of anything. I am in such a blessed situation - if only more people would watch it.

— Joel McHale

“Hours is an understatement. I honestly don't know how the director and editor decide each week what actually makes it on the air. There's of course director and cast commentary on each episode on the DVD. We had a blast recording that.”

— Joel McHale

I don't really know. I think the first test is when you're very little and you fart, and you laugh at it and so do your friends and family. I knew before I was funny I was very annoying so I have that covered. I think it was because I was not very good in school I used humor as a defense mechanism. When I started doing plays and stuff at school I decided that I was going to keep doing it until someone tells me to stop and get a real job.

— Joel McHale

It was great having them around and I have to say pretty weird seeing them all grown up! Plus we have Jeremy Piven; and Ricky Gervais agreed to be in it and Antonio Banderas has a cameo in and that's a testament to Robert. He's such a good director and such a good guy. He gets everybody, because everyone wants to work with him.

— Joel McHale

“One of my favorite things being on movies is that when you're working, it's the best thing that's ever happened, and then in the downtime, you socialize and go to dinner.”

— Joel McHale