Quotes By Dave Chappelle

There's something about doing stand-up that's cathartic.

I don't want the money. I don't want the drama. I just want to do my show. I want to have fun again.

If you don't have the right people around you and you're moving at a million miles an hour you can lose yourself.

I think every group of black guys should have at least one white guy in it.

I love my jokes.

I don't care if I ever work in TV again.

Fame for me is like a place, a country I'm taking a tour through.

I've done 10 or 11 pilots for network television, which is ridiculous.

I think extreme sports are really good for relieving stress.

I was doing sketches that were funny but socially irresponsible. I felt I was deliberately being encouraged and I was overwhelmed.

I've been a comedian since I was fourteen. But I've never really been a CEO.

I love being famous - it's phenomenal.

The world can't tell you who you are. You've just got to figure out who you are and be there, for better or worse.

I get a little heated when I talk about the past. But I wanted to be clear - I'm not mad at anybody - not anymore.

You can't get unfamous. You can get infamous but you can't get unfamous.

My father told me 'Name your price in the beginning. If it ever gets more expensive than the price you name, get out of there.'

Stand-up is the kind of gig that'll show you where you're at.

I care about the work I do. But I'm not going to say that money's not an issue.

The only thing harder than leaving show business is coming back.

I just always loved stand-up. It's like magic. You say something, and a whole room full of people laughs together. Say something else, they laugh again. The fact that people come to see that and participate in that... I don't know, it's just like magic.

You got to be careful of the company you keep.

Comedy is a very approval-oriented field.

I'm cool with failing so long as I know that there are people around me that love me unconditionally.

The way the people around you position themselves around you to get in your pockets and in your mind is infuriating to me.

You know you must be doing something right if old people like you.

Most of the people around me have a vested interest in how much money I make. You know, so a celebrity could find themselves in a position where people could have meetings about their life without them involved. And when I say 'their life' I mean not their professional life either. They could talk about their personal life.

I got a lot of positive people around me.

The worst thing to call somebody is crazy. It's dismissive.

The higher up I went, the less happy I was.

Whether it means having a show, or a movie, or just being on a stage, I need an avenue to say what I have to say.