Wanda Sykes

In '87, I used to do this awful, awful James Brown impression.

I'm here today because I hated everything else.

When I'm not on T.V. or working on a movie, I'm on the road doing stand-up. That's my roots.

I have a sidekick, Keith Robinson, who's very funny. I've known Keith for over 20 years; he's my best friend.

It seems like when I first started, people got into comedy because they wanted to be good comedians.

D.C. is where I started. That's home for me. I always love coming back to the area. They treat me so well, and people show up. They're excited and claim me as their own. I love it.

There's so many good comedians in D.C. I started hanging out with those guys. Dave Chappelle was there. Actually, Dave was too young to be in the clubs, so when his mom couldn't make it, he would ask me to pretend I was his aunt, so he could do open mike.

I think sometimes celebrities can hurt a candidate. You don't want people to judge them on your last project.

It's hard to get fired from the government. You have to, like, kill people.

It's easier to rip somebody to shreds while you're making them laugh.

It wasn't until I became more confident with myself and I put myself forward instead of the jokes; at first it was put the jokes out there and I'm just behind the jokes.

I had real big boobs, and I just got tired of knocking over stuff. Every time I eat, 'Oh, Lord'. I'd carry a Tide stick everywhere I go. My back was sore, so it was time to have a reduction.

I had breast cancer. Yeah, I know it's scary.

I have problems with YouTube and things like that, when you catch it mid production. If I'm doing a show and I'm working on a bit and someone's there with a phone, they record it and put it online - it's not the finished product.

When life gives you lemons don't make lemonade, make pink lemonade. Be unique.

I'm always thinking of stuff; I just don't sit down and write it. I come up with material more as I go along; if something funny happens, I'll make a note of it on my phone.

My worlds collide. When one things happens, it just starts a domino effect - everything else goes on.

It wasn't until after the reduction that in the lab work, the pathology, that they found that I had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in my left breast. I was very, very lucky because DCIS is basically stage-zero cancer. So I was very lucky.

I'm finally just relaxed and comfortable with who I am.

That's why I talk about the breast cancer: because I want women - and everyone - to stay on top of things and get checked. I know how scary it can be. When I dealt with it, I was like, 'Oh my God.' And I have so many other friends who have gone through it or have suffered a loss.

Some government workers are dedicated and work hard, but most of them are just waiting to retire.

Usually, there's nothing being thrown toward the stage or at me. Then I feel pretty good about it.

Sometimes black people really want to hold onto our oppression - 'This is ours! This belongs to us.' You can't just talk about equality for somebody else. Let's pass it on. Let's pass it on to somebody else. At the end of the day, it is all about inequality.

In this business, you get an opportunity, and you pounce on it.

I knew I was outspoken when I was a kid because, whenever my parents had company coming over, they would pay me to leave. 'Go see your grandmother. Get out of here.' That was my first paying gig.

If I did a talk show, this would allow me to speak on what's happening at that moment. I can be current, and I get to flex my stand-up muscle but stay at home without doing the traveling.

I love Costas. He's knows too much, but he's a good guy.

I tried theatre. I played Miss Hannigan for a short run of Annie at a regional theatre. That was fun. I enjoyed it! I enjoy theatre and have so much respect for theatre actors.

People - I hate to use the word 'fans' - are very respectful. It's not like I'm some pop idol or big movie star. I'm very approachable, and I love the people who enjoy me, because they react like they've run into a friend. Usually, it's like, 'Hey, Wanda! How ya' doing?'

I always want to go back and do stand-up; I like the freedom.

Men are dogs. Men are dogs. We got to stop it. Men are not dogs. Uh-uh. Dogs are loyal.

What drives the creative person is that we see it all.

And then also I think it's harder for women because comedy is so opposite of being ladylike.

I noticed recently, in the last few shows I did, that I'm starting to get people - not a large group, but quite a few people - who come to see me because they love Curb Your Enthusiasm.

A woman would pitch a joke. Nothing. Then a guy would pitch it and everybody would laugh.

I work hard. The staff and crew see how much energy I put into this project, and it makes them step up.

My voice is distinctive: there's a rhythm to it, and also, it's funny. I was just blessed with a funny-sounding voice.

The government shouldn't be involved in this because it's very simple. If you don't believe in same-sex marriage, then don't marry somebody of the same sex.

I guess because of my act, people think that I say things they want to say, and that they can just come up and say anything to me.

I like doing a bunch of different things, being all over the place.

I'm shy. I am. I mean, if I get around, you know, in a room of a bunch of people especially I - you know, I don't know or - it takes me a while to warm up. I'm - and the real me, I'm not as witty as, you know, as the comic Wanda. The comic, she's had time to work on some things.

I don't understand why people really get upset about something that doesn't affect them at all.

I worked with people like Edward Snowden. Well, not people who took stuff home.

I have a lot of breast cancer history on my mother's side of the family.

To me, in life, if there's, like, a rule, and I think it's ridiculous, then of course I'll circumvent that but also point out how ridiculous the rule is. Other than that, if I go to a concert, and my seat is Row G, Seat 12, I'm sitting in Row G, Seat 12. I don't care if I'm with five other friends, I'm supposed to be in Seat 12, that's my seat.

Don't bother me while I'm eating, or when I'm coming out of the crackhouse or something. Just let me get going.

I work hard. The staff and crew see how much energy I put into this project and it makes them step up.

I'm here today because I refused to be unhappy. I took a chance.

Back then, I was doing more of my impression of what a comic is supposed to do.

Then you had people who wanted to get into comedy just to get a TV deal.

I enjoy stand-up because it has the biggest reward: instant gratification. You can hear the people laughing.

There's obviously a group who enjoys what Tyler Perry is putting out there. And why fault them? And there's a group that loves the things that Spike does. So they should enjoy that, too. Is it my taste? Maybe not, but I'm not going to fault anybody for doing what they're doing as long as people are showing up.

I'm a stand-up comic. I'm always doing dates; it's just that, if I'm working on a project or I'm busy, I can't get out on the road or book any shows. Since the beginning of my career, I'm usually out for at least 10-15 dates throughout the year. If I have time, then I try to get at least 30-40 dates.

I'm a huge Sia fan. I love Sia, I have just about all of her stuff.

But I think funny and talent will always win out; I mean, of course there are hurdles, but I think if you're funny you will get over all of that.

People are getting careers from YouTube and uploading videos. And they're totally different - you can't necessarily be funny on a video, and then all of a sudden you're live in a theater. You don't have the tools yet. It's a lot more involved to go from being funny on a little iPhone screen to being live in front of people and being funny.

I have to be socially aware; I feel like that's my job.

I was funny around my family. My family, they're pretty funny, too.

Actually, I majored in marketing and I have a bachelor of science.

If something stinks, I say it stinks. But I try to massage it a little and not be as cutting, come behind it with a joke: Hey, I cut you deep, but now let me put a couple of stitches in you.

I tried snowboarding, and that scared the hell out of me.

I have a funny family, but none of them are remotely in show business.

I watch Jay. I watch 'Letterman'. I flip back and forth between 'Conan' and 'Letterman', especially the top of the show for those guys.

I don't like doing the same material over and over again. It's not fun.

I think it's because my comedy is in your face, and it comes from a place that's real.

It's not until you develop your own voice, your own persona onstage that you become your own comic, who you really are.

But sometimes the women writers will pitch something and I'll hear it, but the men will keep talking.

If you're passionate about your work, it makes the people around you want to be involved too.

I watched a lot of comedy growing up.

I'm really funny now.

I have a very diverse crowd from old, young, black, white, straight, gay. It's a little bit of everybody.

I'm constantly preparing. Material hits me; I'm always writing. I go back and listen to my shows and just prepare and put my set together. But the day of, I like to have some downtime. A nice lunch is important for me.

Stand-up, by far, is my favorite.

I remember, when I was a kid, my summers were pretty much running around, riding your bike, and then complaining about you were bored.

I was working at the NSA. I don't know, I was just bored. I just knew that's not what I was supposed to be doing with my life.

Men don't hear women.

The first time onstage, a light went on. 'OK, this is my thing. I'm comfortable here. This is my thing.'

My shows and my material are grounded in reality. It's pretty much something that's either happened in my life or in the news, and I start there and give you my take on it.

I really can't pinpoint the one moment when I said I want to be a comic.

If you feel like there's something out there that you're supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.