James Christopher Gaffigan (born July 7, 1966) is an American stand-up comic and actor. He is best known for his Comedy Central Presents specials, a recurring role on the show My Boys and several nationwide commercials.

Quotes

King Baby

• Of course what makes breakfast in bed so special is you're lying down and eating bacon, the most beautiful thing on Earth. Bacon's the best, even the frying of bacon sounds like an applause. (sizzling sounds) YEAAAA BACON!!!! You wanna hear how good bacon is? To improve other food they wrap it in bacon. If it wasn't for bacon we wouldn't even know what a water chestnut is. "Thank you bacon. Sincerely, Water Chestnut the third". And those bits of bacon, bits of bacon are like the fairy dust of the food community. "you don't want this baked potato," bbbrrriinnnggg! it's now your favorite part of the meal. "not interested in a salad?" bippady boppidy bacon! Just turned it into an entre. And once you put bacon into a salad it's no longer a salad, it just becomes a game of find the bacon in the lettuce. It's like you're panning for gold, hmmmmm, EUREKA! bacon! not many ways to prepare bacon,you can either fry it or get botulism. It's amazing the shrinkage that occurs. You start with a pound you end up with a book mark. You know the only bad part about bacon is it makes you thirsty... for more bacon! I never feel like I get enough bacon. at breakfast it's like they're rationalizing it. "Here's your two strips of bacon." "But I want more! More bacon!" Whenever you're at a brunch buffet and you see that metal tray filled with the four thousand strips of bacon, don't you almost expect a rainbow to be coming out of it? "I found it I found the source of all bacon!" That bacon tray is always at the end of the buffet, you always regret all the stuff on your plate. "What am I doing with all this worthless fruit? I should have waited! If I had known you were here I would've waited...."
• I married a woman who loves to camp and I am what you would call indoorsy. I'm surprised we can still get people to camp. "Hey, wanna burn a couple of vacation days sleeping on the ground outside?" "Uh, No!" "What if I told you you get to crap standing up in the woods?" "I still wouldn't wanna go." "You'll wake up freezing covered in a rash." "… All right, I'll go."

Quotes

• I am a guy who talks about bacon and escalators. Stand-up comedy is very much a conversation. It's very personal, stylistically.
  • John Wenzel (October 10, 2008) "Underneath that pasty exterior beats the dark heart of a comic", The Denver Post, p. D-12.

• It's like in most parts of America, where there was industry and there is no longer; there is cynicism mixed with sarcasm and some optimism. That's how my background influenced my comedy.
  • Ben Fields (September 28, 2008) "Laugh Again with Gaffigan - Down-to-earth Gaffigan getting ready to bring 'Sexy' to the Keith", The Herald-Dispatch, p. 1.

• Hopefully, some of it has to do with us being good actors, too. There's some of it where you get lucky. You come on the job and there are people with you where there's a chemistry there.
  • On the chemistry between the cast members of My Boys — interview in David Kronke, Los Angeles Daily News (June 12, 2008) "Baseball, Beer, and, of Course, The Boys - Actress Jordana Spiro Takes a Run at a Man's World and Delivers a Small Hit for TBS", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sun-Sentinel Company, p. 12E.

• Not that I don't think irreverent humor and someone being filthy is funny, I just do what I do. Any comedian would admit throwing an f-bomb in there would help get a reaction. … I'm not on a Puritanical pursuit, but when I would curse in a joke, I believe I'm not done writing it.
  • Tim Brouk (September 6, 2007) "Jim Gaffigan returns to his old stomping grounds, Purdue", Journal and Courier, pp. 1, 2D.

• I talk kinda slow, especially for the Northeast, so it was a way to beat (would-be hecklers) to the punch.
  • Explaining his use of "inner voice" speech during his stand-up routines — interview in Michael Corcoran (February 18, 2007) "When studios need a doofus, Jim Gaffigan is their main man", Austin American-Statesman, p. J01.

• I do kind of aspire to do comedy that appeals to a wide range of audiences and doesn't divide people. I never want to do material that makes people laugh at the expense of making other people feel bad - not to say I'm not guilty of that at times. ... I try and make humor out of the really important issues of the day, like Hot Pockets and elevators and not wanting to get out of bed.
  • Stephanie Bouchard (February 15, 2007) "Pasty-faced and proud of it - Comedian Jim Gaffigan brings his 'Beyond the Pale Tour' to Merrill Auditorium", Portland Press Herald, Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc., D10.

• I curse in everyday life, but usually when I stub my toe. The topics I'm discussing, it's not necessary to curse. I found [cursing] is a sign that a joke is not finished or well-written.
  • Michael McIntyre (February 9, 2007) "He's bringing home the bacon, from clubs to Super Bowl ads", The Plain Dealer, p. 30.

• I liked the idea that my character was not gonna be the typical dumb guy that I play, typically. I also loved the fact that it was dealing with kind of adult-extended adolescence, which I think is always interesting -- a bunch of people that don't wanna grow up.
  • On his character in My Boys — interview in Bob Kostanczuk (December 15, 2006) "From 'Pale Force' to 'My Boys' Region native Jim Gaffigan keeps comedy career chuggin' with new sitcom", Post-Tribune, p. D1.

• Yeah, I am a character actor.
  • Doug Elfman (November 19, 2006) "Oh, 'Boys': New show centers on a female sportswriter who likes guys and likes to drink. Just don't call her 'hot.'", Chicago Sun-Times, p. D11.

• I grew up in a family where no one was in the entertainment business. So stand-up and acting were seen as something unrealistic. I always thought it was just people in L.A. and New York that became actors or comedians.
  • Ed Will (April 28, 2006) "Your face sure is familiar. ...", The Denver Post, p. FF-09.

• People don't know who I am. Some people don't know I do standup. They just write that I'm that guy from those failed sitcoms. I always joke that 'I've never heard of me either.'
  • Kyle O'Brien (March 3, 2006) "Comic Gaffigan's one Hot star", The Oregonian, p. 43.

• On MySpace … the whole demographic of the stand-up comedy fan has changed. It's like an indie band thing. People think they've discovered you.
  • Eric Deggans (February 19, 2006) "Seems like MySpace is everyone's space", St. Petersburg Times, p. 1A.

• Stand-up is an amazing art form, I think, because it's all about you having complete control of the situation, but absolutely none.
  • Allan Johnson (October 7, 2005) "Seriously, Jim Gaffigan is an actor and a stand-up comic", Chicago Tribune, p. 9.

• There's a silliness that is in my stand-up. I grew up in Indiana, worshipping David Letterman, so it's Letterman-like, observational, a little bit offbeat. I don't go up there and make fun of people's shirts. There's a bit of dryness in it.
  • Jim Sullivan (July 19, 2001) "Parker's Son Steps Out With A Bang", The Boston Globe, p. D4.

• I didn't realize how much of a Hoosier or a Midwesterner I was until I moved to New York. It's weird -- growing up in Indiana, I wanted to get out, and now I completely romanticize Indiana. It just seems like there's a greater focus on family back there, which I suppose is something that kind of stayed with me.
  • Bob Kostanczuk (June 24, 2001) "Gaffigan laugh again with Northwest Indiana native bounces back from shaky sitcom by hooking up with new 'Ellen' show", Post-Tribune, p. D1.

• In Indiana, I wasn't anything special. But in New York, I've gone out with girls with purple hair who go out with me because I'm exotic!
  • Frazier Moore, Associated Press (December 27, 2000) "Comic Gaffigan Gets A Hayseed's Welcome to New York", Sun-Sentinel, p. 3E.

• I'd been acting and doing stand-up in New York about eight years, getting rejected, and I finally got the opportunity to do stand-up on Letterman, which holds even more importance for me. With comedians, that's definitely the pinnacle, but being from Indiana, it was a big to-do.
  • On getting his big break, an appearance on Late Show With David Letterman — interview in Virginia Rohan (November 29, 2000) "Partly Howdy - Jim Gaffigan Is a Midwestern Weatherman Who Takes On The Big City in 'Welcome To New York'", The Record, p. Y1.

• One thing I've always appreciated about Dave is that he can be sarcastic without being alienating and self-deprecating without being self-abusing.
  • On David Letterman — interview in Joanne Weintraub (November 21, 2000) "Mr. Midwest - Jim Gaffigan tries to hold his own", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, p. 1.

• As an actor, you deal with so much rejection and humiliation. When the good things come around, you tend not to trust your instincts.
  • Mike McDaniel (November 21, 2000) "Gaffigan's 'Welcome': Series drops a friendly Indiana weatherman in the Big Apple", Houston Chronicle, p. 8.

About Gaffigan

• He's arguably one of the best stand-up comics in the country.
  • Jordana Spiro — interview in Mike Hughes (July 30, 2007) "Back with the 'Boys'", Lansing State Journal, p. 1D.