Jackie Mason

Funny business

On the eve of a UK visit, the 83-year-old king of comedy offers a few tips

Jackie Mason at the Hollywood Palace in 1964: ‘A good comedian must tell the truth’ 
issue 16 May 2015

A lot of people ask what it takes to be a stand-up comic — I’ll be honest, I have absolutely no idea. What I do know is that whatever it is, a lot of people love to think they’ve either got it or they can get it. I was honoured to be in six Royal Command Performances and so of course I met Her Majesty the Queen a few times. After about the third time, she started to talk like me, tell a few jokes. Now, I’m not saying she owes her popularity to me — God forbid — but let’s be honest, when you add together the number of people who come to see her when she’s touring the world and the crowds that come to watch my show …that’s a lot of people. And I hear her jokes aren’t too bad either, hers and her husband’s — so maybe we do all have a bit of funny inside of us.

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