Comments on: "Dying is easy, Comedy is hard" - Source?

Question: "Dying is easy, Comedy is hard" - Source?

YoungAmerican — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:17:32 -0800

What is the origin of the phrase/quote/saying "Dying is easy, comedy is hard?"

By: ND¢

ND¢ — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:37:30 -0800

It may have been said by Edmond Gween on his deathbed. However, I didn't find any source that I felt good enough about to link to, so I will leave that to others. Therefore, with no evidence whatsoever, I claim that it was said by Edmond Gween on his deathbed.

By: pmurray63

pmurray63 — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:38:19 -0800

I thought it was Edmund Gwenn. Wikiquote says GB Shaw, but I don't think that's correct.

By: BSummers

BSummers — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:39:10 -0800

my searching matches the above with the most believable example given as this

Yes, it's tough, but not as tough as doing comedy.
When asked if he thought dying was tough.
~~ Edmund Gwenn, actor, d. September 6, 1959

By: Skot

Skot — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:41:03 -0800

The phrase is attributed to about a million people, none very convincingly, at least in terms of its origin. In addition to Gwenn and Shaw, I've also seen it attributed to Richard Burbage, Oscar Wilde, etc.

By: junesix

junesix — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:48:46 -0800

It appears to have been attributed to multiple actors - George Bernard Shaw, Edmund Kean, (Jack Lemmon visiting) Edmund Gwenn, Edwin Booth (brother of John Wilkes Booth), and Donald Wolfit.

By: frogan

frogan — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 16:30:14 -0800

Was said by Peter O'Toole's character, Alan Swann, in "My Favorite Year," the most underappreciated movie ever.

By: pmurray63

pmurray63 — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 21:20:41 -0800

"I think Alan Swann is beneath us."
"Of course he's beneath us -- he's an actor."
/digression

By: vronsky

vronsky — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:09:38 -0800

Oh my yes that is a great movie - in my all time top ten, but I think OToole cited Edmund Kean for that quote.