Deon Cole

I went over there to 'black-ish' to be a writer on the show, but Kenya Barris - for no obvious reason - asked me if I wanted to play this character. He looked at me and, I guess, saw the possibilities. I've just been so lucky to have had those opportunities given to me. But, you've also got to take advantage of those chances.

I really related to Ellen more than anybody. I loved the way she had a way of taking small details in life and make something very funny out of them in her stand-up routines. She's someone I modeled myself after - and really admire.

I hate it when people come to comedy shows thinking it's going to be simply all about laughing at jokes.

Listen, most people go to movie theaters with an open mind - not knowing how they're going to react to the film they're about to see.

The famous business is crazy. But if you can handle the streets of Chicago, you probably can handle any place.

People were telling me I should do stand-up. I would just shake it off. One day my friend bet me some money to go on stage. I went up there and never looked back.

I was never funny. There were funny people I was around, but I wasn't a funny guy. I was dead serious about everything. I was a thinker because I was an only child.

When I did 'The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien,' Conan came to my dressing room after and was like, 'Man, that was great.' Then a week later my manager said he wanted to hire me to write for him.

The clocks in my house are set to Pacific time, but my watches are set to Chicago time. It just reminds me of home and keeps me in that mindset.

I love being a comic but I love acting as well. They're both very necessary avenues for me.

If everything is always magical, then you'll never have a magical moment. So you have to understand that when it comes to comedy there's going to be a lot of letdowns, but when that magical moment happens it's going to be worth all the letdowns. You'll appreciate the greatness more than you were expecting.

I'm a big cultural pusher when it comes to hip-hop, disco music, comedy, all that stuff that I love.

A lot people don't know that I'm a stand-up.

Everybody else is out being themselves at work, so I don't understand why black people have to change the way they talk in order to be accepted.

I've been preaching it. I've been getting the word out. I've been telling people 'Stop talking white at work. Talk how you talk and if they fire you, you got a lawsuit. Simple as that.'

There's a difference between having a game show host and having a personality as a game show host - somebody that you know and respect that's funny.

I just think that it's good to be recognized and for people to see what you're doing and honor you with it. That's always good but if you don't then you don't. You still can feel good at the end of the day with what you've given to people and what they're receiving and what you've got to bring to the table.

Looking like I don't have it together is actually an art that I perfected.

I bomb all the time. You just got to keep going.

Atlanta has always been one of my favorite places to come and get down. I don't come through a lot because I'm always filming and doing stuff, so when I come through, I come through.