- I never should have done My Favorite Martian (1963). I didn't work in television or film for three years after. Everyone thought of me as a Martian. Do you know what it's like to go to Madrid, Spain, on vacation and have a guy yell out, "Hey, Martin!" and put antennas behind his head? When that happens, you know your career is dead.
- (on his thoughts after four episodes of My Favorite Martian (1963)) I thought, "What am I doing here? I'm running around with two pieces of wire coming out of my head. I must be crazy.".
- (his 1995 Emmy Award acceptance speech) I have 30 seconds to tell you I have been waiting 60 years to get on this stage.
- (on being labeled a character actor) I'm an actor and that's it -- period. Producers and studios have thrown many things at me over the years: comedy, tragedy, drama, drawing-room comedy. I've managed to keep my head above water in most of these genres, but I don't put myself in any one category like "comic actor" or "musical-comedy" actor.
- My Favorite Martian (1963) ended after three years, because the people at the top killed the goose that laid the golden egg. They didn't know how to keep the goose alive.
- The only thing that has kept me alive is, prior to the Martian show, I had a very versatile career. So I'm still regarded as a good actor, despite all that Martian baloney.
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