- I think comedians have something very serious inside. They see both sides of life. But they prefer to look at the happy side - and to make happy the people.
- [on what makes a successful comedian] Any comedian has to have the feeling inside. I never took any lessons, I just had the feeling.
- Chaplin is Chaplin and Cantinflas is Cantinflas.
- Mario Moreno can live without Cantinflas, but Cantinflas without Mario Moreno can't exist.
- Chaplin relied heavily on mimicry and technique. Especially technique. Cantinflas was based on mimicry and word. But again, Chaplin was the representation of the pessimist and Cantinflas that of the optimist who always wants to help people.
- [on Charles Chaplin] To give what he gave, he must have had a lot of humanity. He always had that; he was a humane person.
- Chaplin gave the tenderness of a character. He personified the tramp of New York. To me, he represented pessimism. Cantinflas, on the other hand, tried to personify optimism.
- Making people laugh is not easy. People should be told when they are born that they have an obligation to be happy and then share this happiness with others. Laugh when you can do it, [because] there is so much time to suffer.
- I have always been an admirer of Charles Chaplin, and I was his personal friend, having the luck of being his guest of honor during 15 days in California.
- Cantinflas is the essence of what the people he represents have inside. Cantinflas is a poor guy with great feeling of happiness. He helps everybody. He wants people to do something and he helps make it possible. He is the eternal optimist.
- [1978] Humor hasn't changed. But times have. Cantinflas never changes inside. But outside, yes. His clothing changes, for example. He has to change to keep up with the times.
- [1978] I have everything now. I have health, family, friends. I am not interested in money - I am happy giving the audience happiness.
- [on Cantinflas] He doesn't care about problems. He has faith. He believes in people.
- [1960] I don't think I ever will [play a serious role]. Why? Because I enjoy too much what I am doing now - and I feel it is just as important.
- [when journalist Bob Thomas asked him why he took so long to make a movie in Hollywood] Stories. It is very hard for me to get the right stories. That is why I make only one picture a year in Mexico. What I do is limited, and I have a whole crew of writers working all the time.
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