Jonathan Winters gets serious

"Never say goodbye to your day job or any job. Seriously, I'm not one to discourage anybody.. I would say this- if you're going to go into this business, you should go into it. But know this going in: your chances of just making a decent living it's tough, it's really hard. You've got to study. You must be an observer. You must look at everything around you, and if you're in doubt about characters- take your car, take the bus, or walk to the closest terminal. Just sit there, in a beat-up old raincoat, pair of shades.. And you're going to see America go by." - Jonathan Winters

Comedy legend Jonathan Winters' full interview is now online. Below are some excerpts from his 2002 interview.

On his advice to young comedians (clip below)

On his character "Maude Frickert":

On his early television work:

On Robin Williams and Mork and Mindy:

On where his inspiration comes from:

On appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson:

On winning an Emmy for Davis Rules:

On working with Bob Hope:

Watch the full interview with Jonathan Winters at emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/jonathan-winters

About This Interview
Jonathan Winters was interviewed for nearly two-and-a-half hours in Santa Barbara, CA. Winters reminisced about his early career in Ohio, and about his early days in New York. He specifically recalled appearing on early television programs including The Garry Moore Showand The Tonight Show, hosted by Steve Allen. Next, Mr. Winters talked about the evolution of some of his well-known characters, including Maude Frickert, Elwood P. Suggins, and King Kwasi. He discussed some of the many well-known television personalities with whom he worked during his career, including Jack Paar, Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, and Johnny Carson. Finally, he talked about his work on programs in the 1980s and 1990s including Mork and Mindy, Hee Haw, and Davis Rules. The interview was conducted by Dan Pasternack on October 11, 2002.