Armando Iannucci
Armando Iannucci
Armando Giovanni Iannucci, OBEis a Scottish satirist, writer, television director and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy...
NationalityScottish
ProfessionScreenwriter
Date of Birth28 November 1963
enjoyed event hear home lovely quite room sensation stand
I started quite young at school, compering a charity event at an old people's home. I would do stand up and impressions and enjoyed the laughter. It's very addictive. It's a lovely sensation to say something and hear a whole room laugh.
method partisan tool
The last thing I want to do is use my comedy as a partisan tool or as a method for preaching.
almost aware mimicking
When I started off, I always used to do parodies and impressions, mimicking people... and then institutions. You become aware that some institutions have their own language. You almost define yourself by how you speak.
bbc element feels money open somehow
There is still an element of the BBC that feels it is somehow wrong, or it will be open to criticism, if it makes more money.
cool watches
My 11-year-old thinks I'm cool because he watches things I've made on YouTube.
quickly saw
I briefly thought of becoming a priest but quickly saw that would be ridiculous.
good intelligence
Never underestimate the intelligence of the audience; make good programmes, and they will come.
believe consistent labels member policies saying signing sorts
I hate the idea of labels and saying you are member of one party or another and signing up to all sorts of policies that you don't have a view on or don't believe in. Because I'm not a politician, I don't have to be consistent in what I say and how I behave.
easy pieces
I find it an easy way into writing pieces is to think what the character's voice is like, and start from there.
character evenings line meet meeting refuse script sees words work
I refuse to work evenings or weekends. If a script sees my character meeting for dinner, I put a line through the words and make them meet for lunch.
negative optimist though
I am an optimist even though I am told everything I do is negative and cynical.
films opposed tempting tv
When you do a movie as opposed to a TV show, it's always tempting to think everything has to be big and exaggerated and spectacular. And in fact, a lot of the funniest comedy films have been very intimate.
writing thinking laughing
Write what makes you laugh not what you think will make someone else laugh.
journey meditation listening
Listening to classical music is a journey not a state; it's an activity not a meditation.