Gossip Column
A collection of Ken's quotable quotes from various media
interviews from around the country!
"Granted there is a fine line between
schizophrenia and acting, but there is a fine line,” Richters explained. "The
day I walk on stage thinking I’m Mark Twain is the day I’ve crossed the line and
should be in a home.”
―Dallas Morning News
“To their delight, veteran actor Ken
Richters welcomed the festival audience of 25,000 and introduced them to the
junior Senator from Connecticut. ‘Ladies and gentleman, it is with great
pleasure I introduce to you the Vice-President of the United States... Hell,
that didn’t work out for him did it! Ladies and gentleman Joe Lieberman.’
―CNN
"Have you heard? Mark Twain has had tougher
acts to follow. An economist, banker and real estate broker had finished
painting a dry, but rosy picture of the world, state and even local economy at
Wednesday’s annual business breakfast, when actor Ken Richters as Mark Twain was
introduced as a “special guest.” Twain looked at 400 or so business-like faces
at the Sheraton Hotel and said, ‘If this is a good year, I don’t want to be near
this place in a bad year.’”
―New York Times
“Ken Richters is a firm believer that the show must
go on. Richters, who will be performing at URI Tuesday, was in Scranton, Pa.,
last Friday. He got to the theater more than three hours early to put on his
make-up and ‘took a header’ down the stairs that led to his dressing room. He
did a flip, he says, and landed on his face. Richters fractured three ribs,
suffered a mild concussion and torn ligaments, but performed the show before
heading for the emergency room. The next day he was off to Philadelphia for
another performance. ‘When I began acting for a living,’ Richters said, ‘if you
were lucky enough to get a job, you would get paid only if and when you worked.
It was probably nothing more than financial desperation that kept me from ever
missing a performance in the early days. Now,’ the actor explained, ‘Its
probably pride. What began as the show must go on to pay the bills ... became
the show must go on because of the tradition of having never missed a
performance during my twenty plus years in show business.’
―Providence Journal
“Although Richters keeps Mark Twain out of his personal life, he has learned to
think like the man on stage and can ad lib in character when necessary. For
instance, minutes before going on stage at Brigham Young University in Hawaii,
Richters was shown a rider to his contract which restricted him from swearing,
smoking and talking about God. He walked onto the stage and in the raspy voice
of Twain, read the contract to the audience. ‘Any of you that have read my books
know that, according to this, I have nothing to say,’ he said. Then he sat down
and stared at the crowd. ‘It seemed like three weeks of silence,’ he said,
‘before someone in the back row started to giggle, and before long the entire
audience was laughing and clapping. Then a man in the front row, who I assumed
was a church elder, smiled and threw up his hands,’ Richters said. ‘So I lit my
cigar and went on with the show ... they invited me back the following year.’”
―Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“None other than Mark Twain himself came to Hartford Friday to plead for money
to fix up his home. Actor Ken Richters, dressed in a three-piece suit, stunned
the crowed at the Legislative Office Building when he stood up and started
talking about the historic Victorian mansion on Farmington Avenue. Gov. John G.
Rowland and other top officials had been discussing various projects during the
normally staid proceedings of the State Bonding Commission. Twain produced more
laughter than at any time in recent memory ... Twain launched into an
explanation of the state’s rising tourism business, noting that Rowland and his
wife, Patricia, have appeared in television commercials that have touted the
state. ‘It is because of the first lady, and in spite of your appearances,’
Twain said to Rowland as the crowd roared with laughter.”
―Hartford Courant
“Hartford’s [Connecticut] Mayor Mike Peters, ‘Mark Twain’ swap barbs during
business pep rally... standing before the audience, Peters conceded the
inevitable. ‘This is going to be a long morning. Call me Mr. Lucky,’ he said.
‘I’m debating a dead guy, and I’m about to get my --- kicked.’ ‘My foot’s not
that big,’ Twain answered.”
―Journal Inquirer
