Steve Smith

[on being asked if he dressed as 'Red Green' when he received the 'Order of Canada'] No, I didn't. Red Green didn't get it. But he sure helped!. I took my mother. She's ninety now, at the time she was eighty-two. She got to meet the Governor-General. She said, 'This is the best day of my life'. And that was including my birth. When I heard I was getting one, I thought that meant everyone was getting one. Show less «

Canadians like to think of themselves as sleepers. They like to be under-estimated.

[The 'Red Green Show'] was very tightly scripted. I take it as a compliment when people don't believe me. This show, I've written it and now I'm in the process of rehearsing it. I become Red Green, I go into my own garage, I treat it like a stage, I walk it and talk it. And because I'm in character, the character makes all kinds of script changes to turn it into Red Green. It's like Red Green is the head writer. Show less «

[on beginning his career] It was supposed to be a summer job in 1990. My wife was leaving television to raise the kids. I didn't know what I was going to do, but this was a character I enjoyed doing. And back in those days, with Canadian TV, as long as you were a decent person and didn't spend any money, you'd get a show. Apathy was our biggest friend in those days. Now they care way too much. Show less «

[on continuing to perform as his old persona at 68] Maybe I've lost the energy. Why would I change it? It's not limiting for me to be 'Red Green'. In fact, it's a huge powerful tool because it immediately lowers everyone's expectations. If I say anything that's even mildly clever, it's genius when Red Green says it. Show less «