"We began to do little things, have little scenes where we just talked about things that had nothing to do with the plot. In fact, in the beginning, they didn't want us to do that. But as time went on, you see that in so many shows. I think we were the first to do that"
About this Quote
The subtext is craft pride, but also a defensive kind of authorship. An actor best known for nerves, flutters, and impeccable timing is insisting that his work wasn't just mugging and punchlines; it was world-building. The "nothing to do with the plot" talk is how a show convinces you its people exist off-screen. It's also how comedy stops feeling like a delivery mechanism for jokes and starts feeling like a place you can live in.
Knotts frames the innovation as accidental and practical: they "began to do" it, tested boundaries, and then watched the industry absorb it. That's how TV evolution usually happens - not through manifestos, but through performers pushing for moments that feel human, then getting rewarded when audiences lean in. His final line, "I think we were the first", lands as both brag and historical footnote: a reminder that what we now call "slice-of-life" realism often started as an actor arguing to keep the camera rolling a few seconds longer.
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Knotts, Don. (2026, January 16). We began to do little things, have little scenes where we just talked about things that had nothing to do with the plot. In fact, in the beginning, they didn't want us to do that. But as time went on, you see that in so many shows. I think we were the first to do that. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-began-to-do-little-things-have-little-scenes-126938/
Chicago Style
Knotts, Don. "We began to do little things, have little scenes where we just talked about things that had nothing to do with the plot. In fact, in the beginning, they didn't want us to do that. But as time went on, you see that in so many shows. I think we were the first to do that." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-began-to-do-little-things-have-little-scenes-126938/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"We began to do little things, have little scenes where we just talked about things that had nothing to do with the plot. In fact, in the beginning, they didn't want us to do that. But as time went on, you see that in so many shows. I think we were the first to do that." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-began-to-do-little-things-have-little-scenes-126938/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
