Mika is an Actor

I was a show-off as a kid. I was wearing bow ties and matching coloured trousers.

In my older songs, I used to hide behind fictional characters to deflect attention away from myself.

I'm a big illustration and comic book fan. In my eyes, comic books and illustration are the same kin...Show more »

I'm a big illustration and comic book fan. In my eyes, comic books and illustration are the same kind of art forms. Show less «

I was always told I was ugly. I still think I am ugly. I know I've got an odd face and you can't tel...Show more »

I was always told I was ugly. I still think I am ugly. I know I've got an odd face and you can't tell me otherwise. Show less «

I make mistakes. I say stupid things. I do idiotic things. And, quite frankly, I'm proud of them. Wh...Show more »

I make mistakes. I say stupid things. I do idiotic things. And, quite frankly, I'm proud of them. Why not make mistakes? Show less «

You never know which gig is going to be your last.

The music industry doesn't exist the way it used to. You'll never have another star like the stars o...Show more »

The music industry doesn't exist the way it used to. You'll never have another star like the stars of the '90s. Show less «

I'm obsessed with plastic. I like the syntheticness.

I love collaborating with strong women.

I write songs about fat girls and about men who run off to Mexico.

If I really like the smell of something - a piece of tar or my goddaughter's plastic doll - I put a ...Show more »

If I really like the smell of something - a piece of tar or my goddaughter's plastic doll - I put a tiny piece in a bottle with a label. I keep them in a fridge in my bathroom. Show less «

I collect toys.

Strangely, I feel that I become increasingly reclusive in my normal life and more open and candid in...Show more »

Strangely, I feel that I become increasingly reclusive in my normal life and more open and candid in my music. Show less «

Hype is scary.

I wish I had more guts when I was younger because then I would've said things to people's faces inst...Show more »

I wish I had more guts when I was younger because then I would've said things to people's faces instead of just running away all the time. Show less «

I am totally unapologetic about pop music.

I think, 'How could anybody mock a good pop song?' It is timeless; it transcends barriers; it breaks...Show more »

I think, 'How could anybody mock a good pop song?' It is timeless; it transcends barriers; it breaks down every single type of social barrier that you can possibly have. It can deal with the most difficult subjects, even if it abstracts the subject matter. Show less «

We all have to be dishes on a plate eventually, with the way we are marketed, but I have no intentio...Show more »

We all have to be dishes on a plate eventually, with the way we are marketed, but I have no intention of being a cheap Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet. Show less «

The stage is my territory, my boxing ring. That's where I'm free.

Part of me sees myself as talented, and the other part sees me as strange. Ideas get stuck in your h...Show more »

Part of me sees myself as talented, and the other part sees me as strange. Ideas get stuck in your head and nothing changes them. Not even fame. Show less «

I say I have a midlife crisis every time I start and finish a record.

New York is a bit of a dangerous place to me because you often leave in a blur.

Identity for me is something that has to be played with and explored, and not become complacent abou...Show more »

Identity for me is something that has to be played with and explored, and not become complacent about or uninterested in. Show less «

In fact, no one has ever really wanted to go on a date with me.

I really want people to know me, to find out about me, and if they really like me, to stick with me.

A stylist might say you look amazing in anything. Your family will always tell you if you look a com...Show more »

A stylist might say you look amazing in anything. Your family will always tell you if you look a complete idiot. Show less «

I've never, ever labeled myself.

I think my music generally transcends a lot of genres.

I can't just listen to music walking down the street unless I have a reason to. I can't just listen ...Show more »

I can't just listen to music walking down the street unless I have a reason to. I can't just listen to music as a piece of junk in the background. It drives me insane. Show less «

I am very suspicious of people.

Most people's jobs are rooted in reality.

I'm fascinated by religion, but I'm not particularly religious.

I write songs to turn myself into something else. And then I become that, and I want to become somet...Show more »

I write songs to turn myself into something else. And then I become that, and I want to become something else. Show less «

I've always said in the press, I can fall in love with a man. I can fall in love with a woman. And I...Show more »

I've always said in the press, I can fall in love with a man. I can fall in love with a woman. And I've always said that I have no shame in that. Show less «

I was always told that I was too strange or that I was too cheesy by different groups of people, lik...Show more »

I was always told that I was too strange or that I was too cheesy by different groups of people, like the record companies said I was way too weird and the indie people wouldn't even let me in their band. Show less «

I'm dangerously generous.

I found school pretty tough. I got the mickey taken out of me at school.

In the past, it weighed on me because nobody in my family is gay. I had no role models so I had to f...Show more »

In the past, it weighed on me because nobody in my family is gay. I had no role models so I had to find my own way. Show less «

You can't believe the amount of speculation you get over your private life.

I was born out of classical music.

Most of the people who write pop music were outsiders at some time in their life.

I'm not necessarily that big of a clubbing junkie, but I really like dance music as a genre.

Some people make records that are defined by their sexuality, but mine really are not.

I certainly don't follow fashion. I think fashion, as far as the industry and the whole world that s...Show more »

I certainly don't follow fashion. I think fashion, as far as the industry and the whole world that surrounds it, is quite vile, and I'm repelled by it. Show less «

When you're not part of a club, you have to find another way of surviving.

The best way to make the most serious point in the world is to be as unserious as possible.

I'm not creating an enigma or leaving mystery, I'm just respecting myself enough as an artist to giv...Show more »

I'm not creating an enigma or leaving mystery, I'm just respecting myself enough as an artist to give myself room to grow and not to be devoured all in one go. Show less «

I was brought up in many different cultures, moving around all the time, and I find my identity in m...Show more »

I was brought up in many different cultures, moving around all the time, and I find my identity in my songs. I project the identity I want to have throughout the songs that I write. Show less «

Melody is disarming. It's anarchic!

As a teenager, in my songbook, I used to script what my lighting would be like. I used to dance in m...Show more »

As a teenager, in my songbook, I used to script what my lighting would be like. I used to dance in my room, it was like putting myself in a trance, and making myself feel good about things, almost like a private ceremony of begging people to like you. Show less «

Well, I have to say, most of my clothes are designed and made by my mother.

Anyone who tries to diss me in comparison to Queen, it just renders all their criticisms completely ...Show more »

Anyone who tries to diss me in comparison to Queen, it just renders all their criticisms completely futile. That's quite pleasurable. Show less «

Lady Gaga has a very unjaded intelligence. It's brilliant, 'cause it's anti-snob.

My relationship with my mother is not cute.

They say shyness is a form of egotism, and you are only shy because you care too much about what peo...Show more »

They say shyness is a form of egotism, and you are only shy because you care too much about what people think of you. And maybe its true, maybe I am just an egotist. Show less «

My first record was about childhood. There were a lot of nursery rhyme and fairytale references; it ...Show more »

My first record was about childhood. There were a lot of nursery rhyme and fairytale references; it was all about being naive. Show less «

Never had any idols, ever. I never had any posters, nothing.

I'd never compare myself to Freddie Mercury because I look up to him far too much. As an artist, not...Show more »

I'd never compare myself to Freddie Mercury because I look up to him far too much. As an artist, not necessarily as a person. Show less «

When you come from nowhere, I am fully aware of the fact that people have to compare you to other ar...Show more »

When you come from nowhere, I am fully aware of the fact that people have to compare you to other artists to kind of place you. Show less «

I completely understand the responsibility I have in continuing the sonic style that I have created.

My life isn't tabloid-friendly.

Oh, I'm quite harmless in real life.

Everything I write is about me.

It's very hard to find men's clothes that do what you want, especially when you go through them as q...Show more »

It's very hard to find men's clothes that do what you want, especially when you go through them as quickly as I do. I need them to be flashy, but I never like to be overdressed. I need to make a statement, but I hate wearing too many clothes. Show less «

Everything I do is very visual and very aural, so I don't read music, and I draw as much as I write ...Show more »

Everything I do is very visual and very aural, so I don't read music, and I draw as much as I write out lyrics. Show less «

I want to make big-sounding pop records.

Some people say I've got a five-octave range, which is ridiculous. That would mean I'd sing like Mar...Show more »

Some people say I've got a five-octave range, which is ridiculous. That would mean I'd sing like Mariah Carey or that alien in 'The Fifth Element.' And I'm nothing like that blue alien. I've got a range of about 3 1/2 octaves. Show less «

I'm always calling my doctor because I'm constantly injuring myself while on the road, like tearing ...Show more »

I'm always calling my doctor because I'm constantly injuring myself while on the road, like tearing a ligament, blasting my ears or losing my voice. Plus, I'm a total hypochondriac. Show less «

I have opinions on everything. I'm a stubborn old mule. The biggest problem is keeping my mouth shut...Show more »

I have opinions on everything. I'm a stubborn old mule. The biggest problem is keeping my mouth shut. Show less «

To me, being a classical snob in the highest possible way and being an indie snob is just as bad!

I don't know where my father is from. I just don't. He's lived in so many countries.

I was quite the quiet teenager. I was a bit of a loner, a little bit of an outsider.

Sometimes I dress like what I want for lunch, because all I can think about is having a tuna sandwic...Show more »

Sometimes I dress like what I want for lunch, because all I can think about is having a tuna sandwich. Show less «

I'm not a great dancer. I know I'm not. But I know that I can move. I can throw shapes, just not in ...Show more »

I'm not a great dancer. I know I'm not. But I know that I can move. I can throw shapes, just not in the right order. Show less «

I never talk about anything to do with my sexuality.

I am terrible at relationships.

Mixed reactions? Sure, I get them all the time. I'm a Marmite artist.

There's always apprehension whenever I launch anything, it seems. When I launch a tour, people are a...Show more »

There's always apprehension whenever I launch anything, it seems. When I launch a tour, people are always, 'Oooh, is this gonna work?' And when I launch an album: 'Ooh, is this gonna work?' Or a new video. 'Really?' It's always like that - but I've always acted on the impulse that I have nothing to lose. Show less «

I lack trust in others.

You can't deny your limitations.

Mika

Mika's FILMOGRAPHY