Amy Poehler Quotes

Powerful Amy Poehler for Daily Growth

About Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler, born on September 16, 1971, in Newton, Massachusetts, is an acclaimed American actress, producer, comedian, and writer, best known for her work on "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) and the television series "Parks and Recreation." Raised by ardent Democrats and educated at Boston College, Poehler's interest in comedy was sparked during her college years when she joined the improvisational comedy troupe, "Improv Asylum." After graduation, she moved to Chicago, where she joined the legendary improv theatre, The Second City. In 1999, Poehler joined SNL as a cast member, where she gained critical acclaim for her portrayals of characters like "Sarah Palin" and "Jennifer Love Hewitt." She also co-hosted Weekend Update with Tina Fey. In 2005, Poehler starred in the NBC comedy series "Parks and Recreation," for which she received seven Emmy nominations and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2014. The show ran for seven seasons, garnering critical praise and a loyal fanbase. In addition to her acting career, Poehler co-authored the bestselling book "Yes Please" in 2014, which reflects on her life, career, and feminism. She also co-founded the Smart Girls at the Party organization, an online community aimed at empowering young women. Poehler's influence extends beyond comedy and television, as she consistently advocates for gender equality in Hollywood and beyond. Her work has not only entertained audiences but also inspired and uplifted millions of people worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it."

This quote by Amy Poehler emphasizes the importance of discovering one's passions and maintaining an intense, sustained curiosity for them. The idea is that when we invest our time and energy into something we love, it leads to a fulfilling life. Passion fuels motivation and drive, making the pursuit of knowledge and skill development more enjoyable and less like work. By remaining interested in our passions, we continue to grow, learn, and improve over time, ultimately leading to personal growth and a richer experience of life.


"Yes, I cry at wedding videos. I can't help it!"

This quote indicates that Amy Poehler is emotionally moved to tears when watching wedding videos. The sentiment suggests a deep connection with love, happiness, or nostalgia that these videos evoke in her, emphasizing the beauty, joy, and significance of weddings.


"Smart people love stupid jokes."

This quote suggests that intelligence is not incompatible with a sense of humor, particularly one that appreciates wit or humor that may be considered simple or basic. It implies that smart individuals have the capacity to enjoy a wide range of jokes, including those that are intellectually less complex, due to their ability to understand and appreciate various forms of humor. This perspective emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind in all aspects of life, including one's sense of humor.


"Don't waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions; go over, under, through, and around. Or just laugh. Laughing is a very good defense."

This quote suggests that instead of focusing our energy on attempting to educate or change the opinions of others through argument or confrontation, it's often more productive to find alternative ways to connect or communicate with them. The use of "over, under, through, and around" implies finding creative solutions or approaches, while "laughing is a very good defense" suggests humor as a means of diffusing tension and maintaining positivity in challenging situations. Essentially, Amy Poehler encourages us to be adaptable, resourceful, and resilient when dealing with differing viewpoints.


"Treat your career like you're already famous: be kind, stay curious, work hard, and don't forget to thank the janitor on your way up."

This quote by Amy Poehler encourages a balanced approach to one's career growth, emphasizing humility and kindness amid ambition. By treating your career as if you're already famous, Poehler suggests maintaining a mindset of respect and gratitude towards everyone you encounter – from peers to those in supporting roles, like the janitor – as you progress up the ladder of success. The focus on being kind, staying curious, working hard, and expressing appreciation for others encourages an ethical, humble, and gracious professional journey. This perspective can help foster positive relationships, build character, and ultimately contribute to long-term personal and professional growth.


When you're a stay-at-home mother you have to pretend it's really boring, but it's not. It's enriching and fulfilling, and an amazing experience. And then when you're a working mother you have to pretend that you feel guilty all day long.

- Amy Poehler

Feel, Stay-At-Home, Then, Enriching

As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.

- Amy Poehler

Own, Through, Other, Collaboration

Whenever I read stories of people doing huge pranks on set, all I think is, 'These people have too much time on their hands.' Besides, I don't want to make some poor assistant clean up someone's trailer after I've filled it with, say, Cadbury eggs. See? I can't even think of a good prank.

- Amy Poehler

Doing, Some, I Think, Pranks

I worked at an ice cream parlor called Chadwicks. We wore old-timey outfits and had to bang a drum, play a kazoo, and sing 'Happy Birthday' to people while giving them free birthday sundaes. Lots of ice cream scooping and $1 tips.

- Amy Poehler

Birthday, Happy, Play, Tips

I think real life couples on screen are kind of deadly. For the most part, they're kind of deadly. You'd be surprised. Unless they're falling in love onscreen for the first time, you don't have quite the same energy for some reason.

- Amy Poehler

Love, Reason, Some, Deadly

I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody's passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn't mind leading.

- Amy Poehler

Love, Engaged, Means, Bossy

Don't treat your heart like an action figure wrapped in plastic and never used. And don't try to give me that nerd argument that your heart is a 'Batman' with a limited-edition silver bat-erang and therefore if it stays in its original packing it increases in value.

- Amy Poehler

Treat, Argument, Your, Give Me

Tina Fey and I have 15 things in development: 'Laverne and Shirley', 'Starsky and Hutch 3', 'Cagney and Lacey', 'Wonder Twins Activate From Two Hot Broads', 'Little House on the Prairie: The Musical: The Movie'.

- Amy Poehler

Hot, Movie, Shirley, Tina

I lived in Chicago for a few years and got a sense of - kind of that broad-shouldered, windy, um, stern, Midwestern, warm-slash-passive aggressive, wonderful - every adjective I can think of, very cold.

- Amy Poehler

Think, Kind, Very, Aggressive

I've said this before, that, when you're in school and you're the class clown, men are really good at making fun at other people and women are really good at making fun of themselves.

- Amy Poehler

Other, Making, Before, Women Are

I used to get my hair dyed at a place called Big Hair. It cost $15. They just used straight bleach, so my hair was the color of white lined paper, and my eyebrows looked like they were done with a thick black marker.

- Amy Poehler

Color, Big, Used, Lined

Sometimes in my class I have people come in and do monologues inspired by people they know and I always find that to be useful to do specifics about somebody and then you're actually doing a character and not doing some random old lady or something.

- Amy Poehler

Doing, Sometimes, Some, Monologues

In a recent Valentine's Day posting on her fan website, Britney Spears says that - oh, who cares?

- Amy Poehler

Website, Posting, Cares, Valentine

Improvisation is almost like the retarded cousin in the comedy world. We've been trying forever to get improvisation on TV. It's just like stand-up. It's best when it's just left alone. It doesn't translate always on TV. It's best live.

- Amy Poehler

Always, Been, TV, Retarded

I cannot stress enough that the answer to life's questions is often in people's faces. Try putting your iPhones down once in a while, and look in people's faces. People's faces will tell you amazing things. Like if they are angry, or nauseous or asleep.

- Amy Poehler

Questions, Tell, Putting, Amazing Things

I don't watch a lot of comedy. For relaxation and escape, I watch shows about how people survive bear attacks. Or old episodes of 'Law and Order,' the Benjamin Bratt/Jerry Orbach era.

- Amy Poehler

Law, Comedy, Survive, Episodes

Some people get in the way of change happening. Some people spend their whole careers thinking they can make a difference. Other people want to do as little as possible to get the day done.

- Amy Poehler

Change, Some, Other, Make A Difference

I think the days of putting your feet up when you're pregnant are long gone. Women who are nine months pregnant now have to work till the bitter end - they don't get to be on TV.

- Amy Poehler

Feet, Nine, TV, Bitter End

There's something so romantic about being broke in New York. You gotta do it. You have to live there once without any money, and then you have to live there when you have money. Let me tell you, of the two, the latter is far better.

- Amy Poehler

Two, Tell, About, Being Broke

I hate Halloween. I hate dressing up. I hate - I wear wigs, makeup, costumes every day. Halloween is like, my least favorite holiday.

- Amy Poehler

Makeup, Every Day, Like, Costumes

So, if you're doing good longform with talented people than you can step out and you can be the president or a construction worker and people accept that. It's really the roles you give yourself.

- Amy Poehler

Doing, Give, Talented People, Doing Good

I'm going to do 'The Social Network Two: The Electric Boogaloo.' And I have a part in 'Beige Swan.' I'm going to be the lead, but I don't dance. I just do a lot of sitting down. It's too tiring to get up and dance around. That should be coming out in 20-never.

- Amy Poehler

Two, Part, Tiring, Sitting

When you're doing sketch comedy and you're pregnant, it's like wearing a giant sombrero in every sketch.

- Amy Poehler

Doing, Comedy, Like, Sketch Comedy

Try to keep your mind open to possibilities and your mouth closed on matters that you don't know about. Limit your 'always' and your 'nevers.'

- Amy Poehler

Mind, Possibilities, Always, Open

When I had a job catering, I catered a wedding for the Smashing Pumpkins bassist in Indiana. And I served Billy Corgan shrimp off a tray.

- Amy Poehler

Shrimp, Had, Billy, Catering

Always remember your kid's name. Always remember where you put your kid. Don't let your kid drive until their feet can reach the pedals. Use the right size diapers... for yourself. And, when in doubt, make funny faces.

- Amy Poehler

Feet, Reach, Use, Faces

I get a little itchy if I don't have some control.

- Amy Poehler

Control, Some, Get, Itchy

If you do a scene and you really like a character in it or a premise in it to write it down and to work on it so that you can have five or six characters that you can pull out in an audition.

- Amy Poehler

Like, Audition, Six, Premise

I'd say any good set or any comedy that I've worked on, that's worked, has been comedians pitching ideas back and forth to each other. A lot of like, 'What if you say this? What about this?'

- Amy Poehler

Other, Been, Set, What If

I have to say I enjoy physical comedy and I've always loved to kind of take risks. I don't like worrying too much about how I look or how I come across, so that can sometimes... You know, I like to play those kinds of deluded but fun characters.

- Amy Poehler

Play, Sometimes, About, Fun

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