Anjelah Johnson Quotes

Powerful Anjelah Johnson for Daily Growth

About Anjelah Johnson

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, born on January 19, 1982, in San Diego, California, is a renowned American comedian, actress, and former NFL Cheerleader. Raised by her single mother, a devout Seventh-day Adventist, Johnson-Reyes developed a passion for humor at an early age as a means of coping with the hardships of her upbringing. Johnson-Reyes gained national attention in 2007 when she auditioned for and won NBC's Stand-Up For Diversity competition, which led to her becoming a regular on the sketch comedy show "MADtv." Her breakout character, "Bon Qui Qui," a fast-food restaurant employee with an attitude, catapulted Johnson-Reyes into stardom. In 2010, she released her first comedy special, "That's How We Do It," which showcased her unique comedic style that blends storytelling and stand-up comedy to explore topics ranging from her upbringing to contemporary issues. The special was a hit on Netflix and led to additional roles in television and film. Johnson-Reyes's career took another leap in 2014 when she starred as Rosario Dawson's character's sister, Tameka, in the Tyler Perry drama "A Madea Christmas." She has also made notable appearances on shows like "The Real," "Hood Adjacent with James Davis," and "Truth Be Told." Today, Johnson-Reyes continues to tour as a stand-up comedian, releasing her second comedy special, "MA DRIPPIN'," in 2017. She is also the author of "The Great American Girlfriend," a book that chronicles her journey from struggling comedian to successful actress and entertainer. Johnson-Reyes's work embodies the resilience and humor that have become her trademarks, inspiring audiences with her unique perspectives on life, love, and family.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Life doesn't make any sense without interjections."

Anjelah Johnson suggests that exclamatory phrases (interjections) add emphasis, excitement, or emotion to our speech, making it more engaging, relatable, and human. In life, these emotions help us understand one another better, create connections, and make sense of the world around us. Without them, our communication might feel flat or devoid of real human connection.


"Nobody wants to hear you're having a rough day unless they can take action."

This quote highlights a common human tendency: we often empathize more with those whom we feel capable of helping. In simpler terms, people are more receptive to others' troubles when they believe there is something they can do to alleviate the situation. If one's problem seems insolvable or outside another person's power to influence, it might be less appealing to listen. This quote serves as a reminder that understanding and offering support are crucial, but actionable help can make all the difference when someone is experiencing hardships.


"I want to be the person that God wants me to be."

This quote signifies a deep desire for self-discovery, purpose, and spiritual alignment on the part of Anjelah Johnson. She seeks to live according to God's plan and design for her life, rather than conforming to societal expectations or personal desires that might not be in harmony with her higher calling. It's an expression of humility, faith, and a commitment to serving one's purpose in the most authentic way possible.


"The older I get, the more I realize how much I don't know."

This quote expresses a common sentiment as individuals age - an increased awareness of one's own limitations in knowledge and understanding. It is a reminder that despite our life experiences, there are always new ideas, concepts, or perspectives to learn and explore. Essentially, it suggests humility and openness to growth and continued learning throughout one's lifetime.


"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson (Quote often attributed to Anjelah Johnson due to her comedy skit interpretation)

This quote underscores the reality of life where well-laid plans can quickly be disrupted or challenged by unforeseen circumstances, represented as a metaphorical "punch in the mouth." It implies that despite having a plan, one must always prepare for unexpected hardships, setbacks, or obstacles. Resilience and adaptability are crucial when faced with adversity to keep moving forward and achieve success.


I'm a very observational storyteller, and I'm always relational - a lot of stories stem from relationships, whether it's me with my husband, me with my mom or my siblings.

- Anjelah Johnson

Always, Very, Stories, Observational

I like to be the only one who uses my toothbrush.

- Anjelah Johnson

Only, Like, Uses, Toothbrush

It's always nerve-wracking when people say they look up to you or that you're a good role model. It's such a double-edged sword, because you realize you've been put on this pedestal, and you have to make sure that you don't do anything to get torn down.

- Anjelah Johnson

Pedestal, Been, Torn, Sword

I had this little piece of me that always wanted to be an actress, but I would never say it out loud because it was kind of embarrassing because where in San Jose do you become an actress? You don't, really. It was very far-fetched. It was similar to me saying, 'I want to be a princess.'

- Anjelah Johnson

Out, Very, Had, Far-Fetched

I live my life not to please my pastor or my church or fellow Christians. I live my life according to my own convictions and morals and core values and principles, and a lot of times, that's not going to add up to other Christians.

- Anjelah Johnson

My Life, Church, Other, Convictions

A majority of Bon Qui Qui is my little brother, who is ghetto fabulous. He has no filter whatsoever. He just says what's on his mind.

- Anjelah Johnson

Little Brother, Whatsoever, Filter

One of the first jokes I wrote was this nail salon bit that ended up blowing up on YouTube. That's kind of what propelled me into standup.

- Anjelah Johnson

YouTube, Kind, Nail, Blowing

Ellen DeGeneres is great. She has this natural style, and she makes comedy look so easy.

- Anjelah Johnson

Comedy, She, Natural, Ellen

One of my best friends growing up was Vietnamese, and he and his mom would teach me how to say certain things so I could impress my nail girls. Then the nail girls would teach me how to count to 100 and basic things like 'Thank you' and 'You're welcome.' It's funny, because any accent that I do now always turns into Vietnamese.

- Anjelah Johnson

Best, Mom, Turns, Vietnamese

I've been doing the Vietnamese nail lady impressions since my mom first took me to get my nails done when I was 12.

- Anjelah Johnson

Doing, Been, Took, Vietnamese

Don't try to be anybody else, because that's what I do. I do me. I'm not trying to impress anybody. I'm not trying to please my pastor at church. I'm not trying to even please my mom, to be honest.

- Anjelah Johnson

Church, Please, Anybody, Pastor

When I really started just giving them the truth of who I was, that's when my fan base really started to grow.

- Anjelah Johnson

Grow, Started, Them, Fan Base

People pay their hard-earned money to come and watch me perform live. That's a blessing.

- Anjelah Johnson

Money, Me, Watch, Blessing

Once, I was doing Bon Qui Qui in Miami, and this black girl was in the audience, and she yelled out, 'That's not funny!' which was really funny because she sounded exactly like the character I was playing.

- Anjelah Johnson

Doing, Audience, Which, Yelled

Sometimes you hear about people who can't wait to leave their hometown. I did not have that feeling at all. I love San Jose, I love the Bay Area, and I love coming home to visit.

- Anjelah Johnson

Love, Wait, Bay Area, Coming Home

People want to call me racist for doing the Bon Qui Qui character, and I'm like, 'Look, Bon Qui Qui is a representation of a hood chick. That's it.' There are lots of hood chicks out there: some are black, some are Mexican, some are Salvadorian, and some are white.

- Anjelah Johnson

Doing, Mexican, Some, Chick

I was lucky to grow up in a culturally diverse area knowing a lot of different people from all different walks of life.

- Anjelah Johnson

Grow, Lucky, Area, Diverse

I'm from San Jose, CA, which is very diverse, and I grew up around a lot of different types of people.

- Anjelah Johnson

Very, Which, San, Diverse

I went to L.A. to become an actress, and I started from the ground up. I worked as an extra, and then I started taking this joke-writing class because it was free. I didn't want to be a comedian, but I was like, 'Free education? Yeah, I'll take a class.'

- Anjelah Johnson

Education, Comedian, Yeah, Extra

When people didn't really know who I was, and I would get on stage, they would be distracted by what I looked like, so I would have to dumb myself down, in a way, for people to feel safe to laugh.

- Anjelah Johnson

Myself, Like, Looked, Distracted

Deep down inside, I'm really a black girl stuck in a Mexican girl's body. But I'm also in touch with my inner white girl and my inner Asian girl. I feel like a little bit of everybody.

- Anjelah Johnson

Deep, Feel, Everybody, Stuck

Everyone who comes to my show has their own struggles. There's so many people dealing with so many things; I love that I get to be part of their healing process by making them laugh.

- Anjelah Johnson

Love, Own, Part, Struggles

I like to tell stories and relate to people and get everybody having a good time. I don't ever want to be in a situation people feel the need to tell me their opinion. So I stay away from any kind of material that would cause somebody in the audience to shout me their opinion.

- Anjelah Johnson

Tell, Away, Everybody, Shout

I love sharing my life with people.

- Anjelah Johnson

Love, My Life, I Love, Sharing

Don't try to be anyone else. Don't try to emulate what someone is doing. Play to your strengths.

- Anjelah Johnson

Play, Doing, Someone, Emulate

There's a joke that I do where I make fun of myself for being bow-legged, and I compare myself to a camel and how a camel walks and sits, and that has become a joke that people - when I deliver that joke, people are in tears.

- Anjelah Johnson

Myself, Tears, Compare, Joke

I've realized that I can never not do the nail salon joke, and I will have to talk about Bon Qui Qui for eternity.

- Anjelah Johnson

Will, Eternity, Nail, Joke

I do a joke in my stand-up where I say I'm a Christian, but I'm not a Christian comedian. I think that's definitely how I see my acting. I'm an actor who happens to be a Christian.

- Anjelah Johnson

Think, I See, I Think, Joke

I stay far away from political humor.

- Anjelah Johnson

Humor, Away, Far, Far Away

I never thought I was going to be a comedian.

- Anjelah Johnson

Thought, Never, Going, Comedian

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