Kay Cannon Quotes

Powerful Kay Cannon for Daily Growth

About Kay Cannon

Kay Cannon, a renowned American screenwriter and director, was born on March 30, 1978, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Growing up, she developed an early interest in storytelling and comedy, which led her to study theater at Syracuse University. Cannon's career took off when she joined the sketch comedy group, Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in New York City. She wrote for the popular MTV series, "Girlcode" and "MTV's Punk'd." In 2014, Cannon made her directorial debut with the hit film "Pitch Perfect," a musical comedy that revolves around an all-girls college acapella group. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning Cannon recognition for her unique storytelling and character development. Cannon continued to make her mark in Hollywood with the sequels "Pitch Perfect 2" (2015) and "Pitch Perfect 3" (2017). She also wrote and produced the Netflix original film, "The To-Do List" (2013), a coming-of-age comedy that earned praise for its frank portrayal of teenage sexuality. In addition to her work in film and television, Cannon has been an advocate for gender equality in Hollywood. She is known for her ability to create strong, complex female characters that challenge stereotypes and push the boundaries of traditional narratives. Quotes by Kay Cannon reflect her commitment to empowering women and pushing for change within the entertainment industry. One of her most notable quotes: "I don't think there are rules in comedy. I think it's about finding what makes you laugh, and making other people laugh with that." This ethos is evident in all of Cannon's work, which continues to entertain and inspire audiences around the world.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." - Oscar Wilde (often attributed to Kay Cannon in her book "Austenland")

This quote emphasizes the importance of authenticity, suggesting that every individual has a unique identity, thoughts, feelings, and experiences that make them distinct from others. By being true to oneself, one can avoid attempting to imitate or compete with others, as everyone else already has their own path in life. Essentially, it encourages people to embrace their originality and live according to their own values and character rather than conforming to societal norms or expectations.


"Love isn't about finding a perfect person. Love is about seeing an imperfect person perfectly." - Sam Keen (often used in Kay Cannon's works)

The quote emphasizes that true love is not about finding someone without flaws, but instead, it's about recognizing and appreciating the imperfections of another person fully. It suggests that genuine affection transcends surface-level perfection, delving into a deeper understanding and acceptance of an individual for who they truly are, imperfections and all. This perspective encourages empathy, patience, and compassion in relationships.


"The most romantic and beloved line in any Austen novel: 'You pierce my soul,' says Mr. Darcy." - Kay Cannon, Austenland

Kay Cannon's quote refers to a moment from Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice," where Mr. Darcy expresses his deep feelings for Elizabeth Bennet by saying, "You pierce my soul." This phrase underscores the intensity of Darcy's emotions as he acknowledges that Elizabeth has a profound impact on him, reaching beyond the surface level to touch something deep within him, much like a sharp object penetrating a barrier. It signifies true love and an intimate connection between characters, often found in romantic literature.


"Love is a many-splendored thing, but it's also a crazy, messy, headachey, heartbreaky, risky, beautiful, magical, wonderful, exasperating, intoxicating, mind-bending, soul-stirring, passion-provoking, joyous, exhilarating, terrifying, all-consuming force." - Kay Cannon

This quote by Kay Cannon emphasizes the multifaceted nature of love. Love is not just a simple, harmonious emotion; it's also complex, chaotic, and challenging. It brings both happiness and heartache, offers comfort but can cause distress, presents risks and uncertainties while instilling passion and wonder. Essentially, love encompasses a wide range of feelings, from the sublime to the mundane, and everything in between, making it a profound, intricate, and captivating experience.


"Falling in love is like crashing on the rocks of an island: you're shaken and bruised but there's a beauty about it that makes the pain worthwhile." - F. Scott Fitzgerald (often quoted by Kay Cannon in her works)

This quote suggests that falling in love is like experiencing a tumultuous event, such as crashing on an isolated island. The turbulence of the crash represents the emotional upheaval felt when one falls in love, with the "shaken" and "bruised" state symbolizing the vulnerability, confusion, and discomfort that often accompany new romantic connections. However, despite the pain and uncertainty, there is a profound beauty to be found in the experience of falling in love – something so captivating and compelling that endures past the initial turmoil. This makes the painful journey worthwhile, as it leads to a deeper understanding and connection with another person. Kay Cannon's frequent use of this quote in her works implies that she believes these sentiments resonate with the emotional complexity of love found in her stories.


I felt that a cappella was the improv world with music, where it's very serious, and there are groups and competition, and some people become famous, and there's a language we speak from one improviser to another.

- Kay Cannon

Some, Another, Very, Improviser

You never imagine that the Green Bay Packers were going to be in something you wrote or singing 'Bootylicious.'

- Kay Cannon

Green, Singing, Imagine, Green Bay

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, they made it cool to be funny and to be embarrassed and to look a thousand different ways and show a bunch of different areas of their lives.

- Kay Cannon

Embarrassed, Made, Lives, Tina

Tina Fey is my mentor, whether she likes it or not.

- Kay Cannon

Mentor, She, Whether, Tina

I started writing when I was trying to be an actor, and I happened to be friends with Tina Fey, who happened to have her show '30 Rock' coming out. So Tina, who happens to be a mentor to me, gave me my slot and hired me.

- Kay Cannon

Mentor, Show, Slot, Tina

I'm actually from a small town about an hour and a half south of Chicago.

- Kay Cannon

Small, Town, Half, Hour And A Half

'Bridesmaids,' I think, opened up a door to allow women to show a bunch of different women in different ways of being funny. It was kind of like an arrival moment.

- Kay Cannon

Door, Think, Allow, Bridesmaids

I took a class at The Second City, and it became contagious.

- Kay Cannon

City, Took, Became, Contagious

I wasn't, like, pretty enough to be the ingenue; I wasn't 'character' enough to be the goofball sidekick. I'm kind of ethnically ambiguous.

- Kay Cannon

Pretty, Like, Ingenue, Goofball

I was the runt of the family, the shortest and the smallest, so I think they perceived me as the one who was like, 'Look at me!' - just trying to get their attention and being a goofball.

- Kay Cannon

Think, Like, I Think, Goofball

I would be writing while I was breastfeeding. I didn't want the computer to be too close to her, so it was at an arm's distance away while I was clickety-clack typing away.

- Kay Cannon

Distance, Want, Away, Arm

On '30 Rock,' the hours were really intense, and I was often on set. I'm glad I didn't have a kid then because I don't think I would have ever seen her. I would work 15-hour days, and weekends, too.

- Kay Cannon

Kid, Weekends, Seen, 30 Rock

I was a writer on '30 Rock' for six years.

- Kay Cannon

Rock, Writer, Six, 30 Rock

I loved all the people involved with '30 Rock.'

- Kay Cannon

Rock, Loved, Involved, 30 Rock

I played volleyball and basketball, and I did track and volleyball in college.

- Kay Cannon

College, Basketball, Track, Volleyball

Ultimately, I want to direct a movie, so that's another thing, too, where I wonder what that will look like and how will I be able to manage.

- Kay Cannon

Will, Movie, Like, Manage

On the set of 'Girlboss,' I had to keep introducing myself as the show runner - literally, 'Hi, I'm the boss' - to a lot of my crew. My first AD said, 'Why do you keep doing that?' I said, 'Because I get mistaken for an extra.'

- Kay Cannon

Boss, Doing, Hi, Runner

I ran track in college. And that team, that all-lady team that I was on, I can remember just being so incredibly sad that I knew we were all going to leave each other after we graduated and that our lives would change. And even though I was the bridesmaid at all their weddings and stuff like that, it's just not the same, right?

- Kay Cannon

College, Other, Weddings, Ran

I'm a huge fan of Ace of Base. 'The Sign?' I love that song.

- Kay Cannon

Love, Song, Fan, Base

When I was in college, I started an improv group, and I did a bunch of plays and some musicals. I have a theater degree. I'm a school person: I like getting homework and having deadlines. When I graduated, I worked right away as an actor.

- Kay Cannon

College, Some, Away, Right Away

I was in relays for track where you just bonded with all these different kinds of personalities who were coming together for this one common goal of beating a rival team.

- Kay Cannon

Different Kinds, Kinds, Bonded

No one ever actually said they were resistant because 'Pitch Perfect' was female-centric. When a project is sitting there for a while, you start to speculate about what could be the thing that might be a little tricky about it.

- Kay Cannon

Perfect, Might, Could, Sitting

'Hot Pursuit,' 'Pitch Perfect 2,' 'Trainwreck,' and 'Spy' were all being done in the last year. All four of those movies I just mentioned are not rom-coms: they're all about women doing different things.

- Kay Cannon

Doing, Perfect, Last Year, Different Things

Second City Las Vegas is very different from Second City in Chicago on the main stage, where they do improv sets. That's how they kind of hone material, kind of work up to new material.

- Kay Cannon

New, Very, Las Vegas, New Material

I was crazy poor, but I was learning and putting myself out there and getting hired to do whatever gig I could and auditioning.

- Kay Cannon

Gig, Could, Putting, Hired

Even if I wrote 'The Kay Cannon Show,' I would have to audition to play Kay Cannon. And I probably wouldn't get it.

- Kay Cannon

Play, Audition, Would, Kay

We have a lot of depressed people in the world because they don't know what their purpose is in life.

- Kay Cannon

Purpose, World, Lot, Depressed

Tell your daughters and their daughters that if they want to be a firewoman, they can be a firewoman. If they want to be an astronaut, they can be an astronaut. If they want to run their own business or run for president, they can do whatever they put their mind to.

- Kay Cannon

Business, Mind, Tell, Astronaut

I've seen 'Bring It On,' like, a thousand times.

- Kay Cannon

Bring, Like, Times, Thousand Times

When I finished grad school, I moved to Chicago proper, and I was at all the different improv schools, taking classes or interning.

- Kay Cannon

Moved, Classes, Grad School, Chicago

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.