Marti Noxon Quotes

Powerful Marti Noxon for Daily Growth

About Marti Noxon

Marti Noxon is an acclaimed American screenwriter, producer, and television showrunner known for her captivating narratives that delve into the complexities of human emotions. Born on August 16, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, Noxon's passion for storytelling was sparked at a young age. She attended Northwestern University's School of Communications, where she honed her writing skills and nurtured her love for television. Noxon's professional career began in the late 1980s when she started working as a production assistant on various television series. Her breakthrough came with the 1993 sitcom 'Party of Five', which she co-created and produced, earning her an Emmy Award nomination. The show's narrative, focusing on five siblings left to fend for themselves after their parents die in a car accident, showcased Noxon's knack for crafting compelling stories rooted in realism and emotional depth. In the following years, Noxon worked on numerous successful television shows such as 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', 'Gilmore Girls', and 'Mad Men'. Her work on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' was particularly influential, as she co-wrote and produced several episodes, including the critically acclaimed "The Body". Noxon made her feature film directorial debut with the 2016 psychological horror film 'To the Bone'. The movie explores eating disorders through a unique narrative lens, showcasing Noxon's ability to tackle sensitive and taboo subjects with sensitivity and nuance. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Noxon is known for being an advocate for women in Hollywood. She often speaks out about gender inequality in the industry and has been a driving force behind various initiatives aimed at empowering women in film and television. Today, Marti Noxon continues to contribute to the world of screenwriting and production, leaving a lasting impact on popular culture with her powerful narratives and commitment to representing complex female characters.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Pain is a part of life, but suffering is an option."

This quote by Marti Noxon emphasizes the distinction between pain, an inevitable aspect of life, and suffering, which is a voluntary response to that pain. Pain refers to physical or emotional discomfort, while suffering signifies prolonged or unnecessary mental distress caused by our thoughts and feelings about the pain. It encourages us to cope with hardships in a healthy way, acknowledging pain but avoiding the additional burden of self-inflicted suffering.


"Women are told they can have it all. Men are told they must."

This quote highlights the societal double standard between men and women regarding expectations, ambitions, and responsibilities. Women are often encouraged to strive for success in their careers while also maintaining personal relationships and taking care of family, implying that they can achieve it all. In contrast, society typically places more emphasis on men being responsible for providing financially, which is seen as essential, thereby suggesting that they must prioritize work and other responsibilities. This quote underscores the need to address and eliminate these unfair expectations in order to create a fairer and more equitable world for everyone.


"The truth about being a woman is that you're taught to be soft and small and quiet and that you don't take up too much space or make too much noise or ask for too much in case you scare people away."

This quote by Marti Noxon sheds light on societal expectations placed upon women, emphasizing that they are often taught to be modest, unassuming, and accommodating. The underlying message is that women should minimize their presence to avoid appearing intimidating or threatening to others. It's a powerful commentary on gender roles and the cultural norms that have historically suppressed women's voices, ambitions, and individuality.


"The hardest part of any creative endeavor is the start."

This quote by Marti Noxon highlights the inherent challenge and psychological barrier often encountered at the inception stage of a creative project. The initial phase, whether it be writing, painting, inventing, or any other creative pursuit, can feel daunting due to the blank canvas or empty page that needs filling. The fear of failure, uncertainty, and the lack of direction can make starting seem impossible. However, understanding and embracing this struggle is crucial as it's through overcoming these obstacles that creativity flourishes and meaningful work emerges.


"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." (This one is actually a quote from The Usual Suspects, but it's often misattributed to Marti Noxon due to her involvement in the TV adaptation.)

This quote suggests that sometimes, the most insidious deceptions are those that make us doubt or ignore the existence of a problem or adversary. By denying their presence, we unknowingly allow them to exert influence over us, manipulating our actions and beliefs. The "devil" in this context symbolizes any form of danger or deceit that hides in plain sight, becoming more potent as it goes unrecognized.


Keanu has such generosity and intelligence, not to mention a warmth that I'm eager to tap into. We're all incredibly excited that he's agreed to help us bring 'To the Bone' to life.

- Marti Noxon

Excited, Tap, Eager, Warmth

I think many people expend a tremendous amount of energy on self-loathing and self-flagellation as well as getting caught in a vicious cycle of dieting and gaining the weight back.

- Marti Noxon

Think, Caught, Gaining, Vicious

Not proud. But I watched 'The Bachelor' only once, and I really felt, after that experience, that I could never do it again. I felt it was so morally compromising, as a woman.

- Marti Noxon

Woman, Proud, Bachelor, Morally

I've been looking for a versatile and writer-driven home that could help me bring more complex, exciting, and potentially murderous characters to television - and the team at Skydance is the ideal partner for that.

- Marti Noxon

Been, Could, Ideal, Versatile

On 'Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce,' we have a mandate to hire as many women as possible, but particularly on a show that is about women and about progressive issues like that.

- Marti Noxon

Hire, Mandate, Particularly, Progressive

My dad had made a documentary called 'The Dream Factory' about MGM, and my whole life, I just wanted to be inside it. And there I was.

- Marti Noxon

Made, Factory, Dad, MGM

The problem with generalizations and judgments, the words we hurl as insults, is that they deny our humanity and our stories.

- Marti Noxon

Problem, Stories, Deny, Judgments

Around 10, I got chubby. I knew I'd crossed a line when the only pants that fit were from the 'Junior Plenty' line at JC Penny. My parents had split up, my mom was going through a dark time, and my brother and I were getting bullied in our new neighborhood. Life was big and unsafe.

- Marti Noxon

Big, Through, Pants, Junior

I think my biggest problem as a creative person trying to work within a business for profit was that it was very important to me that people liked me. Over the years, observing other showrunners who made work that I so admired, I realized that that had to go. This couldn't be my first priority. My first priority had to be the work.

- Marti Noxon

Other, I Think, Very, Profit

You can be a sophisticated person and still have really old ideas about what love is supposed to look like.

- Marti Noxon

Love, Sophisticated, Still, Old Ideas

On 'Sex and The City', when Carrie talked about money problems, I would always think, 'Sell your shoes!'

- Marti Noxon

City, Think, Always, Sex And The City

Seeing Donald Trump run for and then win the presidency only enhanced my commitment to helping people free themselves from ridiculous body standards and disordered eating so they can use their gifts for more fulfilling things, like being of service and enjoying this beautiful world.

- Marti Noxon

Trump, Helping, Donald, Helping People

You can't ever create defensively. You just have to create the next thing that really speaks to you.

- Marti Noxon

Next, Ever, Speaks, Defensively

Sometimes when I'm reading a script, I can't quite believe that this is going on television alongside cereal commercials.

- Marti Noxon

Television, Going, Alongside, Cereal

I'm such a type A doer myself that if someone said I had a month off, I think I'd go crazy and try to organize the vacation resort!

- Marti Noxon

Myself, Think, I Think, Vacation

It's funny: I've joked that 'Sharp Objects,' 'To the Bone,' and 'Dietland' are my self-harm trilogy, and each one is a different side of that triangle, with 'Dietland' really about fighting back.

- Marti Noxon

Side, Objects, Each One, Trilogy

I digested this value system that told me there was no one for me unless I reached a certain type of perfection. And as you get older, you realize that ideal is constantly changing.

- Marti Noxon

Ideal, Type, Constantly, Perfection

I certainly often go to a movie and don't remember exactly what the trailer had in it, except that it looked cool.

- Marti Noxon

Movie, Certainly, Looked, Trailer

The bane of every TV writer's existence is the likability note.

- Marti Noxon

Existence, Note, TV, Bane

I can't be interesting, controversial, and the writer I'd like to be if I need everybody to like me and think I'm doing the right thing, because those two things, in my experience, never go hand in hand.

- Marti Noxon

Experience, Doing, Everybody, Controversial

It's humiliating, being told you're not responsible enough to make your own choices in life.

- Marti Noxon

Own, Responsible, Being, Humiliating

I did, of course, do research about what the current state of affairs is in terms of the eating disorder community and who's being affected, and I was surprised to see that - something that was - way back when I was in the thick of it, it was typified as a fairly white, middle-class girl problem. And if it was, it really isn't anymore.

- Marti Noxon

Back, Anymore, About, Affairs

Too many people will die needlessly if we go back to letting people buy junk insurance or insurance that doesn't help people with diseases related to mental illness.

- Marti Noxon

Insurance, Die, Will, Too Many People

It's so politically incorrect to make a character gay and then make them 'un-gay' again. Like, once you become gay, you've crossed over, or you're not allowed to be a person who doesn't want to be defined by a label like that.

- Marti Noxon

Allowed, Politically, Make, Crossed

When you're allowed to tell stories with ambiguity and darkness and things that are still unresolved, that's the dream scenario as opposed to having to fit into a more procedural mode or something a little more conventional. That's not what's working on TV right now.

- Marti Noxon

Tell, TV, Allowed, Unresolved

There's no shape or body type that makes you more happy or more lovable. It's the body you're comfortable in that makes you happier and more lovable. I look around and see how women and men of all types find the love and the life they want.

- Marti Noxon

Love, Happy, Body, Lovable

I'm lucky to be alive. It's a blessing to tell my story, you know.

- Marti Noxon

Lucky, Alive, Tell, Blessing

I'll be honest: I had a real deep-seated fear that 'Buffy' was going to be my peak. It was such a beautiful experience. It was such a fully realized show.

- Marti Noxon

Going, Show, Had, Fully

Being an aging woman in Hollywood is no picnic.

- Marti Noxon

Woman, Hollywood, Being, Picnic

I'm a big believer in 'Trojan horses' - There are certain themes that are more palatable when wrapped in something fun or distracting.

- Marti Noxon

Big, More, Something, Distracting

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