Top 25 Amy Poehler Quotes

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?’

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.

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.

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.

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.

I also think if you’re an actor and you can improvise, when you go on an audition and you can improvise you’re just a genius. If you can, you know, take a Tide commercial and you can just say one funny line that’s not in the commercial they think you’re a genius.

The earlier you learn that you should focus on what you have, and not obsess about what you don’t have, the happier you will be.

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.

I would love to do a serious period drama. Oh, absolutely. I mean, you’ll find most comedians want to do more serious stuff, most musicians want to be comedians, and most serious actors want to be musicians.

Any actor or actress that tells you that they don’t watch their stuff is lying.

I’ve always dreamed of growing up to be Amy Poehler.

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.

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.

It’s not communism, it’s shouldn’t be that everybody gets a try no matter how good or bad they are. It’s our profession and our art, so we should eventually strive to be working with the best people.

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.

Both conservatives and liberals watch ‘Parks and Recreation,’ and they each think the show is for them, which is really cool. ‘SNL’ was totally different. It was exciting because everyone was paying attention. Political humor works when people know what you’re talking about.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.’

You deserve love and you’ll get it.

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.

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

I was the daughter of teachers, so school was always very important. I liked it.