Since bursting onto the national stage as a featured player on Saturday Night Live (SNL) over 20 years ago, Amy Poehler has won the hearts of millions. From Parks and Recreation’s uber-organized optimist Leslie Knope to her roles in dozens of movies, Poehler has left a legacy that any actor or comedian would envy. Let’s take a look at 32 of Amy Poehler’s funniest and most inspiring quotes from her movie and TV career.
“I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a *cool* mom.”
By any standard, Mean Girls is a comedy classic. As June George, mother of queen bee Regina George, Amy Poehler had only a few scenes, but she stole them all. In a movie that is endlessly quotable, Poehler contributed one of the movie’s best-known lines when she tried to explain her “parenting style” to Regina’s friends.
“We need to remember what's important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn't matter, but work is third.”
On Parks and Rec, Leslie Knope was often the hardest working employee in her department, if not in the entire Pawnee city government. She’s always willing to do whatever she can to make her community a better place. But in this quote, Leslie shows that she has her priorities in the right place – and that breakfast should always be a priority.
“When it comes to torture, I trust the woman who spent three years married to James Cameron.”
In 2013, Amy Poehler joined her good friend Tina Fey to host the Golden Globes for the first time. During their monologue, the hosts mentioned the controversy around “Zero Dark Thirty,” a movie directed by Kathryn Bigelow. While alluding to the film's depiction of military torture, Poehler offered the quotable quip above. Taking a shot at Bigelow’s ex instead of the director herself makes the joke even funnier.
“What I hear when I’m being yelled at is people caring loudly at me.”
The citizens of Pawnee, Indiana are an interesting bunch, to say the least. The public wasn’t always on its best behavior during Leslie’s town hall meetings, but the quote above explains why Leslie was able to power through with a smile.
“I don’t know your life!”
After years of collaborating on SNL, buddies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were finally able to make a movie together. In Baby Mama, Fey plays Kate, a high-strung executive who wants to become a mother, and Poehler plays Angie, a down-on-her-luck trailer park resident chosen to be Kate’s surrogate. The clash of their two worlds is comedy gold, but none so much as when Kate accuses Angie of storing chewed bubble gum under her expensive dining room table. Angie implies that Kate herself did the deed. When Kate protests, Angie offers this amazing comeback.
“Sometimes you have to make the hardest climb to see the most beautiful sunrise.”
Like a lot of producer Michael Schur’s work before and since, Parks and Rec is not just a show about co-workers, it’s a show about people coming together to work for the common good. When they do, Leslie is their chief motivator. This quote is one of her most inspirational.
“Maybe we need a little less Forever 21 and a little more Suddenly 42…”
After the success of Baby Mama, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reunited for the 2015 comedy Sisters. This time, they play middle-aged siblings Kate (Fey) and Maura (Poehler). The sisters are determined to throw one last high-school-style party in their parents’ house before its sale. While shopping for clothes for the soiree with little luck, Maura makes this great observation.
“What’s Galentine's Day? It’s only the best day of the year!”
When asked about the “best day of the year,” Leslie said, “Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just come and kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies.” Galentine’s Day’s popularity spread from Pawnee into the real world, making Leslie Knope one of the few fictional characters responsible for creating a real-life holiday.
“They came…because of Sadness…”
Inside Out looks at the inner emotional life of a girl named Riley. Amy Poehler plays Joy, the leader of the emotional pack that includes Disgust, Anger, Fear, and Sadness. Poehler obviously nails the comedy, but because it’s Pixar, there’s also an emotional weight to many scenes. Joy spends nearly the entire film insulting Sadness and diminishing her contributions. But then, Joy realizes that one of Riley’s happiest memories only came to be because Riley was upset about losing a game. Her family and friends arrived to cheer her up. Riley indeed experienced Joy, but it would not have happened without Sadness.
“Why would anyone eat anything other than breakfast food?”
Another gem from Leslie Knope. While talking with Ron Swanson at JJ’s Diner, Leslie offers one of the most important observations made in Pawnee or anywhere else.
“And the story has to be true, because the story was reported by Shakira’s hips.”
“Weekend Update” is one of SNL’s longest-running and most beloved segments. Amy Poehler is one of its most notable anchors. Although Poehler left SNL in 2009, she came back to the desk in 2012. One of her stories noted that singer Shakira had reportedly been attacked by a sea lion. Poehler then deadpanned with the quote above, which includes a reference to Shakira’s hit song.
“Ann, you beautiful _______”
Leslie Knope’s friendship with nurse Ann Perkins forms the emotional core of the first few seasons of Parks and Rec. Leslie showers Ann with compliments as any good friend should. Often, they start with “Ann, you beautiful….” and can end with anything Leslie dreams up, including “land mermaid,” “tropical fish,” “rule-breaking moth,” or “powerful musk ox.” We should all have a friend like Leslie Knope.
“Maybe that’s what happens as we get older…We feel less joy.”
Inside Out 2 tells the next chapter of Riley’s story. Because Riley is getting older, a new set of emotions – Anxiety, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy – join the gang. As Anxiety takes over, Joy (voiced by Poehler) and the other original emotions start to feel that they have less of a place in Riley’s life. This leads Joy to say the above quote - one of the saddest observations in the entire film. Fortunately, Joy and the gang get Anxiety under control and prove that there is a place for Joy at any age.
“I am super chill all the time!”
This quote is funny not just because of the irony. These words coming from the super-organized and Type A Leslie Knope would already be hilarious. But Amy Poehler delivers this line by literally screaming it at Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott). Yelling about how chill you are will never not be funny.
“Freedom of speech! Look it up! It’s in the thing!”
In Baby Mama, Angie (Poehler) and Kate’s (Tina Fey) surrogacy agreement goes awry when they learn that Angie is indeed pregnant - but not with Kate’s child. In the courtroom scene that follows, the judge tells Angie to pipe down. Angie takes the opportunity to remind the attorneys in the room about the free speech rights granted to all Americans in “the thing” (a/k/a the U.S. Constitution).
“Hi, Leslie. It’s Leslie. I love you. Hang in there.”
Leslie Knope has high standards for herself and her employees. Yet she is never angry or rude. She pushes them with gentle encouragement or inspires them simply by being herself. Leslie shows the same gentleness to herself in a voice memo.
“Of course I’m delusional!”
In Inside Out 2, Anger complains to the other emotions – Disgust, Fear, and Sadness – that Joy is being delusional. After admitting that she absolutely is, Joy says, “Do you know how hard it is to stay positive all the time? When all you folks do is complain, complain, complain?!” Poehler’s performance is top-notch, and the quote is a good reminder that even the most positive among us have a breaking point.
“Every girl dreams about winning. But winning is my destiny.”
Leslie Knope is one of TV’s most optimistic characters. Part of optimism is believing in yourself. Here, Leslie shows us that she is a winner because she believes that she is.
“I didn't like Gone Girl. I go to the movies to escape. I didn't want to see myself up there on the screen.”
Most awards show hosts poke fun at the industry or the nominees. But at the 2015 Golden Globes, Amy Poehler invited the attendees to laugh at her as she humorously compared her life to Gone Girl, a movie where (spoiler alert) a woman stages her own kidnapping, blackmails several people, and even commits murder. (Of course, Poehler can make that joke as in real life, she is rumored to be a gracious and friendly person.)
“Maybe it’s time for more women to be in charge.”
Between her advocacy for the women and girls of Pawnee, her adoration of strong women, and her consistently feminist stances, Leslie Knope is clearly a girl’s girl. It’s no surprise that she would want to see more women in leadership roles.
“In Wasilla we chill baby chilla… but when I see oil it’s drill baby drill-a!”
In 2008, Amy Poehler’s friend Tina Fey returned to SNL with an uncanny and hilarious impersonation of Senator John McCain’s running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Palin took the jokes in stride, and even joined the Saturday Night Live crew for a guest appearance. But here’s the twist: During “Weekend Update,” Poehler, not Fey, embodied Palin. While Palin looked on and “raised the roof,” a very pregnant Poehler energetically rapped verses that she claimed were penned by Palin, including the above shout-out to Palin’s hometown. It was an epic moment in SNL history.
“I am big enough to admit that I am often inspired by myself.”
Each of us has a unique strength or ability that makes us an inspiration to someone. But the busyness of life – along with the fact that most of us tend to focus on our failures more than our successes – can keep us from seeing it. This Leslie Knope quote reminds us to look toward our best selves.
“I’m not following you. This is a dual storm off!”
In 2019, Amy Poehler made her directorial debut in the hilarious Netflix comedy Wine Country. In addition to helming the project, Poehler also took a prominent role in front of the screen. The movie follows a group of friends (played by SNL alums including Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, and Tina Fey) who visit Napa Valley to celebrate their friend’s 50th birthday. As the weekend goes on, old and new resentments test the bonds of friendship. After a big argument, Naomi (Maya Rudolph) runs away from her friends. Shortly thereafter, Abby (Poehler) also leaves the gathering. But she uses the quote above to make sure Naomi knows she has her own reasons for leaving.
“I am a goddess.”
One of the best storylines in Parks and Rec happens when Leslie Knope realizes that the Pawnee Rangers (led by Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson) don’t allow girls to join. This inspires Leslie to create a rival group, the Pawnee Goddesses. Leslie’s creed for the group states, “I am a goddess, a glorious female warrior. Queen of all that I survey. Enemies of fairness and equality, hear my womanly roar. Yeah!” Of course, the Pawnee Goddesses become so popular that eventually all of the children in Pawnee - both male and female - want to join in the fun.
“These facts and opinions look so similar!”
In Inside Out, Joy has an opportunity to go deep into Riley’s mind. This quote summarizes one of her keen observations about the pre-teen thought process.
“I have the most valuable currency in America: a blind, stubborn belief that I'm 100% right.”
Leslie Knope is inspiring, but she's not quite perfect. Leslie is so prepared and well-read on any subject that she can sometimes overlook the fact that other people just might have something valuable to say. Still, this quote shows that Leslie at least has some self-awareness about her issues.
“TV is the one that I watch for five hours straight, but a movie is the one that I won’t even start because it’s two hours long.”
While co-hosting the 2021 Golden Globes with pal Tina Fey, Poehler was in rare comedic form. But instead of poking fun at the nominees or Hollywood’s quirks, Poehler took a moment to address something that we’ve all done: refusing to watch a movie because it’s too long but binging five episodes of an hour-long show because we’re hooked. Maybe there’s a reason Netflix asks if we're still watching.
“There's nothing we can't do if we work hard, never sleep, and shirk all other responsibilities in our lives.”
The early days of Parks and Rec showed us that Leslie Knope was a hard worker who was willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. This quote summarizes Leslie’s early view of work and life. Thankfully, as she builds stronger connections with her team and finds love with Ben (Adam Scott), she begins to prioritize friends and family.
“We weren’t intersectional enough … We called our meetings pow wows!”
Amy Poehler’s second directorial turn, the Netflix film Moxie, looks at a group of young girls who use an underground magazine to combat the sexist culture at their high school. In addition to directing, Poehler also portrays Lisa, the mother of the main character. By sharing her lament with her daughter, she encourages her not to follow in her mother’s footsteps but to make a newer, better path.
“I stand by my decision to avoid salad and other disgusting things.”
As an employee of Pawnee’s Parks and Recreation Department (and later a member of the Pawnee City Council), Leslie Knope is required to help every person and business in the community – even Sue’s Salads and the veggie vendors at the local farmer’s market. But that doesn’t mean she has to like it. This quote proves that Leslie helps these businesses solely out of professional obligation.
“Cake is, like, a fluffy dessert that people eat on their birthdays.”
At the 2015 Golden Globes, Jennifer Aniston was nominated for her work in the film Cake. Poehler used the above quote to explain the concept of “cake” to the health-conscious Hollywood crowd. Afterward, Poehler’s co-host Tina Fey poked at another sore spot by adding, “And birthdays are a thing that people celebrate when they admit that they have aged.”
“Find your team and get to work.”
This Leslie Knope quote summarizes the ethos of her character and Parks and Rec. No one can do anything worthwhile alone. We all need help. We might not be able to move a mountain alone, but if we put together the right team, we just might succeed.
