32 Hilarious and Memorable Amy Poehler Quotes from Films and Television

2025-04-01 11:41:58

The most memorable lines from her top films and television series.

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 your typical mom; I'm a fun 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 should keep in mind what truly matters in life: friends, waffles, and work. Whether it's friends, waffles, then work, or waffles, friends, and work, it doesn't really matter—just know that work comes last."

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 discussing torture, I have faith in the woman who was married to James Cameron for three years."

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.

"When someone is shouting at me, what I perceive is their loud expression of concern."

The residents of Pawnee, Indiana are quite a unique group, to say the least. While the public sometimes struggled to maintain decorum during Leslie's town hall meetings, the aforementioned quote sheds light on how Leslie managed to persevere with a cheerful demeanor.

"I have no insight into your experiences!"

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.

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.

"Perhaps we could benefit from dialing down the Forever 21 vibe and embracing a bit more of the Suddenly 42 spirit..."

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 is Galentine's Day, you ask? It's simply the most amazing day of the year!"

When questioned about her favorite day of the year, Leslie remarked, “Every February 13th, my girlfriends and I ditch our husbands and boyfriends for a morning of fun and food. It’s all about women honoring women.” The concept of Galentine’s Day gained traction beyond the fictional town of Pawnee, turning Leslie Knope into one of the rare fictional figures who inspired the establishment of an actual holiday.

(Image source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

"They arrived... drawn in by the weight 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.

"What's the reason someone would choose to eat anything besides breakfast items?"

Here’s another classic moment featuring Leslie Knope. During a conversation with Ron Swanson at JJ’s Diner, Leslie shares one of the most significant insights ever expressed in Pawnee or beyond.

"And it must be genuine, for the tale was revealed by the sway of 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 stunning _______”

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.

"Perhaps that's a part of growing older... We seem to experience joy less frequently."

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.

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.