Are you a fan of I Love Lucy? How much do you know about Lucille Ball? We have selected some of her best quotes so you can find out more about who she was, how humor influenced her life, and how she approached her career as a TV star.
Ten Best Lucille Ball Quotes That Embody Why We Love Lucy So Much
Lucille Ball, one of the first major TV stars, is still one of the most recognizable comedians to this day. Even though people mostly remember her for I Love Lucy, she made history by becoming the first woman to own a major television studio. We have selected some Lucille Ball quotes that embody who she was and represent why we still love Lucy so much.
How We Chose These Lucille Ball Quotes
Over the years, Lucille Ball has given many interviews and said many memorable things. We selected a few quotes according to these criteria:
- We looked for quotes that reflect her personality. She had an amazing sense of humor, and you can see this through some of the things she said.
- We also chose some quotes that address aspects of her life most people don’t know about, such as the hard work that went into making I Love Lucy come to life and her job as a producer.
- We like the quotes that explain her philosophy and think you will get to know her better through these quotes.
- We included some funny quotes because to this day she is still one of the most talented comedians.
Top Ten Lucille Ball Quotes
Here are some memorable quotes from Lucille Ball.
‘The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.’
We love this quote because it reflects Ball’s unique sense of humor and her ability to craft jokes that completely take you by surprise. The quote is also an interesting reflection on aging. Ball was 40 years old when I Love Lucy started, which is proof that success and recognition can come later in life.
‘In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by.’
Lucille Ball’s take on wisdom is fascinating. It shows she values wisdom and sees it as something one has to strive for.
‘I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.’
TV’s funniest lady wasn’t successful right away, but she never shied away from an opportunity, as demonstrated by her long list of movie credits. Her determination paid off since she became one of the first women to run a major production company.
‘I’m not funny. What I am is brave.’
Anyone who is interested in performing should remember this quote. Lucille Ball made her comedic antics look effortless, but a lot of work went into her performances.
It’s important to remember that every comedian or performer experiences doubts and anxiety. Ball initially struggled with anxiety and shyness when she first studied acting as a teen, but this is an obstacle that she successfully conquered.
‘If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.’
The fun and lighthearted tone of I Love Lucy is often what comes to mind first when one thinks of Lucille Ball. This quote reflects all the hard work that went into making the show come to life, producing TV shows, and developing other shows once I Love Lucy ended.
‘Knowing what you can not do is more important than knowing what you can do. In fact, that’s good taste.’
This quote is another example of Ball’s subtle sense of humor, but it’s also an important life lesson.
‘I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.’
These are wise words to live by. Developing self-love is a worthy goal that will improve your entire life. Whenever you need some motivation, think back on Lucille Ball’s confidence and faith in her comedic abilities that drove her to develop and produce what would become one of the most memorable sitcoms of all times.
‘How I Love Lucy was born? We decided that instead of divorce lawyers profiting from our mistakes, we’d profit from them.’
We love this quote because it’s a great example of Ball’s humor. We admire her ability to find humor in a difficult situation since her marriage ended shortly after I Love Lucy.
‘I’m happy that I have brought laughter because I have been shown by many the value of it in so many lives, in so many ways.’
Laughter is what made I Love Lucy so popular. Lucille Ball is still to this day one of the most influential comedians to ever appear on TV because of how she connected with her audience.
Each episode of I Love Lucy was filmed in front of a live audience to recreate the connection that existed in the early vaudeville version of the show.
‘One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.’
We think this is one of the most inspirational things Lucille Ball has ever said. She could have given up on her acting career after getting small roles in different movies. Getting a hit TV show at the age of 40 is unusual, and it shows the importance of staying positive and working hard to achieve one’s goals.
Who Was Lucille Ball?
Are you curious to learn more about this brilliant comedian after reading these Lucille Ball quotes?
A Short Biography
Lucille Ball was originally from Jamestown, NY. She had a difficult childhood due to the death of her father when she was three.
She developed an interest in performing as a child and enrolled in a drama school at 15. Bette Davis attended this same drama school at the same time.
Ball eventually quit drama school due to her nervousness and shyness. She found some work as a model in 1927 and decided to move to Hollywood during the early 1930s.
She had a plethora of small roles in B movies throughout the 1940s. She met Desi Arnaz while working on a movie and the couple appeared in a couple of movies together before getting married.
Ball got into radio broadcasting in the 1940s thanks to the program My Favorite Husband. Her character on this program would become the inspiration for I Love Lucy.
Ball and Aranaz developed I Love Lucy as a traveling vaudeville act. CBS noticed their success and decided to turn the act into a TV show.
I Love Lucy was different from other shows because the couple created the production company Desilu Productions and retained control of the direction of the show thanks to their role as producers.
The first episode of I Love Lucy aired in 1951 and changed TV forever. The show had the highest audience shares during its entire six-year run and was still ranked first was it ended in 1957.
Lucille Ball produced several influential shows, including Star Trek and The Dick Van Dyke Show. When the couple divorced in 1960, she took over Desilu Productions and became the first woman to own a major television studio.
She went on to appear on other shows, including The Lucy Show from 1962 to 1968, and Here’s Lucy from 1968 to 1973.
Fun Facts About I Love Lucy
Here are some fun facts about I Love Lucy:
- Filming took place in Hollywood instead of New York, which was unusual for the time.
- Reruns started in 1958, shortly after the show ended.
- When Lucille Ball gave birth, she took time off the show and the network broadcast episodes from the first season as fillers. This was one of the first reruns in TV history.
- The show featured many guest stars who often appeared because they were fans of the show. You can see appearances from Bob Hope, Orson Welles, John Wayne, Barbara Eden, Harpo Marx, and many others.
- Three child actors played Little Ricky but Desi Arnaz Jr never actually appeared on I Love Lucy.
- Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz agreed to a pay cut so the studio could use expensive high-quality film.
- I Love Lucy is the first show to use three cameras.
- William Frawley and Vivian Vance, who play Fred and Ethel, didn’t get along. There often were tensions on set and Frawley and Vance received cash bonuses to keep working on the show.
- The show was so popular that phone and water usages noticeably decreased when the show was one.
- The episode with the birth of Little Ricky was the most watched TV program at the time with 44 million viewers.
- There was no ad-lib on the show. The actors carefully rehearsed everything, including Lucy’s facial expressions.
- A total of 40 million Americans still watch the show every year thanks to syndication.
I Love Lucy is an emblematic show that is still highly enjoyable to watch. These Lucille Ball quotes make it obvious that her dedication and hard work, her life philosophy, and unique take on comedy are the reasons why the show was such a success.Featured Image: CC BY 2.0, by Molly, via Flickr