Lena Waithe is a famous American actress, producer and screenwriter famous for creating the drama series “The Chi” and the films “Queen & Slim” and “Them.”
She made history as the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for Comedy Writing.
Born in Chicago, Waithe pursued her passion for TV writing from a young age supported by her family.
In her career she’s worked on numerous shows and movies and advocates for diversity in the entertainment industry.
She’s also well-recognized for voicing the first queer character in a Pixar film.
I have collected the best quotes by Lena Waithe in this article.
Best Lena Waithe Quotes
For me, my brand is good storytelling. ~ Lena Waithe.
I write for my people. ~ Lena Waithe.
Obviously, I love Steph Curry. I think he’s dope and a really cool player to watch. ~ Lena Waithe.
I don’t want to be white. I don’t want to be straight. I don’t want to blend in. ~ Lena Waithe.
My aesthetic is very black. ~ Lena Waithe.
I don’t need an Emmy to tell me to go to work. I’ve been working. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’m writing my story so that others might see fragments of themselves. ~ Lena Waithe.
To be yourself is truly a revolutionary act, and I think more and more people should try it, because it’s gotten me a pretty cool life. ~ Lena Waithe.
I never thought I would write about Chicago, and I definitely never thought I would write a drama. ~ Lena Waithe.
The thing for me is to always tell the truth. Not to preach, but to tell the truth. ~ Lena Waithe.
I was running around all the time, talking out of turn, a lot of energy, and obsessed with movies. There’s nothing I loved more than going to the movies. ~ Lena Waithe.
Famous Lena Waithe Quotes
I actually don’t like saying ‘lead character,’ which is an interesting thing. If you say there’s a lead, then there has to be someone to follow. ~ Lena Waithe.
There’s so many other talented women of color who write funny things every day, and I want them to be recognized, I want them to have a seat at the table because we’re out here. ~ Lena Waithe.
I just really want be proud of the work I’m doing, whether it’s something I’ve written, produced, or am starring in. I just want to be proud of it. ~ Lena Waithe.
I love Sarah Jessica Parker. What’s not to like? ~ Lena Waithe.
I got into the business because I love writing. When it came down to finding my voice, which every writer has to take time to do, I think I realized I write black people very well. I write us in a very honest way, and I want to hear the way we really talk. ~ Lena Waithe.
I feel like I wanna have a series of moments. It’s scary when they say you’re having a moment, because moments are momentary. ~ Lena Waithe.
Growing up, I didn’t just watch ‘The Cosby Show.’ I watched ‘Growing Pains’ and ‘Family Ties,’ too. ~ Lena Waithe.
I think, to me, I always want to tell the truth. I never want to sugarcoat things. I’ve never been accused of pulling punches. ~ Lena Waithe.
Top Lena Waithe Quotes
I sort of knew very early on that I wanted to be a writer. Even in high school, I was a big movie buff, very much into TV shows, and would critique them. ~ Lena Waithe.
Even white people are tired of watching white people’s shows. ~ Lena Waithe.
I never had everything I wanted, but I never wanted for anything. ~ Lena Waithe.
Always maintain your composure. ~ Lena Waithe.
It’s always been my intention to never be boxed in. I never like to do something that it feels like I’ve done before. ~ Lena Waithe.
With success always comes mimicry. ~ Lena Waithe.
People can say what they want about a person, but if you’re successful and you make them money, then people don’t care. ~ Lena Waithe.
Things meant to appeal to the masses usually end up appealing to no one. ~ Lena Waithe.
I never want to feel too far away from people. I think that’s when you get in trouble. ~ Lena Waithe.
I think the stakes are always high when you’re an artist of color – to get things right, to get things perfect and make everybody happy. ~ Lena Waithe.
I am always searching for something different or something fresh, something hasn’t been done. But the truth is, at the end of the day, we’re all sort of retelling something. We’re doing a version of something that’s already been done. ~ Lena Waithe.
Popular Lena Waithe Quotes
Queer black characters have been the sidekick for long enough. It’s time for us to finally take the lead. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’m a big sneaker head. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’m a big believer in writing really good dialogue. ~ Lena Waithe.
I always love where I can plug a black woman in anywhere, and when that comes up, I don’t say, ‘Oh that has to be a black woman.’ I say, ‘Why not a black woman?’ ~ Lena Waithe.
I can’t stop my comedic voice. ~ Lena Waithe.
As a black woman in the industry, you really do have to hold your head higher, stick your chest out, be kind and polite and generous even when you don’t want to be sometimes. I learned that and, also, just to never take no for an answer. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’m very grateful that I’m the kind of actor where I’m not some character actor. I can’t disappear into a world. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’ve been obsessed with television since I was 7 years old, and I’ve always been writing on some level. ~ Lena Waithe.
I think it’s so trite to say you have lead characters. It’s like someone saying I’m the lead in my life. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’m a big fan of Nora Ephron, who believed everything is copy, and I agree. ~ Lena Waithe.
Being a black person in America is exhausting. ~ Lena Waithe.
Great Lena Waithe Quotes
There’s a lot of Donald Glovers, Jordan Peeles, Justin Simiens. And there’s a lot of me’s, too. ~ Lena Waithe.
I think that for the most part, black people specifically have sort of been used as props in TV shows as a way to move story along or as a way to make things more entertaining. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’m a black woman, so I’m obviously not going to write something where women aren’t at the forefront. ~ Lena Waithe.
The things that make us different, those are our superpowers. ~ Lena Waithe.
It’s weird because I see black gay characters on television all the time, but do I relate to them? Not always, because they’re set pieces. ~ Lena Waithe.
You have to write and develop and wait for the world to catch up to your art. ~ Lena Waithe.
To be a black person is to come from a long bloodline of survivors and storytellers, with a resilience that people can’t even comprehend. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’m queen of mentorship. ~ Lena Waithe.
Maybe some young girl seeing me on the Emmy stage may have meant something for them. ~ Lena Waithe.
It was a symbolic moment when ‘Moonlight’ literally took the Oscar out of ‘La La Land’s’ hand. ~ Lena Waithe.
I don’t like beating people on the head with the message. I don’t like standing on the soapbox. ~ Lena Waithe.
I’m a huge fan of television, and the reason I’m a part of the world is because I’m a fan of it. ~ Lena Waithe.
The cool thing about dope black style becoming in style is that the industry has no choice but to try and reduplicate that. ~ Lena Waithe.
I consider myself more of a writer than I do a director. ~ Lena Waithe.
So these were the 57 top Lena Waithe quotes and sayings.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on Claude Cahun quotes and Maria Sabina quotes.
