---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I ever write an autobiography…"
description: "\"If I ever write an autobiography, 'Hilariously Unhappy' could very well be the title.\" — David Hewlett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/david-hewlett-10633_autobiography_if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilario_1469381.jpg"
---

#  If I ever write an autobiography, 'Hilariously Unhappy'…

![“If I ever write an autobiography, 'Hilariously Unhappy' could very well be the title.” quote by David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/david-hewlett-10633_autobiography_if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilario_1469381.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/david-hewlett-10633_autobiography_if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilario_1469381.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/david-hewlett-10633_autobiography_if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilario_1469381.jpg)

> “If I ever write an autobiography, 'Hilariously Unhappy' could very well be the title.”

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He jokes that his autobiography would be titled “Hilariously Unhappy,” hinting at a life of paradoxical joy and sorrow.

**In simple terms:** His life mixes humor with sadness.

Key Takeaway

Embrace humor amid hardship.

Themes

self‑deprecation humor personal narrative

Mood

lighthearted reflective

Type

personal humorous

When to use this quote

- creative writing
- personal storytelling
- public speaking

Key Concepts

Identity resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- What moments bring both laughter and pain?
- How can humor aid coping?

A Different Perspective

The title may downplay serious struggles.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Autobiography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiography/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/)

## Related quotes

> [The way I would live my life is: never do something in real life that I would not want to write about in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-katragadda/the-way-i-would-live-my-life-is-never-do-something-in-real-life-that/)

[Siddharth Katragadda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-katragadda/)

> [I shall never write an autobiography, I'm much too jealous of my privacy for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-shall-never-write-an-autobiography-i-m-much-too-jealous-of-my/)

[Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/)

> [One puts off the biography like you put off death. To write an autobiography is to etch the words on your own gravestone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/one-puts-off-the-biography-like-you-put-off-death-to-write-an/)

[Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/)

> [When I write my autobiography after 20-25 years, I want 2014 to be the weakest year of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/when-i-write-my-autobiography-after-20-25-years-i-want-2014-to-be-the/)

[Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/)

> [When you write an autobiography, it has to be authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/when-you-write-an-autobiography-it-has-to-be-authentic/)

[Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/)

> [I never thought I would write an autobiography, probably because my first novel, Go Now, is really all drawn from my life, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-never-thought-i-would-write-an-autobiography-probably-because-my/)

[Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/)

> [You write an autobiography because you want to tell people how you felt about a certain matter at that time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/you-write-an-autobiography-because-you-want-to-tell-people-how-you/)

[Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/)

> [There may be a point where I may decide to write an autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-stephenson/there-may-be-a-point-where-i-may-decide-to-write-an-autobiography/)

[Pamela Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-stephenson/)

> [My mother always said that everyone should be required to write an autobiography of their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/my-mother-always-said-that-everyone-should-be-required-to-write-an/)

[Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/)

> [I've been asked to write an autobiography, and I've started it a couple of times, on different angles, and maybe one day I will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-saxon/i-ve-been-asked-to-write-an-autobiography-and-i-ve-started-it-a/)

John Saxon

> [I don't want to write an autobiography because I would become public property with no privacy left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-don-t-want-to-write-an-autobiography-because-i-would-become-public/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [I've been asked to write my autobiography and really they only want 8 years (1962-1970), and I keep saying it would be five volumes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/i-ve-been-asked-to-write-my-autobiography-and-really-they-only-want-8/)

[Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/)

> [Because I write fiction, I don't write autobiography, and to me they are very different things. The first-person narrative is a very intimate thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/because-i-write-fiction-i-don-t-write-autobiography-and-to-me-they/)

[Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/)

> [If you wish to understand me at all (and to write an autobiography is only to open a window into one's heart) you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-melba/if-you-wish-to-understand-me-at-all-and-to-write-an-autobiography-is/)

[Nellie Melba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-melba/)

> [I won't write my autobiography because I never had an affair with Frank Sinatra, and if I had had, I wouldn't tell anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-johnson/i-won-t-write-my-autobiography-because-i-never-had-an-affair-with/)

[Celia Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-johnson/)

## More by David Hewlett

> [The sad thing is that I only ever read novels in bed and now only on the iPad, and thanks to Netflix and iTunes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-sad-thing-is-that-i-only-ever-read-novels-in-bed-and-now-only-on/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [It's always a stunt acting opposite Robert Picardo, because you never know what he's going to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/it-s-always-a-stunt-acting-opposite-robert-picardo-because-you-never/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [I have written, and I do write, but the truth is I don't love it. I can't stand the process!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-have-written-and-i-do-write-but-the-truth-is-i-don-t-love-it-i-can/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [I revel in movies where the monsters tower more over the tiny budgets than the characters they threaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-revel-in-movies-where-the-monsters-tower-more-over-the-tiny-budgets/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [When a kid says 'I'm in astrophysics at school because of your character' that's amazing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/when-a-kid-says-i-m-in-astrophysics-at-school-because-of-your/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [The nature of filmmaking is that there are so many people involved in it, so many fingers in the pie, that part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-nature-of-filmmaking-is-that-there-are-so-many-people-involved-in/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [I truly love science fiction; it's feeling you're something more than your present position in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-truly-love-science-fiction-it-s-feeling-you-re-something-more-than/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [No, I gained weight while playing the role of Rodney Mckay on Stargate Atlantis... breakfast burritos and a near endless supply of donuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/no-i-gained-weight-while-playing-the-role-of-rodney-mckay-on-stargate/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [If I was Leo DiCaprio or someone similarly gifted and successful I wouldn't be writing. I'd be too busy acting in all the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/if-i-was-leo-dicaprio-or-someone-similarly-gifted-and-successful-i/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [The reality is almost everything I do I cringe about later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/the-reality-is-almost-everything-i-do-i-cringe-about-later/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [My love of science fiction comes from the idea of being able to explore ideas and concepts to an either logical or illogical extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/my-love-of-science-fiction-comes-from-the-idea-of-being-able-to/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> ['Pin' was a creepy little movie that I starred in back when I was cool and thin and had so much hair I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/pin-was-a-creepy-little-movie-that-i-starred-in-back-when-i-was-cool/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [I think what Stargate has going for it is a sense of humor about their science fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-think-what-stargate-has-going-for-it-is-a-sense-of-humor-about/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [I actually am a computer nerd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-actually-am-a-computer-nerd/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

> [I always thought there were two kinds of males in the world: the ones who look good naked and the ones who look funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/i-always-thought-there-were-two-kinds-of-males-in-the-world-the-ones/)

[David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

[Explore all 64 David Hewlett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/)

## More Autobiography quotes

> [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/)

[Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/)

> [“I am not and autobiographical writer--one can't be without a solid and explicable self--and read all autobiographical writers with the same curiosity. What kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-am-not-and-autobiographical-writer-one-can-t-be-without-a-solid-and/)

[Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/)

> [“Someday, I want to write an unauthorized autobiography of myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcmullen-sullivan/someday-i-want-to-write-an-unauthorized-autobiography-of-myself/)

[David McMullen-Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcmullen-sullivan/)

> [“As well as writing, 2004 saw my first attempt at wine making: the elixir of life. Unfortunately, my effort tasted more like the elixir…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-briggs/as-well-as-writing-2004-saw-my-first-attempt-at-wine-making-the/)

Craig Briggs

> [I caught a cold and didn't have time to work on my autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-doucet/i-caught-a-cold-and-didn-t-have-time-to-work-on-my-autobiography/)

[Julie Doucet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-doucet/)

> [Who ever heard, indeed, of an autobiography that was not (interesting)? I can recall none in all the literature of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-ever-heard-indeed-of-an-autobiography-that-was-not-interesting-i/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't really think of my essays as being about myself. I know it sounds insane, but I just don't think of them as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-don-t-really-think-of-my-essays-as-being-about-myself-i-know-it/)

[Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/)

> [The way I would live my life is: never do something in real life that I would not want to write about in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-katragadda/the-way-i-would-live-my-life-is-never-do-something-in-real-life-that/)

[Siddharth Katragadda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-katragadda/)

> [biography cannot be separated from autobiography: that is, the life written about is inextricably entangled with the life of the biographer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-simon/biography-cannot-be-separated-from-autobiography-that-is-the-life/)

Linda Simon

> [I think I'm like most novelists in that my books have gotten farther and farther away from autobiography the longer I've been writing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-i-m-like-most-novelists-in-that-my-books-have-gotten-farther/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [If you wish to understand me at all (and to write an autobiography is only to open a window into one's heart) you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-melba/if-you-wish-to-understand-me-at-all-and-to-write-an-autobiography-is/)

[Nellie Melba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-melba/)

> [I want an autobiography without revealing any personal information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-ross/i-want-an-autobiography-without-revealing-any-personal-information/)

[Diana Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-ross/)

> [I don't like the word 'autobiography.' I rather like the term 'autofiction.' The second you make a script out of the story of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-don-t-like-the-word-autobiography-i-rather-like-the-term/)

[Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/)

> [Because I write fiction, I don't write autobiography, and to me they are very different things. The first-person narrative is a very intimate thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/because-i-write-fiction-i-don-t-write-autobiography-and-to-me-they/)

[Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/)

> [“I don't think anyone could write a completely honest autobiography. I am sure no one could bear to read it: My Past Was An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-don-t-think-anyone-could-write-a-completely-honest-autobiography-i/)

[William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/)

[Browse all 642 Autobiography quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiography/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If I ever write an autobiography, 'Hilariously Unhappy' could very well be the title.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Hewlett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilariously-unhappy-could-very-well/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Autobiography"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilariously-unhappy-could-very-well/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/david-hewlett-10633_autobiography_if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilario_1469381.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/david-hewlett-10633_autobiography_if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilario_1469381.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/david-hewlett-10633_autobiography_if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilario_1469381.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If I ever write an autobiography, 'Hilariously Unhappy' could very well be the title.” — David Hewlett",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Hewlett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If I ever write an autobiography,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilariously-unhappy-could-very-well/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/if-i-ever-write-an-autobiography-hilariously-unhappy-could-very-well/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
