---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If, when I leave this earth, I'm…"
description: "\"If, when I leave this earth, I'm remembered for 'Fargo,' so be it. But I think old Marge Gunderson is gonna get a run for her money with Olive Kittredg..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/frances-mcdormand-3814_earth_if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembere_106086.jpg"
---

#  If, when I leave this earth, I'm remembered for 'Fargo,'…

![“If, when I leave this earth, I'm remembered for 'Fargo,' so be it. But I think old Marge Gunderson is gonna get a run for her money with Olive Kittredge.” quote by Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/frances-mcdormand-3814_earth_if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembere_106086.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/frances-mcdormand-3814_earth_if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembere_106086.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/frances-mcdormand-3814_earth_if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembere_106086.jpg)

> “If, when I leave this earth, I'm remembered for 'Fargo,' so be it. But I think old Marge Gunderson is gonna get a run for her money with Olive Kittredge.”

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker jokes that being remembered for a cult film is fine, but predicts a new character will rival an iconic one in cultural impact.

**In simple terms:** Fargo fame is okay; a new star may eclipse it.

Key Takeaway

Cultural icons can be superseded by fresh talent.

Themes

pop culture film legacy humor competition

Mood

witty light‑hearted

Type

humorous reflective

When to use this quote

- Film award speeches
- Social media debates on classic vs. new movies
- Marketing retrospectives

Key Concepts

the fleeting nature of fame

Practical Applications

- Leverage nostalgia while promoting new talent
- Use self‑deprecating humor to engage audiences

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a character timeless?
- How does humor affect legacy perception?

A Different Perspective

Some may view the comparison as dismissive of the original work.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fargo/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't think you can be involved in film and not be a fan of theirs. The one that I just go back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-macdonald/i-don-t-think-you-can-be-involved-in-film-and-not-be-a-fan-of-theirs/)

[Kelly Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-macdonald/)

> [I will go to my grave being known as Marge Gunderson. It'll be on my gravestone if I have one. I don't mind that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-will-go-to-my-grave-being-known-as-marge-gunderson-it-ll-be-on-my/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [After Blood Simple, everybody thought I was from Texas. After Mississippi Burning, everybody thought I was from Mississippi and uneducated. After Fargo, everybody's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/after-blood-simple-everybody-thought-i-was-from-texas-after/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [At least three times a week, I'm approached by someone who says something about 'Fargo.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/at-least-three-times-a-week-i-m-approached-by-someone-who-says/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [It was really fascinating for everyone involved in 'Fargo' that Marge Gunderson became the iconic character she did. I think it was something about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/it-was-really-fascinating-for-everyone-involved-in-fargo-that-marge/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [The great thing about 'Fargo' is that it's a more objective style of filmmaking: the camera moves in very classical ways, and the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/the-great-thing-about-fargo-is-that-it-s-a-more-objective-style-of/)

[Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/)

> [There are no characters in the limited series Fargo that are derived from the characters in the film Fargo. It's hard to describe how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landgraf/there-are-no-characters-in-the-limited-series-fargo-that-are-derived/)

[John Landgraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landgraf/)

> [My personal style icons are Diane Von Furstenberg and Linda Fargo. For strength and their own style, Christine Lagarde and Angela Merkel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maye-musk/my-personal-style-icons-are-diane-von-furstenberg-and-linda-fargo-for/)

[Maye Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maye-musk/)

> [ There is no way they should walk out of that place \[Wells Fargo\] with millions, tens of millions, tens and tens of millions of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/there-is-no-way-they-should-walk-out-of-that-place-wells-fargo-with/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [ It's an individual morality in values that matters in these companies \[like Wells Fargo\]. I mean, they ought to clean house. And they ought… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/it-s-an-individual-morality-in-values-that-matters-in-these-companies/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [Films like Fargo are why I love the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/films-like-fargo-are-why-i-love-the-movies/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [When Fargo came out, I hired a publicist for the first time in my life. I thought, if ever I was going to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/when-fargo-came-out-i-hired-a-publicist-for-the-first-time-in-my-life/)

[William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/)

> [My dad was good friends with the Bad Medicine Blues Band - one of the only blues bands in Fargo, as you can imagine!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-lang/my-dad-was-good-friends-with-the-bad-medicine-blues-band-one-of-the/)

[Jonny Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-lang/)

> [I learn from all our major competitors, whether they're in or out of the U.S. Wells Fargo is very actively, very aggressively, and very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/i-learn-from-all-our-major-competitors-whether-they-re-in-or-out-of/)

[Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/)

> [My senior year at NDSU I had started a business sweeping chimneys. The newspaper wrote a story about me as a chimney sweep and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/my-senior-year-at-ndsu-i-had-started-a-business-sweeping-chimneys-the/)

[Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/)

## More by Frances McDormand

> [There's only two givens with choosing acting as a profession: one is you will always be unemployed, always, and it doesn't matter how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/there-s-only-two-givens-with-choosing-acting-as-a-profession-one-is/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [I don't think of myself as a movie star and I can pretty easily convince other people that I'm not a movie star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-movie-star-and-i-can-pretty-easily/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [Guess what? I am an ordinary person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/guess-what-i-am-an-ordinary-person/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [There is simply too much of my life that is involved in my work that I couldn't replicate in any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/there-is-simply-too-much-of-my-life-that-is-involved-in-my-work-that/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [I think that cosmetic enhancements in my profession are just an occupational hazard. But I think, more culturally, I'm interested in starting the conversation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-think-that-cosmetic-enhancements-in-my-profession-are-just-an/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [I was completely naive about the business of being an actor. My family didn't go to the theater or to the movies. We watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-was-completely-naive-about-the-business-of-being-an-actor-my-family/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [I never read books - and still don't read books - to develop them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-never-read-books-and-still-don-t-read-books-to-develop-them/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [I'm not really that interested in going back to playing small supporting roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-m-not-really-that-interested-in-going-back-to-playing-small/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [I'm trained in the theater, and acting, for me, is about the imaginative life I create for myself, not about basing it on something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-m-trained-in-the-theater-and-acting-for-me-is-about-the-imaginative/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [No actor has complete freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/no-actor-has-complete-freedom/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [Long-format television is a better way to tell a female story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/long-format-television-is-a-better-way-to-tell-a-female-story/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [Female characters in literature are full. They're messy: they've got runny noses and burp and belch. Unfortunately, in film, female characters don't often have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/female-characters-in-literature-are-full-they-re-messy-they-ve-got/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [At least three times a week, I'm approached by someone who says something about 'Fargo.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/at-least-three-times-a-week-i-m-approached-by-someone-who-says/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [I would disagree that America is any more racist or ridiculous than anywhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-would-disagree-that-america-is-any-more-racist-or-ridiculous-than/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

> [If you want to talk about cultural appropriation, we have to go back to the Greeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/if-you-want-to-talk-about-cultural-appropriation-we-have-to-go-back/)

[Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

[Explore all 121 Frances McDormand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/)

## More Earth quotes

> [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/)

[Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/)

[Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/)

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

> [Then all this earth shines like one house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/then-all-this-earth-shines-like-one-house/)

[Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/)

> [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/)

[Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/)

> [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/)

[Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/)

> [Cities are 2% of the earth's crust, but they are 50% of the world's population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-ratti/cities-are-2-of-the-earth-s-crust-but-they-are-50-of-the-world-s/)

[Carlo Ratti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-ratti/)

> [This, at last, was where things were as they ought to be. Everything was in its place -- the tree, the earth underneath, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-liedloff/this-at-last-was-where-things-were-as-they-ought-to-be-everything-was/)

[Jean Liedloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-liedloff/)

> [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/)

[Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/)

> [What did you do to save the world today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie/what-did-you-do-to-save-the-world-today/)

[Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie/)

[Browse all 15,455 Earth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If, when I leave this earth, I'm remembered for 'Fargo,' so be it. But I think old Marge Gunderson is gonna get a run for her money with Olive Kittredge.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Frances McDormand"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembered-for-fargo-so-be-it-but-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Earth"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembered-for-fargo-so-be-it-but-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/frances-mcdormand-3814_earth_if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembere_106086.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/frances-mcdormand-3814_earth_if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembere_106086.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c22/frances-mcdormand-3814_earth_if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembere_106086.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If, when I leave this earth, I'm remembered for 'Fargo,' so be it. But I think old Marge Gunderson is gonna…” — Frances McDormand",
                "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": "Frances McDormand",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If, when I leave this earth,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembered-for-fargo-so-be-it-but-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/if-when-i-leave-this-earth-i-m-remembered-for-fargo-so-be-it-but-i/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
