I like Isla Fisher. I think she’s adorable, hilarious, and gorgeous. Isla has three children with husband Sascha Baron Cohen and has been acting since 1993. She’s currently co-starring with Josh Gad in Wolf Like Me on Peacock. While promoting Season 2, Isla talks a bit with People about her upbringing. Isla’s dad worked for the United Nations and was stationed all over the world, from Oman where she was born, to Scotland, Australia, and the U.K. Going to a new school every year was tough for Isla, but she figured out how to make new friends. Her secret? Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh…
As a child, Isla Fisher says she wound up moving constantly, thanks to her father’s job as a banker for the United Nations. Fisher credits the upheaval with becoming a performer. “Because I had to learn to make new friends quickly, the thing that I leaned on was humor and storytelling, so it was a natural fit to want to tell stories as an actor,” she explains.
Her best tip for fitting into a new environment? “I definitely feel like letting your inner idiot out are the best tips for making new friends,” she says. “You make people laugh and they’re nice to you. It’s pretty pretty basic.”
Hey, you know, drawing people in with humor is a tried-and-true method of attracting people in general. Everyone likes to laugh and if you’re a natural-born performer, then I can totally see how you’d use that talent – especially as a kid – to ingratiate yourself into otherwise uncomfortable social situations. I’ve never been a particularly funny person, but have always tried to make up for it by attempting to at least be witty (I can pun sometimes!). I also learned early on that validating those who do use (appropriate, non-derogatory) humor to fit in socially was a key integration tool, as well. But most importantly, the older I get, the more I’ve realized that a lot of the time, simply listening to what someone else has to say when asked about themselves goes a long way.
Photos credit: Jason Howard/BauerGriffin/INSTARimages, Roger Wong/INSTARimages and via Instagram
That’s ALWAYS worked for me…and when I get MAD AF? 😡 My inner “Richard Pryor” comes out which CAN BE HARMFUL AROUND ASTHMATICS 🤣😅
I lead with humor which makes people like me but also can be dangerous in case someone thinks you’re not taking their situation seriously. I have found myself having to take a second to think about how my humor will be received sometimes.
And yes. Another great way to win people over is just to ask them questions about themselves. I travel for work and have met so many interesting people just by eating at the bar and asking my neighbor questions about what they do for a living.
Not sure if celebrity and politics are allowed to mix here, but she and Sasha hold some really strident Zionist beliefs, and with this endless genocide in Gaza, I am having a difficult time stomaching and therefore supporting anyone that is not speaking up against this atrocity.
Thanks for saying this, I totally agree and it’s egregious that she is talking about humor when Israel is committing genocide.
I can only imagine switching schools every year!
Also went into Wolf Like Me has been a real pleasure – among other things, they make really good use of the Australian setting and I found their takes on grief, family and werewolf mythology fresh. It’s a strong cast around Gad and Fisher in roles I’m not used to for them.
Definitely recommend and looking forward to season 3.