Being Ian follows 12-year-old Ian Kelley, a budding filmmaker in Burnaby whose daydreams routinely spill into real life. Across three seasons, the series explores themes of imagination vs. reality, family support, and the persistence it takes to turn wild ideas into finished films.
The quotes below capture those lessons—showing Ian’s growth, his friends’ reality checks, and the one-liners that make the Kelleys unforgettable.
Holy moly, ravioli!
(Episode 7 “Ken Kelley and the Keyboard Factory”)
Speaker: Kenneth “Ken” Kelley
Context: Ken’s trademark exclamation sets the show’s playful, Dad-joke tone and reminds viewers of the family’s light-hearted core.
Pickle is a funny word. Pickle. Pickle. Pickle.
(Episode 62 “Ian Kelley Is History”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: A sleep-deprived Ian unravels in class, showing how obsessiveness can derail his talents.
You and your dumb airplane! I’m gonna invent my own airplane and it’s gonna be a gazillion times better than yours!
(Episode 62 “Ian Kelley Is History”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Ian’s competitive streak with the Wright brothers highlights his boundless ambition.
Ready, Orville—let’s fly!
(Episode 62 “Ian Kelley Is History”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Mid-fantasy, Ian embraces a historic role, underscoring the series’ central theme of imagination.
In case you didn’t get it, I’m laughing now!
(Episode 62 “Ian Kelley Is History”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Sarcasm masks exhaustion, illustrating Ian’s tendency to overextend himself for creativity’s sake.
Wow, Ian, you look terrible—yeah, more terrible than usual
(Episode 62 “Ian Kelley Is History”)
Speaker: Tyrone Washington
Context: Ty’s blunt concern shows the honest friendship that keeps Ian grounded.
I’d like to thank the Academy—currently represented by my hamster and two socks—for believing in my vision
(Episode 1 “A Star-Struck Sleepover”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Early Oscar-speech rehearsal reveals his cinematic dreams and comic self-awareness.
Reality check, dude: sometimes a camcorder can’t fix real life
(Episode 10 “Drama-rama”)
Speaker: Sandra “Sandi” Crocker
Context: Sandi counters Ian’s escapism, stressing balance between dreams and responsibilities.
Imagination is free, but sets and props aren’t—Ian, who’s paying for this again?
(Episode 23 “Crime-Corder”)
Speaker: Tyrone Washington
Context: Highlights the practical limits that test Ian’s resourcefulness.
Laddie, if your head were any further in the clouds, you’d need oxygen
(Episode 15 “Water Way to Go”)
Speaker: Eleanor “Grandma” Kelley
Context: Grandma’s tough love reminds Ian to stay grounded while still dreaming big.
You can’t just edit out the bad parts of your life, Ian
(Episode 17 “The Kelley Chronicles”)
Speaker: Kyle Kelley
Context: Rare big-brother advice about accepting failure.
Sometimes the greatest special effect is admitting you messed up
(Episode 22 “Bad Day at White Rock”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: A humbled Ian learns accountability after a beach trip disaster.
Film is truth, twenty-four frames a second… unless you forgot to hit record
(Episode 6 “Battle of the Band”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: A production blunder drives home the value of preparation.
We are the Kelley brothers—pending trademark approval!
(Episode 12 “Ken’s Bad Day”)
Speaker: Korey Kelley
Context: Sibling scheming shows the family’s enterprising spirit.
Storyboards are just dreams that learned to walk
(Episode 20 “A Star Is Born”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Encourages perseverance when the crew doubts a new project.
The only difference between genius and disaster is post-production
(Episode 5 “Bus-ted”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Ian’s optimism after another scheme backfires.
Ty, every hero needs a sidekick with a reality filter—that’s you
(Episode 2 “Museum of Crackers”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Establishes the pair’s complementary dynamic.
Action is easy; consequences are the blooper reel
(Episode 9 “Horror Movie”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Learns accountability after scaring half the school.
Ian, my boy, there’s no rewind button on parenting, but I still try
(Episode 24 “Power Play”)
Speaker: Kenneth “Ken” Kelley
Context: Ken reflects on fatherhood, deepening the show’s family theme.
Two minutes of fame isn’t worth losing your friends in the credits
(Episode 30 “Mr. Know-it-Mall”)
Speaker: Sandra “Sandi” Crocker
Context: Checks Ian’s ego when a mall-cop video goes viral.
Excuse me, but the director is always right—unless I say otherwise
(Episode 31 “Pillow Fighter”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Comedy of errors on set underscores leadership lessons.
Trust me, kid, the world’s tough, but so are you—now fetch the boom mic
(Episode 35 “Chop Shop”)
Speaker: Mr. Sparkes
Context: Mentor moment teaches resilience behind the scenes.
You don’t need a Hollywood budget to tell a blockbuster heart story
(Episode 38 “Snowed In”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Improvises a film during a blizzard, reinforcing creativity under constraints.
Ian, if you spent half as much time studying as storyboarding, you’d ace math
(Episode 48 “Exam Jam”)
Speaker: Tyrone Washington
Context: Balancing academics with artistic passion.
This may be the end credits, but every good film sets up a sequel
(Episode 52 “An Ianconvenient Truth”)
Speaker: Ian Kelley
Context: Concludes his eco-documentary with optimism, mirroring his belief in endless possibilities.
These quotes trace Ian’s journey from over-zealous dreamer to more self-aware storyteller, while spotlighting the friends and family who keep his camera—and his character—focused.
