“Behind every successful man is a woman rolling her eyes”

“Behind every great man is a great woman” is an old saying from at least the 1880s. “Behind every great/successful man is a woman rolling her eyes” is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. The woman—a wife or girlfriend—knows the truth behind the man’s success.
   
“Yes, behind every great man, there’s a woman rolling her eyes, folks” was said by the actor Jim Carrey, playing Bruce Nolan in the film Bruce Almighty (2003). The term “successful man” often replaces “great man.” “Yep, and as we all know, behind every successful man, there’s a woman… rolling her eyes” was posted on the newsgroup alt.tv.stargate-sg1 on November 29, 2003.
 
       
Wikipedia: Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O’Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck TV reporter who complains to God (Morgan Freeman) that he is not doing his job correctly, and is offered the chance to try being God himself for one week.
     
IMDb (The Internet Movie Database)
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Quotes
Bruce: Yes, behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes, folks!
   
27 June 2003, Daily Mail (London, UK), “It’s Friday! Film” by Christopher Tookey, pg. 52:
Some of the special effect gags are inspired. There are even flashes of verbal wit. I especially liked the newly self-knowing Bruce’s line ‘Behind every great man there’s a woman . . . rolling her eyes’.
     
Google Groups: alt.tv.stargate-sg1
Are all goa;uld system lords (and if so where are they all?)
Derek
11/29/03
(...)
Yep, and as we all know, behind every successful man, there’s a woman…
 
...rolling her eyes. 😊
 
17 March 2004, Teche News (St. Martinsville, LA), “Pense Donc!!” by Henri C. Bienvenu, pg. A-4, col. 4:
Clair comme le jour: Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.—Jim Carrey.
     
Google Books
Movin’ On Up
By Robert Gordon and Tom Burgoyne
Moorestown, NJ: Middle Atlantic Press
2004
Pg. 68:
“Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.” That’s an old saying. We’ve gotten more real over the years. “Behind every great man, there’s a woman rolling her eyes”—now that’s more like it, closer to the real deal. Deep down, every guy knows it.
 
7 May 2005, The State (Columbia, SC), “They are women, hear them roar” by Patrick Obley, pg. C1, col. 3:
DARLINGTON—Jeff Foxworthy, that noted Southern comedian, once said, “Behind every great man, there’s a great woman, rolling her eyes.”
   
Twitter
One Smart Dummy
@simianhacker
Replying to @somecarlosguy
@solrac66 Behind every successful man is a woman rolling her eyes.
5:07 PM - 26 Jun 2007
 
Twitter
Doriano Carta
@Paisano
cute line from “Bruce Almighty”, “Behind every great man there’s a woman rolling her eyes”. Ain’t that the truth.
9:59 PM - 28 Dec 2007
     
Twitter
James Whatley
@Whatleydude
‘Behind every successful man is a woman rolling her eyes…’ - from the SpinVox Christmas Lunch
9:30 AM - 18 Dec 2008
 
Google Books
The War Between Men and Women:
Proof of Man’s Authority Over Woman and Woman"s Control Over Man
By Ivory Simion
Xlibris Corporation (Xlibris.com)
2009
Pg. 153:
Behind Every Successful Man, There is a Woman Rolling Her Eyes
 
Twitter
┻━┻ ︵╰(`Д´)╯︵ ┻━┻
@trickwaters
Replying to @studentactivism
proof of the axiom “behind every successful man is a woman rolling her eyes”
4:19 PM - 2 Feb 2019