Not only did Tina Fey make history when she became the first-ever female head writer for
Saturday Night Live in 1999, she also helped revive the floundering sketch-comedy series. The self-declared übernerd wouldn't be seen on screen until 2000, when she began coanchoring Weekend Update, bringing to the faux news desk a sexy smirk, snappy comic timing and an intellectual wit. Fey was instrumental in bringing several funnywomen to the show, including Amy Poehler and Rachel Dratch. In 2004, she made her screenwriting and movie-acting debut with
Mean Girls. The next year, she took a break to give birth to a daughter, but six weeks later she was back deadpanning one-liners on late-night TV. Beginning in 2006, she served as creator, writer and star of her own series,
30 Rock, a behind-the-scenes comedy about an
SNL-type show. Although her prime-time duties prompted her to leave
SNL behind, Fey found monumental success with the critically acclaimed
30 Rock, which earned no less than five Emmy Awards in its first three years. Fey herself became an award darling, scoring Emmy, Golden Globe, People's Choice and Screen Actors Guild prizes for her role as exasperated TV head writer Liz Lemon. She made a triumphant return to her
SNL roots in 2008 to portray then-Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a series of guest-star turns. The wickedly on-target impersonation ("I can see Russia from my house") earned her yet another Emmy.
Tina Fey Fast Facts:
- Grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs. Moved to Chicago after college at the University of Virginia and studied at the Second City Training Center and ImprovOlympics.
- Frequently collaborates with fellow Second City alum Rachel Dratch; teamed with Dratch for a sketch-comedy show Dratch & Fey in Chicago and NY.
- Became first female head writer of Saturday Night Live in 1999 and became "Weekend Update" co-anchor with Jimmy Fallon in 2000. In 2004, Amy Poehler took over as "Update" co-anchor upon Fallon's departure from SNL.
- Named one of Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year in 2001 and one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People of 2003.
- Reteamed with Poehler in 2008 when both starred in the film Baby Mama.
- Impersonated then-vice presidental nominee Sarah Palin in recurring guest turns on Saturday Night Live, earning an Emmy for her on-target portrayal of the politician.
- Tina Fey Relationships:
- Alice Richmond - Daughter
- Donald Fey - Father
- Jeanne Fey - Mother
- Jeff Richmond - Husband
- Peter Fey - Brother
- Penelope Athena Richmond - Daughter
- Tina Fey Awards:
- 2001 Emmy: Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program - Nominee
- 2002 Emmy: Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program - Winner
- 2003 Emmy: Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program - Nominee
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2009 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Comedy Series - Winner
- 2008 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Winner
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program - Nominee
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Comedy Series - Winner
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2009 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Winner
- 2009 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2009 Emmy: Outstanding Comedy Series - Winner
- 2009 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Funny Female Star - Winner
- 2010 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2010 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2010 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2010 Emmy: Outstanding Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2010 Emmy: Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2011 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical - Nominee
- 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2011 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2011 Emmy: Outstanding Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2011 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2012 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical - Nominee
- College:
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (BA in Drama, 1992)