Tina Fey Biography

Tina Fey was born on May 18, 1970, in Pennsylvania, USA, to Zenobia Xenakes, a brokerage employee, and Donald Fey, a university grant-proposal writer. She is of mixed ancestry and has one brother.

Her interest in comedy developed at a young age as her family often watched comedy shows on TV, sometimes staying up late in the night to watch their favorite shows.

She attended ‘Beverly Hills Middle School’ before going to ‘Upper Darby High School’ where she was co-editor of the school newspaper. She anonymously wrote a satirical column for the paper.

She enrolled at the University of Virginia to study playwriting and acting and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in drama.

Tina Fey’s writing and acting career began in 1997 when she was selected as a writer for NBC’s variety show Saturday Night Live. In 1999, she became the show’s first female head writer.

She began performing sketches in 2000. Along with Jimmy Fallon, she became the co-anchor of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update. In 2004, Fallon was replaced by Amy Poehler. For the first time, Weekend Update was anchored by two women. The pair got a positive response from the public.

She wrote the screenplay for the 2004 teen comedy film Mean Girls in which she also portrayed a role. The film depicts the effects of high school social cliques on teenage girls.

In 2006, she created the TV comedy series 30 Rock, based loosely on her experiences as the head writer in Saturday Night Live. The show was broadcast on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013.

She co-starred with her former colleague Amy Poehler in the comedy film Baby Mama which was released in 2008. The same year, she voiced Lisa’ in Ponyo, a Japanese animated fantasy film.

In 2010, she acted in the action-comedy film Date Night with Steve Carell. The same year, she voiced Roxanne Ritchi in Megamind, a 3D computer-animated action-comedy film.

In 2013, she was seen in the romantic comedy film Admission. In 2014, she starred in the movie This Is Where I Leave You and Muppets Most Wanted.

In 2015, she was seen in a comedy film titled Sisters alongside Amy Poehler. The following year, she was seen in a biographical war comedy-drama film titled Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

From 2017 to 2018, she portrayed ‘Diana St. Tropez’ on NBC's ‘Great News.’ In 2019, Tina Fey was seen in the Netflix movie Wine Country and the Amazon anthology series Modern Love. She co-created the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which ran from 2015 to 2019.

In 2020, she portrayed the role of Lemon for 30 Rock: A One-Time Special and voice acted in the Pixar animated film Soul.

In 2021, she became a part of the mystery comedy-drama television series ‘Only Murders in the Building’ created by John Hoffman and Steve Martin. She played the role of ‘Cinda Canning’ and remained on the show until 2022. Also in 2021, she came together with Robert Carlock and launched the sitcom series ‘Mr. Mayor.’ The show ran for 2 seasons and aired its final episode in May 2022.

She has also appeared in television shows and films such as ‘Free Guy,’ ‘Girls5eva,’ and ‘Bob's Burgers.’

Along with Amy Poehler, Tina Fey co-hosted the Golden Globe ceremonies in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2021.

Tina Fey's work as a writer and actress on Saturday Night Live is one that made her popular among fans. She joined the show as a writer and soon became a performer as well. She was promoted to the position of the head writer within two years of her joining. She had a very successful stint with Saturday Night Live before leaving the show in 2006.

She is the creator of 30 Rock, the highly successful TV comedy series that ran on NBC for six years. Tina used her experience as the head writer at Saturday Night Live to develop the comedy show. The series garnered critical appreciation and won many awards.

She was presented with the ‘Producers Guild of America Award’ for ‘Outstanding Comedy Series’ for her show 30 Rock in 2008. This award is given to honor the visionaries who produce and execute motion pictures and television products.

In 2010, she won ‘The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor,’ awarded by the ‘John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.’ It is America’s foremost award for humor.

As of 2020, she is the recipient of nine ‘Emmy Awards,’ five ‘Screen Actors Guild Awards,’ seven ‘Writers Guild of America Awards,’ and three ‘Golden Globe Awards.’

In 2001, Tina Fey married Jeff Richmond, an actor, director, and composer. They have two daughters.

She is actively involved with charities like ‘Autism Speaks’ and ‘Mercy Corps.’ She also supports the U.S. organization ‘Love Our Children’ which fights violence against children.

Tina Fey is a talented writer and comedian who was the first female head writer on Saturday Night Live.

She is known for her excellent impersonation of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, which earned her critical acclaim.

Tina Fey is also a best-selling author, with her memoir "Bossypants" receiving widespread praise.

In addition to her work in comedy, she is a strong advocate for women's rights and has used her platform to speak out on important social issues.

Tina Fey is a self-professed lover of cheese and has even joked that she would choose cheese over dessert any day.