Fey << FAY >> , Tina (1970-…), is an American comedian, writer, and actor. She gained fame for her work on the late-night television comedy show “Saturday Night Live,” often called SNL, from 1997 to 2006. From 2006 to 2013, she wrote and starred in the situation comedy “30 Rock.” The show’s title is short for 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the New York City, New York, street address of NBC Studios. In the series, Fey portrayed a comedy writer employed by the NBC television network. The show was created by Fey based on her experiences at SNL. In 2008, Fey’s popularity increased when she returned to SNL for a series of guest appearances in which she impersonated Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Fey earned a number of Emmy Awards for her work on both SNL and “30 Rock.”
Elizabeth Stamatina Fey was born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, on May 18, 1970. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in drama. She then joined the famous Second City comedy troupe in Chicago, Illinois. In 1997, Fey became a writer for SNL. In 1999, she was promoted to head writer—the first woman to hold that position. She became a performing cast member in 2000.
Fey made her motion-picture acting debut in the comedy Martin & Orloff (2002). She wrote and acted in the motion-picture comedy Mean Girls (2004). Fey’s other films include Baby Mama (2008), The Invention of Lying (2009), Date Night (2010), Admission (2013), Muppets Most Wanted and This Is Where I Leave You (both 2014), Sisters (2015), and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016). She provided the voice of Lisa in the 2009 English-language version of the Japanese anime feature Ponyo (2008). She also was the voice of the news reporter Roxanne Ritchi in the animated feature Megamind (2010). She wrote the memoir Bossypants (2011). Fey co-created the Netflix comedy “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” released in 2015.
