Fey broke into comedy as a featured player in the Chicago-basedimprovisational comedy groupThe Second City. She joinedSaturday Night Live (SNL) as a writer, later becominghead writer and a performer, appearing as co-anchor in theWeekend Update segment and, later, developing asatirical portrayal of2008Republican vice presidential candidateSarah Palin in subsequent guest appearances. In 2004, she co-starred in and wrote the screenplay forMean Girls, which wasadapted from the 2002 self-help bookQueen Bees and Wannabes. After leavingSNL in 2006, Fey created the television series30 Rock forBroadway Video, a sitcom loosely based on her experiences atSNL. In the series, Fey starred asLiz Lemon, the head writer of a fictional sketch comedy series. In 2011, she released her memoir,Bossypants, which toppedThe New York Times Best Seller list for five weeks and garnered her aGrammy Award nomination. In 2015, she co-created the comedy seriesUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Fey also created the musical adaptationMean Girls, which premiered onBroadway in 2018, and earned her aTony Award nomination. She later adapted the stage production into a2024 musical film of the same name.
Elizabeth Stamatina Fey was born on May 18, 1970,[1][2] inUpper Darby Township, Delaware County,Pennsylvania. Her father, Donald Henry Fey, was a veteran of theKorean War, university administrator for theUniversity of Pennsylvania andThomas Jefferson University, and a grant proposal writer who raised $500 million for schools, hospitals, and public service agencies through proposals and direct mail appeals. Following her father's death, Fey established a scholarship fund in his name at his alma mater,Temple University, to support war veterans studying journalism.[3][4][5][6][7] Her mother, Zenobia "Jeanne" (née Xenakes),[4][8] is a retiredbrokerage employee born inPiraeus, Greece.[9][10] Fey's maternal grandmother, Vasiliki Kourelakou, left the Greek village of Petrina,Laconia, on her own and arrived in the United States in February 1921.[11][12] Fey's maternal grandfather, Constantine Xenakes, was from the village of Panagia on the Greek island ofIkaria.[13] Fey's father had English, German and Scotch-Irish ancestry; one of her paternal ancestors wasJohn Hewson, an English textile manufacturer who emigrated to the United States with the support ofBenjamin Franklin, enabling Hewson to open a quilting factory in theKensington neighborhood ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania.[11] According to agenealogical DNA test arranged by the television seriesFinding Your Roots, Fey's ancestry is 94% European, 3% Middle Eastern, and 3% from the Caucasus.[11] She has a brother, Peter, who is eight years older.[4][14]
Fey describes encountering comedy early:
I remember my parents sneaking me in to seeYoung Frankenstein. We would also watchSaturday Night Live, orMonty Python, or oldMarx Brothers movies. My dad would let us stay up late to watchThe Honeymooners. We were not allowed to watchThe Flintstones though: my dad hated it because it ripped offThe Honeymooners.[15] I actually have a very low level ofFlintstones knowledge for someone my age.[16]
Fey went by the nickname "Tina" at an early age.[18][19] She attended Cardington-Stonehurst Elementary School andBeverly Hills Middle School in Upper Darby.[20] By middle school, she knew she was interested in comedy.[15] Fey attendedUpper Darby High School, where she was an honors student,[21] a member of the choir, drama club, and tennis team, and co-editor of the school's newspaper,The Acorn.[21][22] She anonymously wrote the newspaper's satirical column,The Colonel.[23] Following her graduation in 1988,[20][24] Fey enrolled at theUniversity of Virginia, where she studied playwriting and acting and was awarded the Pettway Prize.[25] She graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in drama.[26]
After college, Fey moved toChicago. She worked as a receptionist during the day at theYMCA inEvanston, Illinois, and took performance classes at the improvisational comedy troupeThe Second City at night.[27] Fey started doing gigs atImprov Olympic where she first worked with pianistJeff Richmond, her future husband and collaborator. Both Fey and Richmond got jobs at Second City. Fey appeared in "the legendary revue 'Paradigm Lost', alongside the likes ofRachel Dratch,Kevin Dorff,Scott Adsit, Jenna Jolovitz andJim Zulevic."[28]
While performing shows withThe Second City[29][30] in 1997, Fey submitted several scripts toNBC's variety showSaturday Night Live, at the request of its head writerAdam McKay, a former performer at Second City.[9] She was hired as a writer[31] following a meeting withSNL creatorLorne Michaels, and moved from Chicago to New York.[32] Fey toldThe New Yorker, "I'd had my eye on the show forever, the way other kids have their eye onDerek Jeter."[9] Originally, Fey "struggled" atSNL.[32] Her first sketch to air starredChris Farley in aSally Jessy Raphael satire.[32] Fey went on to write a series of parodies, including one ofABC's morning talk showThe View.[33] She co-wrote the "Sully and Denise" sketches withRachel Dratch,[32] who plays one of the teens.[33]
Fey was anextra in a 1998 episode,[34] and after watching herself, decided to diet[35] and lost 30 pounds. She toldThe New York Times, "I was a completely normal weight, but I was here in New York City, I had money and I couldn't buy any clothes. After I lost weight, there was interest in putting me on camera."[36] In 1999, McKay stepped down as head writer, which led Michaels to approach Fey for the position.[32] She becameSNL's first female head writer.[37] In January 2001, she appeared on an episode ofReal World/Road Rules Extreme Challenge as a judge of a comedy-based mission.[38]
In 2000, Fey began performing in sketches,[9] and she andJimmy Fallon becameco-anchors ofSNL'sWeekend Update segment.[37] Fey said she did not ask to audition, but that Michaels approached her.[35][39] Michaels explained that there waschemistry between Fey and Fallon,[39] though he felt the decision was "kind of risky" at the time.[40] Her role inWeekend Update was well received by critics.Ken Tucker ofEntertainment Weekly wrote: "Fey delivers such blow darts – poison filled jokes written in long, precisely parsed sentences unprecedented in [Weekend Update] history – with such a bright, sunny countenance makes her all the more devilishly delightful."[41]Dennis Miller, a former cast member ofSNL and anchor ofWeekend Update, was pleased with Fey as one of the anchors: "Fey might be the bestWeekend Update anchor who ever did it. She writes the funniest jokes."[42] Robert Bianco ofUSA Today, however, commented that he was "not enamored" of the pairing.[43]
When Fallon left the show in May 2004, he was replaced onWeekend Update byAmy Poehler.[45] It was the first time that two women co-anchoredWeekend Update.[46] Fey revealed that she "hired" Poehler as her co-host for the segment.[47] The reception was positive, with Rachel Sklar of theChicago Tribune noting that the pairing "has been a hilarious, pitch-perfect success as they play off each other with quick one-liners and deadpan delivery".[45]
The2005–2006 season was her last; she departed to develop30 Rock forBroadway Video.[48] At the time she left, the 117 episodes she co-hosted made herSNL's longest-servingWeekend Update anchor, a mark that would later be passed by her replacement,Seth Meyers. InRolling Stone's February 2015 appraisal of all 141SNL cast members to date, Fey was ranked third in importance (behindJohn Belushi andEddie Murphy). They credited her with "salvaging [Weekend Update] from a decade-long losing streak", and "slappingSNL out of its late-nineties coma."[49]
In 2002, Fey suggested a pilot episode for asituation comedy about acable news network to NBC, which rejected it. The pilot was reworked to revolve around anSNL style series, and was accepted by NBC.[51] She signed a contract with NBC in May 2003, which allowed her to continue in her position withinSNL as head writer at least through the2004–2005 television season. As part of the contract, Fey was to develop a prime-time project to be produced byBroadway Video andNBC Universal.[52][53] The pilot, directed byAdam Bernstein,[54] centered onLiz Lemon (Fey), the head writer of a variety show on NBC, and how she managed her relationships with the show's volatile stars and the new head of the network.[55] In October 2006, the pilot aired on NBC as30 Rock. Although the episode received generally favorable reviews,[56] it finished third in its time slot.[57]
In 2007, Fey received anEmmy Award[58] nomination forOutstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.[59] The show itself won the2007 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series (and did so again for two subsequent years).[60] In 2008, she won theGolden Globe,[61]Screen Actors Guild,[62] and Emmy awards all in the category for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.[63] The following year, Fey again won the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award in the same categories,[61][64] and was nominated for an Emmy Award.[65] In early 2010, Fey received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress,[66] and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Lead Actress.[67]30 Rock returned for the 2011–2012 season, though due to Fey's pregnancy with her second child, the season premiere was delayed until midseason.[68]
Fey's performance on the show was inspired byJulia Louis-Dreyfus,[69] and later used Louis-Dreyfus to play thestand-in for the character ofLiz Lemon inflashback scenes during the live episode "Live Show" ofthe fifth season. After receiving 13Emmy Award nominations and two wins for the final season,30 Rock ended its run with 112 Emmy Award nominations. It has been cited as one of the greatest TV series of all time[70] and it is considered to have one of the greatest finales in television history.[71][72][73]
The show returned for a remotely producedhourlong special which aired on July 16, 2020.[74]
On June 23, 2020, Fey apologized for episodes of30 Rock where characters appeared inblackface. The episodes, which originally aired in seasonsthree,five, andsix, were removed fromstreaming services and are no longer shown in re-runs. In her apology, Fey wrote:
As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America, we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing make-up are best taken out of circulation.[75]
In 2015, Fey created and produced the television comedyUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt with fellow30 Rock-alumnusRobert Carlock. The series starsEllie Kemper as the titular character who escapes from a doomsday cult and moves toNew York City. It also stars Fey's former co-starJane Krakowski, as well asTituss Burgess (who had previously appeared in four30 Rock episodes) andCarol Kane. Although it was originally produced forNBC, it was eventually sold toNetflix and renewed for a second season.[76] The show premiered on March 6, 2015, to critical acclaim.[77]
In the second season, Fey joined the cast in the role of Kimmy's psychiatrist Andrea Bayden, a role she reprised for season three.[79] The season, along with the subsequent two seasons, were nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, among other nominations.[80][81][82] The fourth and final season concluded on January 25, 2019.[83]
On May 8, 2019, it was announced that the series would return with an interactive special, which premiered on May 12, 2020.[84][85] The special was released to positive reviews from critics and earned a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.[86]
She received herSAG card after appearing inArtie Lange's Beer League released in 2006, in which she was compelled to join for "a thousand dollars".[95]
Fey and formerSNL castmate Amy Poehler starred in the 2008 comedyBaby Mama. The film was written and directed byMichael McCullers. The plot concerns Kate (Fey), a business woman, who wants a child but, discovering she has only a million-to-one chance of getting pregnant, decides to find a surrogate: Angie (Poehler), an obnoxious schemer.[96]Baby Mama received mixed reviews, but critics enjoyed Fey's performance.[97][98] Todd McCarthy ofVariety wrote: "Fey is a delight to watch throughout. Able to convey Kate's intentions and feelings through the simple looks and inflections, she never melodramatizes her situation; nor does her efficient, perfectionist side become overbearing."[99] The movie grossed over US$64 million at the box office.[91]
Fey's projects after 2008 include a voice role in the English-language version of the Japanese animated filmPonyo.[100] In 2009, she appeared inThe Invention of Lying.[101][102] Her next film role was inShawn Levy's 2010 comedyDate Night,[103] a feature that focuses on a married couple, played by Fey andSteve Carell, who go on a date; however, the night goes awry for the two.[104] Also in the same year, she voiced Roxanne "Roxie" Ritchi, a television reporter, in the DreamWorks animated filmMegamind (2010).[105] With a total worldwide gross of US$321 million,Megamind is Fey's most commercially successful picture to date. It earned US$173 million outside the U.S. and US$148 million domestically.[91]
In 2013, Fey starred alongsidePaul Rudd in the romantic comedy-drama filmAdmission, based on theJean Hanff Korelitz novel by the same name. The film was directed byPaul Weitz.[106] Fey later starred in the 2014 comedy-dramaThis Is Where I Leave You, helmed byDate Night director Shawn Levy. As was the case withBaby Mama, although both of these films received generally mixed reviews, Fey's performances were well received by film critics.[107][108]
In 2015, it was announced Fey would be the narrator for theDisneynature filmMonkey Kingdom, which was released in theaters on April 17, 2015.[109] She again worked with Poehler, starring in the 2015 comedy filmSisters as the title characters, and received positive reviews for her role. In 2016, Fey starred in the biographical war comedy-dramaWhiskey Tango Foxtrot, based on the memoirThe Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to mixed reviews, with some criticizing the whitewashing of characters of color in the film.[110][111][112] Fey dedicated the film to her late father, Don Fey, a veteran, writer, university administrator, and firefighter.[113][114]
In 2024, Fey wrote, produced, and starred in the musical comedy filmMean Girls. It is an adaptation of the stage musicalMean Girls, itself based on the original film she wrote and starred in. Fey reprised her role as Ms. Sharon Norbury in the film.[122]
From September to November 2008, Fey made multipleguest appearances onSNL to perform aseries of parodies ofRepublican vice-presidential candidateSarah Palin. On the 34th-season premiere episode, aired September 13, 2008, Fey imitated Palin in a sketch, alongsideAmy Poehler asHillary Clinton.Their repartee included Clinton needling Palin about her "Tina Fey glasses".[126] The sketch quickly becameNBC's most-watchedviral video, with 5.7 million views by the following Wednesday.[127] Fey reprised this role on the show of October 4,[128] on the show of October 18 where she was joined by the real Sarah Palin, and on the show of November 1, where she was joined byJohn McCain and his wife Cindy. The show of October 18 had the best ratings of anySNL show since 1994.[129] The following year Fey won an Emmy in the category ofOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her impersonation of Palin.[130] Fey returned toSNL in April 2010, and reprised her impression of Palin in one sketch titled the "Sarah Palin Network".[131] Fey once again did her impression of Palin when she hostedSaturday Night Live on May 8, 2011.[132] She hosted again on September 28, 2013.[133] Fey returned to host on December 19, 2015, for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.[134] Her most recent hosting appearance was on May 19, 2018, during which she revived her Sarah Palin impression.
She served as one of the presenters on the December 18, 2021 episode hosted byPaul Rudd, in an emergency restructuring of the episode due to a surge in cases of theSARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. This included her doingWeekend Update with incumbent co-anchorMichael Che.[135]
In December 2009,Entertainment Weekly put her Palin impersonation on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list, writing, "Fey's freakishly spot-onSNL impersonation of the wannabe VP (and her ability to strike a balance between comedy and cruelty) made for truly transcendent television."[136]Rolling Stone called her Palin impression "[arguably] the most brilliant moveSNL ever made".[49]
In 2000, Fey partnered with fellowSNL cast memberRachel Dratch in theOff Broadway two-woman showDratch & Fey at theUpright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City.[140][141] The production was well received by critics.[142] Tim Townsend ofThe Wall Street Journal wrote that the fun part of watching Fey and Dratch perform was "seeing how comfortable they are with each other".[140] He concluded that the production "isn't about two women being funny ... Dratch and Fey are just funny. Period."[140] One of theSNL sketches, "Sully and Denise", originated at The Second City.[32]
On August 13, 2007, Fey made a guest appearance in theSesame Street episode "The Bookaneers".[144] She appeared as a guest judge on the November 25, 2007, episode of theFood Network programIron Chef America.[145]
On April 5, 2011, Fey's autobiography,Bossypants, was released to a positive review fromThe New York Times.[152] Critic Janet Maslin reviewed the book, saying that "Bossypants isn't a memoir. It's a spiky blend of humor, introspection, critical thinking and Nora Ephron-isms for a new generation."[153]
In 2011, Fey narratedThe Secret Life of Girls, a two-hour-long radio documentary produced byThe Kitchen Sisters. She introduced stories of women and girls from around the world, and also shared memories of her own girlhood and mother.[154]
In 2012, Fey made her rapping debut on the Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) mixtapeRoyalty. Glover is a former writer on30 Rock, on which he worked with Fey.[155] That same year, Fey was featured as herself in the episode "iShock America" of theNickelodeon teen sitcomiCarly.[156]
On January 13, 2013, Fey hosted the70th Golden Globe Awards withAmy Poehler, to critical acclaim.[157] The duo hosted again in2014 and2015, generating the highest ratings for the annual ceremony in a decade and receiving similar acclaim.[158]
In 2017, Fey recurred as Diana St. Tropez on theNBC sitcomGreat News, which she co-executive produced.[162] Also in 2017, Fey adaptedMean Girls into a musicalof the same name. It opened onBroadway in 2018, receiving twelveTony Award nominations, including a nomination forBest Book of a Musical for Fey.[163] In January 2020, producers of the stage musical announced that it was being adapted as a feature film by Paramount Pictures.[164]
Fey co-created, wrote and executive produced theNBC sitcomMr. Mayor, starringTed Danson andHolly Hunter.[165] The series premiered in January 2021.[166] In February 2021, Fey returned to co-host the78th Golden Globe Awards with Amy Poehler, for the first ever bi-coastal show. Fey was broadcast live from theRainbow Room in New York City and Poehler from the usual venue atThe Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.[167] Fey executive produced thePeacock musical comedy seriesGirls5eva, which premiered in May 2021 to critical acclaim.[168] She additionally guest starred in an episode of the series asDolly Parton.[169] Also in 2021, Fey began a recurring role as Cinda Canning, a true crime podcaster, in theHulu mystery comedy seriesOnly Murders in the Building.[170] In the same year, Fey reprised her role as 22 in the short film22 vs. Earth.[171]
In March 2020, Netflix announced a 20-episode order for the animated sitcomMulligan, with Fey as executive producer alongside frequent collaboratorsSam Means andRobert Carlock.[172] She also voiced the character of Dr. Farrah Braun in the series, which premiered in May 2023.[173]
Fey is known for herdeadpan humor and delivery;[174][175][176] her "sardonic wit" has become a professionaltrademark,[177][178] upon which several critics have commented in their reviews of Fey's work.[179][180][181] According toLos Angeles Times criticMary McNamara, Fey "project[s] both oblivious security and hyper-alert insecurity with the same expression" in her performances,[182] whileThe Chronicle's Dillon Fernando wrote that the actress specializes in "delectable, situational andironic comedy".[180] On Fey's comedic prowess,Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels enthused that his former employee "has a very clear take on things ... It always comes from a place of intelligence and there is just an edge to it."[183] Michaels concluded, "It's not fearful. It's strong and confident and you recognise the voice and most of the time you agree with it."[183] Writing forThe Guardian, Christopher Goodwin believes that Fey "fashioned her comic persona around her glasses", which she has worn since 1995; Fey joked that "Glasses make anyone look smarter."[183]
Seldom hesitating to use herself as the butt of her own jokes,[184] Fey is also well known for practicingself-deprecating humor,[185][186] as demonstrated throughout her performance as Liz Lemon in30 Rock.[187][188] In an article ranking Fey's six greatest jokes, David Renshaw ofThe Guardian wrote that the performer's work continues to feature her "trademark mix of snark, self-deprecation, and pop-culture smarts."[189] Fey's self-deprecating comedic style inspired Ashley Fetters ofThe Atlantic to recognize her as comedianPhyllis Diller's successor because of their similar humor.[190] Critics have been divided in their opinions and discussions of Fey's use of self-deprecating humor, and its effect on women as a female comic; while bloggerKate Harding disapproved of Fey's performance in30 Rock because "I'm torn between being sad that she apparently doesn't see [beauty] in herself and being pissed off that she's reinforcing the idea that having brown hair, glasses, and a figure that's maybe a size 2 instead of a 0 actually equals ugly", Jessica G. ofJezebel defended the actress, writing that Fey's performance is "supposed to beparodying precisely the kinds of media that reinforce ideas that unconventional women are unworthy."[187] Writing that Harding misunderstood Fey's intentions, the author concluded that her self-deprecation "isprecisely what makes her relatable", elaborating that "[women] have many moments of self-doubt, and seeing someone as successful as Tina Fey be self-deprecating gives us all permission to be imperfect."[187] Sophie Caldecott ofVerily defended Fey's modesty and tendency to downplay her own physical appearance: "She mocks her own appearance, sure, but she does so in a way that consistently shows up our culture for placing so much importance on how women look, as if that's the most interesting thing about us ... Her comic persona on30 Rock, Liz Lemon, can be laughed at for many things, but her career managerial style and ability is not one of them."[191] Caldecott concluded, "In reality, self-deprecation is an art that comedians everywhere dabble in ... In fact, I defy you to find a good male comedian who isn't a master of self-deprecation. Comedians make fun of themselves for many reasons, mostly because it is the most readily accessible source of inspiration but also because it is the most generous one."[191] Observing that Fey's material lacks "whining", Gina Barreca of theHartford Courant wrote that Fey's comedy "is not simply an iteration of self-deprecating femininity passing itself off as humor. In itself, this demarcates the current generation of female humorists from earlier generations of performers who were told, more or less, to use themselves not as a sounding board for ideas but as a punching bag for insults."[192] Fey has also garnered criticism for being politically incorrect, but she defends her right to write borderline jokes, saying that she has chosen to "opt out" of the culture of demanding apologies.[193][194]
As an actress, Fey has developed a reputation for portraying "the hilarious, self-deprecating unmarried career woman" in most of her films to-date.[195][196]The Boston Globe's Janice Paige defended her limited filmography by writing that, unlike most film actors, Fey remains "realistic about her range as aleading lady and says she's been deliberate about only taking on parts for which she actually seems suited."[196] Fey explained that she approaches each role asking herself, "Would I be plausible in this role, in this job?"[196] However, her role as Kate Ellis in 2015'sSisters provided Fey with an opportunity to stray from playing thetype-A female characters for which she has become known.[197]The New York Times film criticA. O. Scott wrote, "We're used to seeing Ms. Fey ... as an anxious overthinker using her caustic sarcasm as a weapon against both her own insecurities and the flakes and train wrecks who surround her. This time, she gets to be the train wreck."[198] In30 Rock, Fey's acting was influenced by bothphysical andimprovisational comedy while, as a writer, her "carefully written scripts" were often quirky and character-driven.[199]
Fey stated that some of the artists who inspired her in her career include British feminist playwrightCaryl Churchill, comedianChris Rock, and composer and lyricistStephen Sondheim.[200]
In 2001,Entertainment Weekly named Fey as one of their Entertainers of the Year for her work onWeekend Update.[201] In 2007, she was named one of the magazine's Entertainers of the Year,[202] and placed number two in 2008.[203] In 2009, Fey was named asEntertainment Weekly's fifth individual in their 15 Entertainers of the 2000s list.[204] In 2013,Entertainment Weekly crowned Fey as "The Once and Future Queen" (an allusion toThe Once and Future King) in their feature on "Women Who Run TV", calling her "the funniest woman in the free world."EW quotedMindy Kaling as saying, "I always feel unoriginal bringing up Tina as my inspiration, but she's everyone's inspiration for a reason." The column also quoted praise byZooey Deschanel andLena Dunham.[205]
In 2002, Fey was ranked in the Hot 100 List at number 80 onMaxim magazine,[206] which used photos taken earlier byRolling Stone calling her "the thinking man's sex symbol".[207] She was named one ofPeople magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2003,[208] and continued as one ofPeople magazine's100 Most Beautiful People in 2007, 2008, and 2009.[209][210][211][212] In 2007, Fey placed seventh on the Hot 100 List onAfterEllen.com.[213] She repeated the appearance the following year, being voted as number one on the list.[214]
The newspaper editors and broadcast producers of theAssociated Press voted Fey the AP Entertainer of the Year as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008, citing her impression of Sarah Palin onSNL.[215] She has appeared onForbes's annualCelebrity 100 list of the 100 most powerful celebrities in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 at No. 99, No. 86, No. 90, No. 92, and No. 79 respectively.[216][217][218][219][220]
Fey was among theTime 100, a list of the 100 most influential people in the world, in 2007 and 2009, as selected annually byTime magazine.[221][222] Fey's featured article for the 2009 list was written by30 Rock co-star,Alec Baldwin.[222] She was selected byBarbara Walters as one of America's 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008.[223]
In September 2011, Fey was ranked at the top of Forbes magazine's list of the highest-paid TV actresses.[224] In June 2010, it was announced Fey would receive a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.[225] In 2014, Fey was recognized byElle magazine during The Women in Hollywood Awards, honoring women for their outstanding achievements in film, spanning all aspects of the motion picture industry, including acting, directing, and producing.[226]
In 2019, Fey was proclaimed the best comedian of the 21st century byThe Guardian.[227]
Fey is a supporter ofMercy Corps, a global relief and development organization, in their campaign to end world hunger.[228] Fey narrated a video for Mercy Corps's Action Center in New York City, describing hunger as a symptom of many wider world problems.[229] She also supports the Love Our Children USA organization, which fights violence against children,[230] who named her among their Mothers Who Make a Difference, in 2009.[231] She was the 2009 national spokesperson for theLight the Night Walk, which benefits theLeukemia & Lymphoma Society.[232]
Fey has granted wishes for TheMake-A-Wish Foundation and hosted the 2018 Power of a Wish Gala in New York City.[233]
In 1994, two years after Fey joined Chicago'sSecond City improvisational theatre troupe, she began datingJeff Richmond, a pianist who later became Second City's musical director and then a composer on30 Rock. They married in aGreek Orthodox ceremony on June 3, 2001. They have two daughters.[234][235][236] In April 2009, Fey and Richmond purchased a US$3.4 million apartment on theUpper West Side in New York City.[237]
Fey has a scar a few inches long on the left side of her chin and cheek. It was caused by her beingslashed in the face by a stranger while she was playing in the front yard of her house when she was five years old.[238][239]
^abcHiltbrand, David (April 28, 2004)."A 'grounded' Tina Fey expands her territory to movies".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Archived from the original on June 1, 2004. RetrievedMarch 9, 2014.She was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey to a pair of West Philadelphia natives, Donald Fey and the former Jeanne Xenakes. Growing up in the neighborhood of the Philadelphia suburb of Upper Darby, Fey was a mystery ethnic thanks to her father's German-Scotch-Irish genes.
^Whitty, Stephen (April 25, 2004). "'SNL' writer sneaks uplifting messages into teen movie".The Star-Ledger (Final ed.). p. 1.
^Levine, Stuart (July 30, 2007)."Tina Fey".Variety. RetrievedMarch 9, 2008.
^Pierdomenico, Chris (October 8, 2007)."The Quad chats with '30 Rock' star Tina Fey".The Quad.Archived from the original on February 6, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2020.When asked if her character 'Liz' was based on herself, Fey replied, 'my first name is Elizabeth, but I've always gone by Tina even in, you know, from elementary school on.'
^Duck, Charlotte (September 1, 2017)."Celebrities who changed their names".Glamour.Archived from the original on May 8, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2020.Tina Fey had already dropped her first name 'Elizabeth' during her high school and college years, as she wanted a name with more edge.
^"Tina Fey Gets the Last Laugh".Fox News. April 25, 2004.Archived from the original on April 7, 2008. RetrievedNovember 28, 2007.Back in the late 1980s, Fey and the other 'AP-class brainiac nerds', as she called her clique, used to sit together in the lunchroom at suburban Philadelphia's Upper Darby High School, making up nasty nicknames for their classmates
^abSklar, Rachel (December 10, 2004). "Live from New York, it's Ladies Night!".Chicago Tribune.RedEye: 32.It was big news when Amy Poehler joined Tina Fey at theWeekend Update desk, replacing the departed Jimmy Fallon
^"Julia Louis-Dreyfus".People magazine. Archived fromthe original on October 4, 2009. RetrievedMarch 2, 2012.After winning an Emmy for outstanding lead comedic actress in 2008, Tina Fey thanked Julia Louis-Dreyfus. 'When I don't know how to quite play a scene, my husband will say just try to act like Julia Louis-Dreyfus,' she said. 'So thank you, Julia, that is really working out for me.'
^"Actress Tina Fey Visits. 11/16/06. 9:05am".The Howard Stern Show – summary. marksfriggin.com. November 16, 2012.Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. RetrievedJuly 5, 2012.Howard said Tina agreed to do Artie's movieBeer League and she did that as a favor to Frank Sebastiano who wrote the movie. She said she was 7 months pregnant at the time but agreed to do it. She said she got into some trouble for doing it because she wasn't in SAG. She had to join SAG and it cost her $1000 to do the movie. Artie offered to give her a thousand bucks right there if she wanted.
^Mahan, Colin (July 25, 2006)."Tina Fey signing off SNL".TV.com. CBS Interactive Inc. Archived fromthe original on March 10, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 28, 2016.Fey was her typical sardonic self when discussing her reasons for leaving.
^abcGoodwin, Christopher (May 11, 2008)."And funny with it".The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited.Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. RetrievedFebruary 29, 2016.
^Renshaw, David (August 23, 2013)."Six of the best ... Tina Fey gags".The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited.Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 28, 2016.
^abcPage, Janice (March 16, 2013)."Tina Fey, just being herself".The Boston Globe. Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC.Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 29, 2016.
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^Entertainment Weekly Staff (February 8, 2013). "More Women Who Run TV: Part 2: Overachievers. They Act! They Write! They Produce! They Rule!".Entertainment Weekly. New York: Time Inc. p. 49.
^Dowd, Maureen (January 2009)."What Tina Wants".Vanity Fair. New York City:Condé Nast. Archived fromthe original on August 18, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 12, 2012.... a faint scar runs across Tina Fey's left cheek, the result of a violent cutting attack by a stranger when Fey was five. Her husband says, "It was in, like, the front yard of her house, and somebody who just came up, and she just thought somebody marked her with a pen." ...
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