Early life
Poehler was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and grew up in Burlington, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of Eileen Frances (née Milmore) and William Grinstead Poehler, both teachers. She is a distant cousin of author Stephen King and U.S. senator Scott Brown, through shared New England ancestry. Poehler was raised Catholic.
A 1993 graduate of Boston College, Poehler was a member of America's oldest collegiate improv comedy troupe, "My Mother's Fleabag". After graduating from college, Poehler moved to Chicago, where she studied improvisational theatre at Second City, with friend and future co-star Tina Fey. She also studied with Del Close at ImprovOlympic, going on to become part of the touring company as well as teaching classes at IO.
Personal life
Poehler married Will Arnett of the Fox comedy Arrested Development on August 29, 2003, and had a recurring role in the series as the nameless wife of Arnett's character George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II. Poehler and Arnett also played a quasi-incestuous brother-sister ice skating team in the 2007 film Blades of Glory, and appeared together in Horton Hears a Who!, On Broadway, Spring Breakdown, and Monsters vs. Aliens, along with Arnett having a guest appearance on Poehler's NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. On October 25, 2008, Poehler gave birth to her first son, Archibald William Emerson "Archie" Arnett, just hours before the Saturday Night Live telecast. Poehler gave birth to her second son, Abel James Arnett, on August 6, 2010. Politically, she is a supporter of Planned Parenthood, but she has also stated that John McCain was the Saturday Night Live guest she fell in love with.
Career
Upright Citizens Brigade
During her time at Second City, Poehler studied with Matt Besser, part of the Upright Citizens Brigade. While the group initially consisted of many members (including Horatio Sanz, Adam McKay, Rick Roman, and Neil Flynn), Poehler quickly became part of the group along with Matt Walsh. The two, along with Besser and Ian Roberts, performed sketch and improv around Chicago before moving to New York in 1996. Immediately after moving to New York, the group quickly scored a TV gig, appearing as sketch regulars on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
In 1998, Comedy Central debuted the group's eponymous half-hour sketch comedy series. During the show's second season, the group opened an Improv theatre and training center in New York City at 161 W. 22nd Street, occupying the space of a former strip club. The UCB theatre held shows seven nights a week in addition to offering classes in sketch comedy writing and improv.
In the summer of 2000, Comedy Central canceled the Upright Citizens Brigade program after its third season, though the UCB Theatre continues to operate. The foursome continue to work together in many projects, and frequently perform together in live improv shows at their comedy theatres in NY and LA.
Saturday Night Live
Poehler joined the cast of SNL during the 2001–02 season, her debut episode being the first one produced after the 9/11 attacks – with host Reese Witherspoon, musical guest Alicia Keys, and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as a special guest.[citation needed] Poehler was promoted from featured player to full cast member in her first season on the show, making her only the third person to have earned this distinction (after Harry Shearer and Eddie Murphy).
Beginning with the 2004–05 season, she co-anchored "Weekend Update" with Tina Fey, replacing the newly departed Jimmy Fallon. In a TV Guide interview, Fey said that with Poehler co-anchoring, there now is "double the sexual tension." When Fey left after the 2005–06 season to devote time to the sitcom she created, 30 Rock, Seth Meyers joined Poehler at the anchor desk. Poehler was nominated for a 2008 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series, the first SNL cast member recognized in this category. She was heavily favored to win by many critics, but ultimately lost to Jean Smart. She was nominated once again in 2009, but lost to Kristin Chenoweth. On September 13, 2008, the SNL season premiere opened with Fey and Poehler as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton, respectively, performing a "joint political campaign spot."
Web promo for 2008 web video of Palin (Fey) and Clinton (Poehler) from NBC.com.
Poehler returned to the show on November 3, 2008, during the "SNL Presidential Bash '08", "hosting" as Hillary Clinton. The Bash was pre-taped from scenes shot between September and October. Her return to SNL after her pregnancy was on December 6, 2008, where she stayed for two weeks. During "Weekend Update", on December 13, she thanked her family, friends, and fans for the continued support and announced that it would be her last show.[citation needed] On April 18, 2009, a Saturday Night Live special, "The Best of Amy Poehler", aired. Poehler returned for "Weekend Update" (signing off with "...and he's Seth Meyers") and joined the "chorus" for Will Ferrell's "Goodnight Saigon" (along with the SNL cast and Tom Hanks, Maya Rudolph, Norm Macdonald, Artie Lange, Anne Hathaway, and Green Day) on the SNL season finale on May 16, 2009.
Parks and Recreation
In July 2008, Variety reported that Poehler was in final negotiations to star in a series by writers Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, set to air on Thursdays before The Office, starting January 2009 on NBC. On July 21, 2008, NBC officially announced Poehler's new series, Parks and Recreation, saying the project would not be a direct spin-off of The Office, as previously speculated.
Poehler joined an ensemble cast including Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Paul Schneider, Nick Offerman, Adam Scott, and Rob Lowe. Poehler plays Deputy Director of the Parks Department, Leslie Knope, in the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana. After a rough first season, the show's second season and third season have been well received by critics, and Poehler received an Emmy nomination for her role. NBC has since renewed Parks and Recreation for a fourth season. Poehler was featured in The Advocate for her role in the show.
Film career and other work
Poehler has appeared in the films Wet Hot American Summer, Mean Girls, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny, Blades of Glory, Envy, Shrek the Third, Mr. Woodcock, and Hamlet 2. She is producing a digital series with two of her friends, Meredith Walker and Amy Miles, Smart Girls at the Party, available through ON Networks. The show is focused on interviews with young women who are "changing the world by being themselves". The first season of 'Smart Girls at the Party' premiered online November 17, 2008, with Mattel's Barbie signed on as the lead sponsor.
She appeared in various comedy segments on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, often playing her recurring role as Andy Richter's little sister Stacy, and as a recurring character in two episodes of the college dramedy Undeclared. She appears in the film Southland Tales, which premiered on May 21, 2006 at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. In 2008, she appeared in Horton Hears a Who!, Hamlet 2, Baby Mama, and Spring Breakdown. She has also co-created an animated series for Nickelodeon called The Mighty B!, about Bessie Higgenbottom, a "sweet, merit-badge-obsessed girl scout", to which she lends her vocal talents. In 2009, Poehler earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Series.
Filmography
1998–2000 Upright Citizens Brigade Colby/ Various characters Main Role
1999 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo Ruth
2001–2008 Saturday Night Live Herself/ Various characters Nominated – Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2008 and 2009) 138 shows as cast member.
2001 Wet Hot American Summer Susie
2001–02 Undeclared Hillary
2002 Martin & Orloff Patty
2004 Mean Girls Mrs. George
Envy Natalie Vanderpark
2004–05 Arrested Development Wife of Gob Recurring, 5 episodes
2005 SpongeBob SquarePants Gramma (voice) "Have You Seen This Snail?"
The Simpsons Jenda (voice) "Future-Drama"
Sesame Street Herself
2006 Southland Tales Veronica Mung / Dream
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Truck Stop Waitress
Man of the Year Herself Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update with Tina Fey & Amy Poehler was featured in the movie
2007 The Ex Carol Lane
Blades of Glory Fairchild Van Waldenberg
Shrek the Third Snow White Voice
Mr. Woodcock Maggie Hoffman
Shortcut to Happiness Molly Gilchrest
Wild Girls Gone Doreen With Matt Besser, Ian Roberts & Matt Walsh of the Upright Citizens Brigade.
2008 Hamlet 2 Cricket Feldstein
Horton Hears a Who! Sally O'Malley Voice
Baby Mama Angie Ostrowski MTV Movie Award for Best WTF Moment
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
2008–2011 The Mighty B! Bessie Higgenbottom (voice) Co-creator of series
Nominated – Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program (2009 and 2010)
2009 Spring Breakdown Gayle
Monsters vs. Aliens Computer Voice
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Eleanor
2009–present Parks and Recreation Leslie Knope Main Role
Nominated – Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2010, 2011)
2010 Megamind Linda Prickles Voice
2011 Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil Gretel
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked Eleanor
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