Amy Poehler

Real Name: Amy Poehler
Birthday: September 16, 1971

Biography And Filmography

A veteran of improvisational comedy, comedian and movie actress Amy Poehler started her show business career while still a college student in Boston Massachusetts. Known for her impersonations, Poehler’s breakthrough role came as an ensemble cast member of “Saturday Night Live” in 2001, where she portrayed such Hollywood celebrities as Kelly Ripa, Avril Lavigne and Sharon Osbourne. The wife of fellow actor and comedian, Will Arnette, she started her movie career slowly, appearing in such comedies as "Duce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" with Rob Schneider, “Mean Girls” (2004) with Lindsay Lohan, “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny” (2006) with Jack Black and “Blades of Glory” (2007) with fellow SNL cast member Will Ferrell.

The daughter of retired high school teachers Bill and Eileen, Amy was born in Burlington, Massachusetts on Sept. 16, 1971. Overly energetic since early childhood, she seemed determined to be a comedy actor. Poehler attended Boston College after graduating in 1993. At Boston, she attempted a degree in media and communications by day, and performed stand-up comedy at the local comedy clubs by night and quickly became a smash hit on the Boston comedy scene.

After graduation, Poehler moved to Chicago Illinois and became active in improvisational workshops at Second City and later, the Improv Olympics, where she worked with famous comedy coach Del Close – a teacher to other “SNL” cast members like Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and Chris Farley. During her stay in Chicago, she joined the "Upright Citizens Brigade", a sketch improv group created by Matt Besser and Horatio Sans. She and fellow U.C.B. cast member Matt Walsh led the attempt to move the comedy troupe to New York City in the late 1990s. Once in New York, it was not long before the troupe received its own television show on Comedy Central – “The Upright Citizens Brigade” (1998-2000). She was both a writer and performer on the series. During the shows three-season run, “The Upright Citizen’s Brigade” became a cult classic and gained a loyal fan base.

On the small screen, the comedian created the character of Stacey Richter – the young sister of co-host Andy Richter – on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”. In 2001, she hit the big time when she was hired at “Saturday Night Live,” as a featured player. Promoted to a full cast member less than eight months later, she was only the second cast member in “SNL” history to receive a promotion in the middle of a season – with Eddie Murphy being the first. She was given the coveted co-anchor spot on “Weekend Update,” replacing Jimmy Fallon.

Her first major movie role was in the Ben Stiller and Jack Black comedy “Envy” (2004) featuring Rachel Weisz and Christopher Walken, about a man who becomes increasingly jealous of his friend's newfound success. She struck gold with her next movie with Lindsay Lohan in “Mean Girls” (2004). Released to theaters the same day as “Envy,” “Mean Girls” was written by her fellow “S.N.L.” cast member Tina Fey and took the top spot during its opening weekend. After a small cameo appearance as a waitress in Jack Black's 2006’s “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny,” she appeared as herself in “Man of the Year” (2006).

In 2007, she teamed with fellow SNL cast members Cheri Oteri, Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy as one of the classic fairy tale princesses imprisoned by Prince Charming in the animated, “Shrek the Third”. Hired and cast as the voice of Snow White, she gave her usual sarcasm to a character well known for her beauty, virtue and purity. Also that year, the actress appeared in the sport comedy " Mr. Woodcock" starring Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon, a film about a young man who is taken aback by his mother's wedding announcement and returns home in an effort to stop her from marrying his old high school gym teacher, a man who made high school hell for generations of students.

In 2008, Poehler joined with funny man Jim Carrey in the animated comedy "Horton Hears A Who" working with an impressive cast that included Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Seth Rogen and Jesse McCartney, where Horton the Elephant struggles to protect a microscopic community from his neighbors who refuse to believe it exists. Amy then appeared in the comedy "Baby Momma" (2008) alongside fellow SNL cast member Tina Fey and funny man Greg Kinnear. The film tells the story of a successful, single businesswoman who dreams of having a baby and discovers she is infertile and hires a working class woman to be her unlikely surrogate.

Riding a wave of success, the actress next was hired and cast in the comedy "Spring Breakdown" (2008) starring Rachel Dratch, about three women who vacation together at a popular travel destination for college co-eds on spring break. She then lent her voice to the animated Gretel character in "Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil" starring Hayden Panettiere as Little Red Riding Hood, Bill Hader as Hansel, Patrick Warburton as the wolf, Glenn Close as Granny and Brad Garrett as the Giant. The movie tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood, who is training in the group of "Sister Hoods", when her and the Wolf get called away to examine the sudden and mysterious disappearance of Hansel and Gretel.