Amy Poehler (b. 1971)

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Biography

Amy Meredith Poehler is an American actress and comedian. Known for her roles in sketch comedy, sitcoms and comedy films, she has earned acclaim and several accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for a Peabody Award and a Grammy Award. Poehler was included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to comedy in 2015.

In Their Own Words (1)

I have realized that mystery is what keeps people away, and I’ve grown tired of smoke and mirrors. I yearn for the clean, well-lighted place. So let’s peek behind the curtain and hail the others like us. The open-faced sandwiches who take risks and live big and smile with all of their teeth. These are the people I want to be around. This is the honest way I want to live and love and write.

2014

Timeline

The story of Amy Poehler, told in moments.

1996 Event

Co-founds the Upright Citizens Brigade with Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh in New York. They start performing in the back of a Chelsea bar. The UCB Theatre they open later becomes a launchpad for a generation of comedians.

Performing in the back of a Chelsea bar. Did you know UCB would launch careers? What held the four of you together in those early years?

2001 Event

Joins the cast of Saturday Night Live. She's the first member of the UCB to make it to Studio 8H. By 2004 she's co-anchoring Weekend Update with Tina Fey.

First UCB member on SNL. Did that feel like vindication? Co-anchoring with Tina Fey. Was the chemistry instant?

2009 Event

Parks and Recreation premieres on NBC. She plays Leslie Knope, a mid-level bureaucrat in Pawnee, Indiana, who actually loves her government job. The show runs seven seasons.

Leslie Knope actually loves her government job. Was she you? Did seven seasons change how people see public service?

2014 Event

Publishes her memoir Yes Please. It debuts at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. She narrates the audiobook herself, recording parts of it in a closet at 3 a.m.

Recording an audiobook in a closet at 3 a.m. Was that dedication or insanity? Did writing a memoir at forty-three feel premature?

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