Kristen Wiig is 3x Emmy-nominated and arguably the most successful female SNL player of all time. (1) She has 57 impressions. (2) She has 27 recurring characters. (3) She's been in 20 movies. (4) She wrote/acted in the hit film, Bridesmaids... NEXT FILMS: Friends with Kids, Revenge for Jolly, Imogene, Comedian, How to Train Your Dragon 2, & Clown Girl.
With Molly Shannon readying to throw back a few drinks onstage as Promises, Promises barfly Marge MacDougall, Broadway.com asked fans to choose which Saturday Night Live star you'd like to join Shannon on the Great White Way. The tally is complete, and funny lady Tina Fey ran away with the race, scoring a whopping 42% of votes. While the six-time Emmy winner has yet to make her Broadway debut, the actress/writer/producer's hit TV series 30 Rock is set just around the corner from the theater district in Rockefeller Center.
Following in second came Kristen Wiig, with 18% of votes. The current SNL actress is known for her impressions of Suze Orman, Jamie Lee Curtis and even showbiz great Judy Garland. Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler landed in third place with 11% of votes. Poehler has co-starred with Fey in films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama and played an attorney defending a controversial musical in Hamlet 2.
So my wife [Naomi Odenkirk] is a talent manager. She manages some great actors and actresses including Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader and Bobby Moynihan and Jenna Fischer, so she’s always going out to see shows like at The Groundlings and the Upright Citizen Brigade Theater and the Second City whenever she’s in Chicago.
She's currently at 63 (the closer to 100 the better). That's not bad, given that she hasn't starred in a movie yet.
From the page:
Age: 36
Occupation: Actress
Previous TIME 100 Appearances: 0
The SNL star's blend of sarcasm and wit has catapulted her from the small screen to the big leagues. Since 2007, Wiig has nabbed coveted supporting roles in films such as Knocked Up and The Brothers Solomon, and she voices the character of Ruffnut in DreamWorks' latest animated feature, How to Tame Your Dragon.
Wow, we've got to hand it to the writer, Rachel Dovey... this is a great article.
Here are some of the things she has done way better than you:
1) Befriended all the Muppets, including Scooter.
2) Made a summer home on Jupiter.
3) Had 20/80 vision—cat eyes.
4) Gotten really angry, in a large hallway, holding a golf cart.
5) Driven herself in a nut car, doing promotional work for Planter. It was a Mr. Peanut on wheels; the windshield was a monocle and the convertible roof was a top-hat.
6) Been a puppet on Fraggle Rock.
7) Been best friends with a tomato and Liza Minnelli.
8) Had a salad bar in her car—the steering wheel was a giant crouton.
9) Served M&M&M&M’s from Iceland at her wedding.
10) Worn horse blinders.
11) Bought a day from the government to celebrate National Penelope Day.
12) Had six children who spoke 44 languages before birth.
13) Invented kayaks.
There were 3 more skits prior to these, but that was before Kristen was so popular and before they posted more skits online, so they aren't up (yet). They aired...
is regularly compared to Lily Tomlin by SNL creator Lorne Michaels
introduced the characters Penelope, the manic Target cashier and the easily irritated film critic Aunt Linda to SNL audiences
got her start with the L.A.-based famed improv group The Groundlings
got a call from Lorne Michaels' people after the comedy star-maker saw a tape of Wiig with her improv group
in 2010, will star in four A-list films: All Good Things, Paul, Date Night, and ### Backwards
Why she's on the list:
Not many female members of the legendary sketch comedy show have gone on to have successful careers outside of SNL. In fact, someone who oddly resembled Cheri Oteri delivered us a pizza just last week. But when Kristen Wiig joined the cast in 2005, her female costars Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph were beginning to move beyond the walls of 30 Rockefeller, on their way to changing the comedic landscape in America.
Not to be outdone by her peers, Kristen Wiig quickly introduced her set of now iconic characters -- Penelope, the manic Target cashier and the easily irritated film critic Aunt Linda -- to go along with spot-on impressions of house speaker Nancy Pelosi and financial advisor Suze Orman. These days, next to Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig is the most buzzworthy cast member, appearing in almost every skit on any given episode. This must be the "girl power" thing that Geri Halliwell used to yammer on about.
With roles in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, the roller derby comedy Whip It! and Mike Judge's Extract in 2009, Wiig proved she can hold her own on the big screen too. She’s set to star in her first dramatic role opposite Kirsten Dunst and Ryan Gosling in All Good Things in 2010, as well as the comedy Paul opposite Seth Rogen, Date Night with an all-star cast that includes Tina Fey, MacGruber with Val Kilmer and Maya Rudolph, and A## Backwards with David Cross, Amy Sedaris and Kate Hudson.
PS: I find it strange that the image and text on Kristen's home page were made in Flash. Hmmm. That's like using a factory to bend a paperclip, or using tractor to move a small pebble.
SNL is back with new shows and we can't wait... to see what Kristen Wiig will do next. Wiig joined the cast as a featured player in 2005 and has since become one of the show's most celebrated comediennes.
She has appeared in hundreds of sketches, had some star turns in films and was nominated for an Emmy. Clearly we are not the only ones who love her. Here are a few reasons why...
SHE CHUCKED IT ALL FOR A DREAM: Wiig, an art major, was offered a job doing photo retouching for a plastic surgeon's office. The day before she was supposed to start, she thought "I don't want this to be my life," according to Women's Health. The next day she packed her bags and drove to LA to become an actress.
SHE LOVES SURPRISES: Oh my Gahd.... Oh my Gahhhhhhd! If you didn't watch Surprise Sue repeatedly, quote her constantly or dress up as her for Halloween, then you are in for a surprise of your own.
SHE HAS SOUND FINANCIAL ADVICE: Forget the real Suze Orman. Wiig has money saving tips as well as a best bet for where to spend your money: buying... more... jackets!
SHE HAS CLASSY STYLE: We love the elegant look Wiig sported at the Gotham Independent Film Awards in November 2009.
... AND SASSY STYLE: And Wiig was bold enough to pair it with red tights. Brilliant!
SHE'S NOT AFRAID TO "UG" IT UP: Wiig is an attractive lady, yet she plays along when people turn her into ugly monstrosities...
SHE SAYS YES: Case in point... Before shooting Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Wiig said the director told her, "you're going to look terrible and you're going to always be pregnant." Her response? "Of course I'll do it."
SHE LIKES TARGET: And who doesn't? Wiig herself told Women's Health, "It's clean. They have great things. It's every reason you love a store."
SHE HAS AN AMAZING WEBSITE: You're looking at it. Wiig's website consists of [a] drawing, links to her agency and management company and a message that she doesn't do social media. And that's it.
SHE MOCKS THE HAND THAT FEEDS HER: Wiig's turn as Maggie Mahem in Drew Barrymore's roller derby flick Whip It gave us the gem, "You can never have too much eyeliner. Or LashBlast," spoofing Barrymore's turn as a Cover Girl spokeswoman.
SHE HAS GLAM STYLE: Wiig does glam well, like with this electric blue assymetrical dress matched with a wide patent leather belt, which she wore to the Ghost Town premiere in 2008.
SHE CAN MAKE RICKY GERVAIS LAUGH: It takes a mighty comedic power to make funnyman Ricky Gervais laugh. Wiig does it with ease during a press conference for Ghost Town. What a compliment for someone who thinks Gervais is "beyond genius."
SHE CAN BE A REAL A-HOLE: And we love her for it. Right, babe?
SHE'S NAUGHTY: Wiig's character Gilly isn't afraid to be a bad girl and we dig that. But she still teaches us a valuable lesson: it's OK as long as you say you're sorry. (Gilly also got her very own SNL special: A Very Gilly Christmas.)
SHE WILL GET UP IN IT: Do not mess with Wiig.
SHE HAS CASUAL STYLE: Not only can Wiig go glam, she can do casual in style. The layering, colors and accessories make this look from Sundance 2009 slacker chic.
SHE MAKES KATHIE LEE GIFFORD TOLERABLE: (At least with her impression.) Sorry, Kathie Lee, but Wiig has your number and the guts to put it all out there.
SHE MAKES ROOM FOR NEWBIES: Wiig was a newcomer once, too. When Jenny Slate dropped the f-bomb during her first show, Wiig played it off like nothing happened. After all, Wiig is afraid she'll swear or forget her lines, too, according to A.V. Club.
IN SHORT: EVERYTHING. In 2009, Wiig made EW's list of 25 Funniest Women in Hollywood and she is clearly someone to watch. From her TV and movie roles to her red carpet appearances, we can't wait to see what Wiig does next.
