Amy Poehler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amy Poehler
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Poehler in 2024
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| Born | September 16, 1971 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Education | Boston College (BA) |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Greg Poehler (brother) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Comedy career | |
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Amy Poehler (born September 16, 1971) is a famous American actress and comedian. She is known for her roles in TV shows like Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation. Amy also voices characters in animated movies, like Joy in Inside Out. She has won many awards for her comedy and acting.
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Early Life and Education
Amy Poehler was born in Newton, Massachusetts. Her parents, Eileen and William Poehler, were both school teachers. She has a younger brother named Greg Poehler, who is also an actor and producer. Amy grew up in Burlington, Massachusetts.
When she was 10, Amy played Dorothy in her school's play, The Wizard of Oz. This experience made her love performing. She continued acting in plays at Burlington High School. She also played soccer and softball and was part of the student council.
After high school, Amy went to Boston College. There, she joined an improv comedy group called My Mother's Fleabag. She graduated in 1993 with a degree in media and communications.
Comedy Career Beginnings
Improv and Upright Citizens Brigade
Amy's college improv experience inspired her to become a professional comedian. After college, she moved to Chicago. She took her first improv class at ImprovOlympic. While there, she met Tina Fey, who would become a frequent collaborator.
Amy and Tina both joined a touring group for The Second City, a famous comedy theater. Amy then joined one of Second City's main comedy groups.
In 1995, Amy joined an improv and sketch comedy group called Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB). In 1996, four main UCB members, including Amy, moved to New York City. They started performing shows in small places. To earn money, UCB also taught improv classes. Amy also appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
In 1998, Comedy Central launched the Upright Citizens Brigade TV show. During the show's second season, the group opened the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. This theater offered shows and classes in comedy writing and improv. Even after the TV show ended in 2000, the UCB Theatre kept going. Amy and the other founders helped make long-form improv popular in New York. By 2011, UCB had theaters in New York and Los Angeles.
Television Roles
Saturday Night Live
Amy Poehler joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 2001. She made her first appearance shortly after the September 11 attacks. She quickly became a full cast member in her first season. This made her the second cast member, and first woman, to get this promotion so fast.
Amy played many funny characters on SNL. These included a super energetic 10-year-old named Kaitlyn and Betty Caruso, a co-host on the "Bronx Beat" talk show. She also did impressions of famous people like Hillary Clinton, Dakota Fanning, and Michael Jackson.
From 2004 to 2008, Amy co-hosted the "Weekend Update" news parody segment. She first co-hosted with Tina Fey, making them the first female co-anchors of "Weekend Update." Later, Seth Meyers joined her. In 2008, Amy was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on SNL.
In 2008, Amy and Tina Fey did a very popular sketch as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. This sketch was a huge hit online. Amy left SNL in 2008 to star in a new TV show. She returned for special guest appearances later, including the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special in 2015.
Parks and Recreation
After The Office became popular, NBC created a new show from the same producers. In 2008, Amy Poehler was chosen to star in this new series, Parks and Recreation. The show premiered on NBC in April 2009.
Amy played Leslie Knope, a hardworking deputy director in the Parks Department of a fictional town called Pawnee, Indiana. The show also starred Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, and Nick Offerman.
After its first season, Parks and Recreation became very popular. Leslie Knope's character became known for her intelligence and strong work ethic. A special episode in the second season introduced "Galentine's Day," a holiday Leslie created to celebrate female friendships. This holiday has become a real-life tradition for many people.
Amy was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role in Parks and Recreation multiple times. In 2014, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy. Amy also became a producer for the show. She wrote several episodes, including "The Debate" and the final episode, "One Last Ride." She also directed some episodes. Parks and Recreation ended in 2015 after seven seasons.
Making It
In 2018, Amy Poehler co-hosted a crafting competition show called Making It on NBC. Her Parks and Recreation co-star Nick Offerman joined her as co-host. The show was very popular and earned Amy and Nick an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Host. Making It has been renewed for a third season.
Film Career
Acting in Films
Amy Poehler has appeared in many movies. In 2004, she was in Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey. Amy played the "cool mom" in the film. She also starred with Tina Fey in Baby Mama (2008) and Sisters (2015).
Amy has also lent her voice to many animated films. Her voice roles include:
- Shrek the Third (2007)
- Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
- Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
- Hoodwinked Too!: Hood vs. Evil (2011)
- Free Birds (2013)
- Inside Out (2015), where she voiced Joy, the main emotion. She also helped write some of Joy's lines.
- She returned as Joy in Inside Out 2 (2024).
Directing Films
Amy Poehler made her directing debut with the film Wine Country in 2019. This movie, which she also starred in, was released on Netflix. It was based on a real trip she took with her friends.
She also directed Moxie (2021) for Netflix, a film about a teenage girl who starts a feminist revolution at her high school. In 2022, Amy directed Lucy and Desi, a documentary about the famous couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. This film was highly praised and nominated for six Emmy Awards.
Producer Work
In 2001, Amy Poehler started her own production company called Paper Kite Productions. This company helps create new TV shows and films. Most of the staff at Paper Kite Productions are women.
Amy co-created and produced an animated series for Nickelodeon called The Mighty B!. It was about a girl scout named Bessie who was obsessed with earning merit badges. Amy also voiced Bessie.
She has been an executive producer for several other TV series:
- Difficult People (2014-2017)
- Broad City (2014-2019), which started as a web series. Amy helped turn it into a TV show and even appeared in an episode.
- Welcome to Sweden (2014-2015), a show based on her brother Greg's experiences. Amy made cameo appearances as herself.
- Russian Doll (2019-present) for Netflix, which she co-created and executive produced.
- Three Busy Debras (2020-present)
- Duncanville (2020-present), where she also voices two main characters.
Other Work and Activism
In 2008, Amy Poehler, Meredith Walker, and Amy Miles started Smart Girls at the Party. This is an online community and web series that aims to empower girls. It provides funny and inspiring content. On the Smart Girls YouTube channel, viewers can even ask Amy for life advice in segments called "Ask Amy."
Amy has also supported various social causes. She worked with the National Domestic Workers Alliance to help pass a law giving overtime pay to domestic workers. She also supported a campaign to ensure tipped workers earn the minimum wage. Amy has traveled to Haiti as an ambassador for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation. In 2014, she joined Michelle Obama to celebrate the "Let's Move!" youth health initiative.
In 2014, Amy published her memoir, Yes Please. In the book, she shared stories from her life and talked about topics like parenthood. The book became a number one best-seller.
In 2015, Amy Poehler received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to television. She was also named one of Time magazine's "100 most influential people in the world" in 2011.
Personal Life
Amy Poehler married Canadian actor Will Arnett in 2003. They worked together on several projects, including the TV series Arrested Development. They separated in 2012 and their divorce was finalized in 2016.
Amy and Will have two sons: Archie, born in 2008, and Abel, born in 2010. Amy lives with her children in Los Angeles. She is also an active feminist.
From 2013 to 2015, Amy dated fellow comedian Nick Kroll.
Filmography
See also
In Spanish: Amy Poehler para niños
- Saturday Night Live parodies of Hillary Clinton
