Cecily Strong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cecily Strong
Strong in 2018
Born	Cecily Legler Strong (1984-02-08) February 8, 1984 (age 41) Springfield, Illinois, U.S.
Education	California Institute of the Arts (BFA)
Occupation	Actress comedian
Years active	2012–present
Known for	Saturday Night Live (2012–2022) Schmigadoon! (2021–2023)
Children	1

Cecily Legler Strong (born February 8, 1984) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for being a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 2012 to 2022. She holds the record as the longest-serving female cast member in the show's history.

Strong also starred in the Apple TV+ musical comedy series Schmigadoon! from 2021 to 2023. She was also a producer for that show. Her other work includes voice acting in The Awesomes and roles in movies like Ghostbusters. She even hosted the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2015. In 2021, she published her first book, a memoir called This Will All Be Over Soon.

For her amazing work on Saturday Night Live, Strong was nominated for an Emmy Award twice.

Early Life and Education

Cecily Strong was born in Springfield, Illinois. She grew up in Oak Park, a suburb near Chicago. Her mother, Penelope, is a nurse practitioner. Her father, William "Bill" Strong, worked for the Associated Press and later ran his own public relations company.

As a child, Cecily loved SNL and would often act out sketches with her friends. She watched old SNL commercials repeatedly. She has said that comedian Phil Hartman was a big inspiration for her. Her uncle was a Broadway producer, which meant she often got to see Broadway shows and meet the actors backstage.

Strong attended Oak Park and River Forest High School. She later transferred to a private Catholic school. For her senior year, she moved to the Chicago Academy for the Arts, graduating in 2002. She then studied acting at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). She earned a BFA in theatre in 2006. After college, Strong returned to Chicago. There, she continued her comedy training at the Second City Conservatory and iO Chicago.

Comedy Career Beginnings

Before joining Saturday Night Live, Cecily Strong performed regularly at famous comedy theaters like The Second City and iO Chicago. She even performed on a cruise ship with other Second City members for four months.

Strong also appeared at many comedy festivals. These included the Chicago Sketch Fest, Chicago Just for Laughs, and the New York Sketchfest. She also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She worked with an all-female improv group called Virgin Daiquiri.

Joining Saturday Night Live

Cecily Strong made her debut on Saturday Night Live on September 15, 2012. She started as a "featured player." The next season, she became a "repertory player," which means she was a main cast member.

She also co-hosted the "Weekend Update" segment with Seth Meyers. "Weekend Update" is a fake news segment on SNL. Later, she co-hosted it with Colin Jost. In September 2014, she was replaced on "Weekend Update" by Michael Che. This was partly because Strong wanted to focus more on performing in sketches as a regular cast member.

In 2020, Strong received her first Emmy nomination for her work on SNL. She was nominated again in 2021. She also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 12th Critics' Choice Television Awards.

Strong returned for SNL season 48. During this season, she became the longest-running female cast member in the show's history. She passed former castmate Kate McKinnon's record. She missed the first three shows of the season because she was performing in a play in Los Angeles. Strong's last episode of SNL was on December 17, 2022.

Popular Characters on SNL

Cecily Strong created many memorable characters on Saturday Night Live. Some of her most well-known characters include:

• The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party: An unnamed character who often talks about strange or confusing topics.
• Dana: A loud and unfriendly retail worker. She often insults her coworkers with Niff, played by Bobby Moynihan.
• Cathy Anne: A quirky neighbor of Michael Che on "Weekend Update." She has strong opinions on current events.
• Kyra: Co-host of "The Girlfriends Talk Show" with Morgan, played by Aidy Bryant.
• Gemma: An aspiring British singer with many different boyfriends.

Celebrity Impressions

Cecily Strong is also known for her excellent celebrity impressions. She has impersonated many famous people, including:

• Julie Andrews
• Christina Aguilera
• Lana Del Rey
• Fran Drescher
• Gloria Estefan
• Fergie
• Ariana Grande
• Marjorie Taylor Greene
• Khloe Kardashian
• Liza Minnelli
• Alanis Morissette
• Rosie Perez
• Jeanine Pirro
• Kyrsten Sinema
• Melania Trump
• Sofia Vergara

Other Projects and Appearances

In 2015, Cecily Strong was the featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. This is an event where comedians often make jokes about politicians and news organizations. She made jokes about various news groups, politicians, and even President Obama.

In 2016, she appeared in a commercial for Old Navy with other SNL cast members. That same year, Strong joined the climate change documentary show Years of Living Dangerously as a special correspondent. She also guest-starred in TV shows like Angie Tribeca and Scream Queens. Since 2017, she has appeared in commercials for Triscuit. She also starred in commercials for Prego Spaghetti sauce starting in 2020 and Verizon in 2022.

Her first book, a memoir titled This Will All Be Over Soon, was published on August 10, 2021. The book talks about starting a relationship during the pandemic. It also discusses the importance of being thankful for each day. The book grew from an essay she wrote about dealing with the loss of her cousin.

..... She also starred in and produced Schmigadoon!, a musical parody series on Apple TV+. In Schmigadoon!, she and Keegan-Michael Key play a couple who get stuck in a 1940s musical town. They must find "true love" to leave.

Strong made her New York stage debut in an Off Broadway play. It was a revival of Jane Wagner's one-woman play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. The show opened in January 2022. In December 2023, it was announced that Strong would co-star in the off-Broadway play Brooklyn Laundry, which opened in February 2024.

Personal Life

In March 2024, Cecily Strong shared that she is engaged to her partner, John MacGregor. In November 2024, Strong announced on her Instagram page that she was expecting her first child, a girl. She gave birth in April 2025.

Film and Television Roles

Cecily Strong has appeared in many films and television shows.

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

Cecily Strong has been recognized for her talent with several awards and nominations.

See also

In Spanish: Cecily Strong para niños