Heidi Gardner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heidi Gardner
Heidi Gardner at the 2016 New York Comic Con
Born	Heidi Lynn Gardner (1983-07-27) July 27, 1983 (age 41) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Education	University of Kansas University of Missouri
Occupation	Actress comedian writer
Years active	2011–present
Spouse(s)	Zeb Wells ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2023)​

Heidi Lynn Gardner (born July 27, 1983) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for being a cast member on the TV show Saturday Night Live (SNL). She joined SNL in 2017 and became a main cast member in 2019.

Early Life and Dreams

Gardner grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She had an older brother named Justin. As a kid, she worked at the Tivoli Theater. She sold tickets and made popcorn there. She says this job helped shape her life.

Heidi wasn't very interested in acting when she was young. She played the flute in the school band. She also did funny skits in school talent shows. In 2001, she graduated from Notre Dame de Sion high school. Her classmates even voted her "Most likely to be a cast member of Saturday Night Live." After high school, she went to the University of Kansas and then the University of Missouri. She found that she really liked cutting hair.

Becoming a Comedian

When she was 21, Gardner left college. She moved to Los Angeles to work in a hair salon. She worked there for nine years. A friend told her to watch a show at The Groundlings theater. This show made her want to become an actress.

Heidi didn't have acting experience. So, she took classes to learn improvisation. This is a type of acting where you make things up on the spot. After practicing, she tried out for The Groundlings' main class and got in.

In 2014, she joined the Sunday Company at The Groundlings. A year later, she was promoted to the Main Company. She then quit her hairstylist job to focus on acting. During this time, she also started doing voice acting. She lent her voice to animated shows like SuperMansion.

Saturday Night Live and Other Roles

In 2017, Heidi Gardner joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL). She joined with Luke Null and Chris Redd for the show's 43rd season.

After her first year on SNL, Gardner acted in the movie Life of the Party. She played Leonor alongside actress Melissa McCarthy. In 2019, she also had a guest role on the TV show Superstore. She played Colleen, a rival to one of the main characters. That same year, she performed in a play called Noises Off in Massachusetts.

Heidi is known for her funny characters on SNL. She often plays people who are a bit awkward or over-the-top. One time, in April 2024, she famously broke character during a sketch. This means she started laughing and couldn't stay in her role. People thought it was very charming!

Some of her popular SNL characters include:

• Angel: A dramatic woman who tries to give good news but always ends up talking about her boxer boyfriend's dangerous career.
• Bailey Gismert: A teenage film critic who gives really awkward movie reviews.
• Brie Bacardi: One half of a couple who run an Instagram account about relationships. They are always almost arguing.
• Sandy: A cheerful cook on a baking show. She is very skilled but often loses to people who make strange cakes.
• Crystal: A co-worker who complains about being super busy, but it's not clear what she actually does.

Personal Life

Heidi Gardner is a big fan of sports teams from her home state. She supports the Kansas City Chiefs (football) and the Kansas City Royals (baseball). She was married to Marvel Comics writer Zeb Wells from 2010 to 2023. She met him when she was at The Groundlings. She lives in Leawood, Kansas, which is near Kansas City.

Acting Roles

Heidi Gardner has acted in many movies and TV shows.

Movies

She has appeared in films such as:

• Life of the Party (2018)
• Making Babies (2018)
• Hustle (2022)
• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - a voice role
• Leo (2023) - a voice role

Television Shows

Her TV work includes:

• Saturday Night Live (2017–present) - playing many different characters
• Mike Tyson Mysteries (2017, 2019) - voice roles
• Superstore (2019)
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2020)
• Is It Cake? (2022) - as a judge
• Shrinking (2023–2024)