Back in 2005, Kristen Wiig joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in its 31st season appearing a few times as a supporting character. Yet, she survived the budget cut and joined the company again for its 32nd season. Frankly, when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler left the show, I had doubts about any funny women who could possibly replace them, however, Wiig does and excellent job, leaving the audience in stitches.
She grew up in Pennsylvania and later on upstate New York, attending the University of Arizona and majoring in art. She was hired by a plastic surgeon as a graphic artist, to draw what people would look like post-op. She soon left for Los Angeles to pursue acting, where she joined The Groundlings and worked odd jobs.
She is known for her character of Penelope, who constantly one-ups the people around her, exaggerating every situation. She also plays Gilly, a miscevous schoolgirl, the Target Lady (a Target employee with a kitschy obsession for their products) and Judy Grimes, a travel correspondent who is frequently, “Just kidding,” because she lacks the confidence to actually talk about traveling. According to the New York Post, “Kristen Wiig has become a household name on “SNL” by playing outrageous versions of people we’ve all had the misfortune to encounter.” Entertainment Weekly put her on their list of 15 Great Performances for her various characters on SNL. She has also been named on of the 25 Funniest Women in Hollywood by Entertainment Weekly. And, according to New York Magazine, Wiig appeared in more sketches on Saturday Night Live than any other cast member in the program’s 34th season.
In addition to her work on SNL, she has also appeared on the television show Flight of the Conchords and in the films The Brothers Solomon, Knocked Up, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Semi-Pro, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Ghost Town. In the films, she frequently teams up with other SNL cast members and steals every scene with her insane personas.
Now who says women aren’t funny?
