Elizabeth Stamatina Fey was born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia, in 1970 to Donald and Jeannec Fey. Going by the name of Tina, Ms. Fey considered herself a "supernerd" during her high school and college years. She studied drama at the University of Virginia, and after graduating in 1992, she headed to Chicago, the ancestral home of American comedy. While working at a YMCA to support herself, she started Second City's first set of courses. After about nine months, a teacher told her to just skip ahead and audition for the more selective Second City Training Center. She failed but about eight weeks later, she re-auditioned and got into the year-long program. She ended up spending many years at The Second City in Chicago where many SNL cast members first started out. Then in 1995, Saturday Night Live came to The Second City's cast, including Fey's friend, Adam McKay, as a writer, searching for new talent. What they found was Tina Fey. When Adam was made Head writer, he suggested Fey should send a submission packet over the summer with six sketches, 10 pages each. Tina took the advice and sent them. After Lorne Michaels met her and saw her work she was offered a job a week later. She admitted that she was extremely nervous working in the legendary Studio 8H; being a foot shorter than everyone else, younger, and being one of the only female writers at the time. After a few years, Tina made history by becoming the first female head writer in the show's history. Tina also made her screen debut as a featured player during the 25th season by co-anchoring Weekend Update with Jimmy Fallon. Since Tina and Jimmy have taken over Weekend Update it has been considered the best ever. This year she made it to full fledged star by becoming a regular cast member, though she is hardly on the show, besides Update. And during the past two summers, Tina and Rachel Dratch performed their two-woman show to critical acclaim in both Chicago (1999) and New York (2000) and made their Aspen Comedy Festival Debut. Tina is married to Jeff Richmond, a Second City director and currently lives in New York City.



"30 Rock" (2006): $300,000/episode (2009-10)

Came out of Chicago's famed Second City comedy troupe, where she was a writer-performer. Was chosen by Entertainment Weekly as the #8 entertainer of the year for the year 2001 Her husband, Jeff Richmond is a Second City director. That's how they met. He is ten years older than she is. Fey's mother is from Greece Her father is German/Scottish-American, and her mother is Greek. In her first session as a member of the "Saturday Night Live" (1975) writing staff, the 5'4" Tina found discovered that she was a foot shorter than the mostly male writing staff, and felt for a while as if she'd shrunk. Graduated from Upper Darby High School. Tina and her husband, Jeff Richmond, had a girl, Alice Zenobia Richmond, on September 10, 2005. Close friends with fellow "Saturday Night Live" (1975) cast member, Amy Poehler. Born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, the same town in which "Saturday Night Live" (1975) alumna Cheri Oteri (a cast member when Fey was writing on SNL) grew up. Her hometown, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, is also where Todd Rundgren grew up. They both had the same algebra teacher, although 20 years apart. Is a big fan of Star Wars movies and often uses references to the movies in her roles and writing. Returned to work one month after giving birth to her daughter Alice in order to resume filming "Saturday Night Live" (1975). Is semi-fluent in German. She says about herself that she speaks "less than first-grade" German.