Tina Fey: 15 Now-You-Know Facts
Tina Fey has been knocking comedy out of the park ever since she decided to pursue comedy in the 8th grade. Here's a few lesser known facts about the comedy veteran who brought you Mean Girls, 30 Rock, and your favorite SNL sketches.
She has a scar from a crazy childhood experience.
NBC Universal
Fey revealed in a 2009 Vanity Fair article that when she was 5 years old, she was slashed in the face by a random man with a knife in her front yard. This resulted in the thin scar on the bottom left side of her face. Fey says "I proceeded unaware of it. I was a very confident little kid. It's really almost like I'm kind of able to forget about it, until I was on-camera.”
This is a quick PSA to never stab kids in the face because you never know who they might grow up to be.
30 Rock's Liz Lemon is named after Tina.
NBC Universal
You may know her as Tina Fey, but her actual birthname is Elizabeth Stamatina Fey. She went on to name Liz Lemon after herself and Amy Poehler is known to call her “Betty,” short for Elizabeth.
How long do you think it takes to get on a “Real-First-Name-Nick-Name-Basis” with Tina Fey?
She's rapped with Childish Gambino.
Fey has a history of rapping, reportedly teaching Mean Girls actor Rajiv Surendra how to rap for a scene in the film.
After giving Donald Glover his first big writing opportunity on 30 Rock, Glover later asked Fey to be apart of his 2012 Royalty mixtape. Fey and Glover appear together on the song Real Estate.
I remember the first time I saw Tina Fey I thought “I bet this woman is GREAT at rapping.”
She was the first female head writer at SNL.
Broadway Video
Just 2 years after joining SNL's writing staff, Fey was promoted to head writer. She continued to act as head writer for 6 seasons until leaving to pursue writing and executive producing 30 Rock. Since Fey left, 2 more women have been head writer's at SNL, Paula Pell and Sara Schneider.
Fun Fact: Paula Pell plays Frank's wife in 30 Rock, and she wrote 2 episodes!
She's the youngest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize.
Fey won this award in 2010, which had her join the likes of Lily Tomlin, Whoopie Goldberg, George Carlin, Carol Burnett and Bill Murray. Fey was just 40 years old at the time, which is incredible considering most recipients have careers that span decades.
Maybe she got in early enough that they'll give her a second one down the line.
You can hear her voice in a pinball game.
NBC Universal
Fey's voice was featured in the arcade pinball machine “Medieval Madness.” Most of the game's dialogue was written by Second City members Scott Adsit (Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock) and Kevin Dorff. The two pulled in their Second City castmate to voice several characters in the game including an “Opera Singer” princess, Cockney-speaking princesses, and a character with a southern drawl. (You can hear some of the outtakes here.)
Fey's husband composed 30 Rock's music.
Wikimedia Commons Author: Nick Stepowyj
Fey is married to 30 Rock composer, Jeff Richmond! The two met at Second City and dated for seven years before tying the knot on June 3rd 2001.
Another castmates, to friends, to lovers, to coworkers, back to lovers story.
Fey's first improv teacher was a juggernaut.
Wikimedia Commons Author: Harold Krichel
Fey's first Second City improv class was taught by none other than Adam McKay! Adam McKay is known for SNL, Anchorman, Step Brothers, Vice, Don't Look Up and much much more!
That's like getting Michael Jordan to teach you…golf! (Michael Jordan is good at more than one thing.)
She had high aspirations early on.
Tina Fey’s 8th grade teacher was the first person to tell her that she should be a writer. “I thought, I don’t want to be a writer, ’cause then you’re just by yourself in a room all the time,” she told PEOPLE. “I want to be a star!”
Chris Farley appeared in her first SNL sketch.
The first sketch Tina got to air featured fellow Second City alumni Chris Farley in a Sally Jessy Raphael satire where he played a giant baby.
And I thought Chevy Chase was the only giant baby to be on SNL!
Her first movie role.
Broadway Video
Fey's first appearance on the silver screen was actually in her own 2004 film, Mean Girls.
This is very surprising as I was almost positive she had appeared in Citizen Kane years before.
Fey's highest grossing film.
Fey’s highest grossing film of all time is actually the 2010 animated movie Megamind. The film made 321 million dollars worldwide at the box office.
Who knew Dreamworks' movies made a ton of money!
Big shoes to fill.
CBC Television
Fey says she grew up watching SCTV otherwise known as the Canadian hit sketch show Second City Television. The show featured such greats as Eugene Levy, Martin Short, John Candy and Rick Moranis. However, Fey says Catherine O'Hara became her role model for the rest of her career.
Can we get another Christopher Guest movie where we have some Fey AND O'Hara?
Fey would like to thank the academy.
NBC Universal
During its run, 30 Rock received 112 Emmy nominations in total, making it one of the most successful television series in history in terms of awards.
Do you think Fey's family still says, “Could've been 113?"
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Top Image: NBC Universal
