Tina Fey has emerged from the shadows of Saturday Night Live (SNL) to become one of today's more prominent and respected actors/writers/producers.  The multi-faceted artist credits her work on the career launch pad show for the success she enjoys today.

Currently at the helm both in front of and behind the camera on recent Emmy Award-winner 30 Rock, Fey spent nine seasons as part of the cast and writing staff of SNL.

The 37-year old from Pennsylvania admits to having what she half-jokingly refers to as “a nasty competitive streak.”  She claims that her nine seasons on Saturday Night Live helped sharpen that instinct in her, which has certainly contributed to her 30 Rock vehicle avoiding the fate of another initially critically lauded show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

While Studio 60 started off as a favorite among critics, it eventually fell wayward until it finally ended half a year ago.  Thanks to Fey's inherent genius at humor and her never-say-die attitude developed on SNL, she has managed to keep 30 Rock on the straight and narrow and steered it towards Emmy glory.

“You always learn with her to never underestimate her,” Lorne Michaels, Fey's boss at Saturday Night Live pointed out.  “Anything that can be learned, she's going to learn.  She figured things out quickly.”

“I've never known anything Tina wanted that she didn't get from the day I met her,” SNL's Amy Poehler offered.  “She's always been focused and nobody works harder… maybe a professional ditch digger.”

Amy Poehler was Fey's co-host for “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live as well as her contemporary on the comedy circuit.

“We did a lot of huddling together in the back of the room, making jokes,” Poehler said of their time together.  “We had some pretty bossy broads.  And I mean that with reverence.  We didn't have a lot of wallflowers.  I mean, it would be two women on a team of 10 guys, or it was five staff writers on a staff of 25 [at Saturday Night Live].”


-Rosario Santiago, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: KansasCity.com
(Image Courtesy of CinemaSource)