Amy Poehler Born: Comedy's Future Force Arrives

Amy Poehler rose through the Upright Citizens Brigade improv troupe to anchor Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update desk before creating the role of Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation. Born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1971, she studied improvisational comedy at Chicago's ImprovOlympic and Second City before co-founding the Upright Citizens Brigade, which moved from Chicago to New York and established a training center that became the most influential comedy school in the country. UCB's alumni list reads like a roster of modern comedy: Aziz Ansari, Donald Glover, Kate McKinnon, and dozens of other performers trained there. Poehler joined SNL in 2001 and quickly became the show's strongest female performer since Gilda Radner. Her impression of Hillary Clinton during the 2008 presidential race, performed opposite Tina Fey's Sarah Palin, produced some of the highest-rated SNL segments in the show's history. She left SNL in 2008 to star in Parks and Recreation, where her portrayal of the relentlessly optimistic government employee Leslie Knope became a cultural touchstone for earnest public service. The character's enthusiasm for bureaucracy and unwavering belief in local government resonated during a period of deep political cynicism. The show ran seven seasons and influenced how an entire generation thought about civic engagement. Poehler co-founded the Amy Poehler Smart Girls organization, which produces online content encouraging young women's activism and education. She directed and produced films and television series, including the Netflix show Russian Doll. Her sharp political satire and optimistic comedic style redefined what the female comedy lead could be on American television.