Tina Fey

Nominations:

• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - 30 Rock
• Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Saturday Night Live

A graduate of the University of Virginia and alumni of Chicago’s famed Second City improv troupe, fashionably bespectacled writer-comedienne Tina Fey proved, once and for all, that a brainy woman could be sexy. A popular crush among political junkies, cultural literates, and highbrow frat boys across America, this proud, self-described “supernerd” first came onto the scene, first, as a writer and later, as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 1975- ), where she shown brightly as the sarcastic Weekend Update co-anchor to Jimmy Fallon, and later, to Amy Poehler. After proving her mettle as big screen scribe of the hit Lindsay Lohan flick, “Mean Girls” (2004), Fey spread her wings and left the “S.N.L.” nest to write and star in the hit NBC sitcom, “30 Rock” (2006- ). Based on her experiences at “Saturday Night Live,” “30 Rock” received the official blessing of Lorne Michaels, who served as an executive producer. Fey served as both star and head writer/producer for a show that also starred big shot movie star and favorite “SNL” host, Alec Baldwin. By the end of 2006, “30 Rock” topped several publications’ "year’s best" lists. On Sept. 16, 2007, “30 Rock” executive producer-creator-star Fey received the ultimate vindication for a rocky, albeit ultimately successful year: an Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series. And for her acting talents – which she herself felt insecure about – she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series in early 2008, as well as the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series later that same year. Before the third season of “30 Rock” began in October 2008, Fey made a triumphant return to “SNL” to play Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, with whom she shared a striking resemblance. Fey first appeared as Palin next to Amy Poehler (who played Hillary Clinton), then returned for subsequent episodes during the remainder of the campaign; most notably when Palin herself made an appearance two weeks before the election and when presidential candidate John McCain showed up the following week. The day after the election, Fey confirmed that she was retiring from playing Sarah Palin in order to focus on “30 Rock,” which earned Fey her second consecutive Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series. A couple of weeks later, Fey won a Screen Actors Guild award for outstanding actress in a comedy.