Kristen Wiig

Kristen Wiig was born on August 22, 1973, in Canandaigua, New York, and spent part of her childhood in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, before her family moved to Rochester, New York. She attended the University of Arizona, initially studying art, but left before graduating and relocated to Los Angeles. There she joined the comedy troupe the Groundlings, where her character work and improvisation led to a major television opportunity. Wiig became a cast member of Saturday Night Live in 2005 and remained on the program through 2012. During those seven seasons, she created or popularized recurring figures including Target employee Gilly, the excitable surprise-party host Sue, singer Dooneese Maharelle, and the self-help enthusiast Penelope. Her SNL work brought four Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2009, Entertainment Weekly named her one of its 25 Funniest Women in Hollywood. Her best-known film as a writer and leading performer is Bridesmaids, the 2011 comedy directed by Paul Feig. Wiig and Annie Mumolo wrote the screenplay, which follows Annie Walker as the maid of honor for her friend Lillian, whose wedding preparations turn into a rivalry with affluent bridesmaid Helen. The film earned Wiig and Mumolo an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Melissa McCarthy received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role as Megan. Wiig's other screen credits include Adventureland, Paul, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Skeleton Twins, The Martian, Ghostbusters, Downsizing, Wonder Woman 1984, and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. In The Skeleton Twins, she played Maggie Dean opposite Bill Hader's Milo; the siblings reunite after Milo's suicide attempt. At the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Wiig and Hader received the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting for their performances. In 2020, she co-wrote Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar with Mumolo and played Barb, one of two longtime friends who leave their small Midwestern town for a Florida vacation. She also portrayed the villain Cheetah, Barbara Minerva, in Wonder Woman 1984. On television, Wiig played the title role in the 2024 Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, adapted from Juliet McDaniel's novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie. Her notable voice performances include Gru's mother Lucy Wilde in the Despicable Me franchise and Ruffnut in the How to Train Your Dragon films. She later married actor Avi Rothman in 2021.