Tina Fey is an American comedian, writer, actress, and producer, best known for Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, Mean Girls, and her bestselling memoir Bossypants. Born on May 18, 1970, she is 55 years old and remains one of the most influential comedic voices on American television.
Fey grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, studied drama at the University of Virginia, and moved to Chicago to pursue comedy after graduating in 1992. She trained with The Second City before joining Saturday Night Live as a writer in 1997. Two years later, she became the show’s first female head writer.
Her work since then has extended well beyond late-night comedy, with a bestselling memoir, a string of awards, and several television series to her name.
How Old Is Tina Fey and What Are Her Personal Details?
Tina Fey was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey on May 18, 1970, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, according to her Wikipedia entry. She is 55 years old. The essentials of her biography are easy to summarize.
- Age: 55 (born May 18, 1970)
- Net Worth: Estimated at $75 million
- Spouse: Jeff Richmond (married 2001)
- Famous For: SNL head writer, creator of 30 Rock, author of Bossypants
Several details stand out.
- Fey became SNL’s first female head writer in 1999, a first for the show.
- Bossypants spent five weeks at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.
- She has won nine Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.
- In 2010, she became the youngest-ever recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
- 30 Rock, which she created and starred in, is widely recognized as one of her signature works.
- She has been married to composer and producer Jeff Richmond since 2001.
The core facts, in table form:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Elizabeth Stamatina Fey |
| Birthdate | May 18, 1970 |
| Birthplace | Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
| Education | University of Virginia (BA in Drama) |
| Spouse | Jeff Richmond (m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Net Worth | Estimated at $75 million |
| Notable Works | SNL, 30 Rock, Mean Girls, Bossypants, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt |
| Major Awards | 9 Primetime Emmys, 3 Golden Globes, 5 SAG Awards |
Height is a frequently searched detail. Fey is generally listed at 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m), though a few older references give 5 feet 5 inches.
Who Is Tina Fey Married To? Her Family Life
Tina Fey has been married to Jeff Richmond since 2001. Richmond is a composer, producer, and actor, and the two have worked together for much of her career, according to Biography.com.
Who Is Jeff Richmond?
Jeff Richmond is a composer, producer, and actor who has been a longtime creative collaborator with Fey. The couple keeps its personal life relatively private.
What Is Known About Tina Fey’s Family?
Fey’s parents are Donald Fey and Zenobia “Jeanne” Fey. Beyond her parents, her husband, and her two daughters, published sources offer few additional details about her family.
Tina Fey’s marriage to Jeff Richmond and the couple’s two daughters are confirmed in multiple published sources. Few details beyond those basics are part of the public record.
What Movies and TV Shows Has Tina Fey Starred In?
Fey’s screen career spans more than two decades, from late-night sketch comedy to network sitcoms, film, and streaming television. Her television work is the most thoroughly documented part of her résumé.
Saturday Night Live and Weekend Update
Fey joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 1997 and became the show’s first female head writer in 1999. She later co-anchored the Weekend Update segment alongside Jimmy Fallon.
30 Rock
After leaving SNL in 2006, Fey created, wrote, and starred in 30 Rock, a sitcom inspired by her experiences on the show. She served as creator, executive producer, writer, and star of the series.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Film Work
Fey created and produced Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for Netflix. In film, she is best known for writing and appearing in Mean Girls (2004), which led to the 2024 musical film. Other credits from earlier in her career include Martin & Orloff, Beer League, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. A complete list of her credits is available on IMDb.
Fey’s television work has been recognized with nine Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, according to her Television Academy biography. She received the Mark Twain Prize in 2010 as the youngest honoree in its history.
30 Rock is widely recognized as one of Tina Fey’s signature works, alongside her time on Saturday Night Live. The series drew directly on her years writing and performing on SNL.
What Is Tina Fey’s Net Worth?
Published estimates place Tina Fey’s net worth at roughly $75 million. The figure is an approximation; Fey’s finances are private, and most sources stress that exact numbers are not publicly available.
Her income has come from writing, producing, and acting across Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and streaming projects. Specific salary figures for individual shows have not been made public.
Net worth figures for Tina Fey are estimates rather than official accounts. Most sources suggest a figure near $75 million, yet her personal finances and investments are not publicly disclosed.
What Is Tina Fey’s Book ‘Bossypants’ About?
Bossypants is Tina Fey’s memoir, released in 2011. It became a New York Times bestseller, spending five weeks at number one, and earned a Grammy nomination, according to her Amazon author page.
The book also contains one of her most quoted lines: “Bitches get stuff done.”
Where Did Tina Fey Study and How Did She Start Her Career?
Fey studied drama at the University of Virginia and graduated in 1992. She then moved to Chicago, where she trained and performed with The Second City.
A Chicago Comedy Education
At The Second City, Fey developed the improv and writing skills that would lead to Saturday Night Live. Those years in Chicago prepared her for the jump to late-night television.
The Step to Saturday Night Live
In 1997, her work in Chicago led to a writing job on Saturday Night Live. Two years later, she was named the show’s first female head writer.
How Did Tina Fey’s Career Develop Over Time?
The following milestones are drawn from published biographical profiles of Fey.
- – Born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
- – Graduated from the University of Virginia and moved to Chicago.
- – Joined The Second City comedy troupe.
- – Joined Saturday Night Live as a writer.
- – Became SNL’s first female head writer.
- – Married composer Jeff Richmond.
- – Left SNL; 30 Rock premiered on NBC.
- – Published Bossypants.
- – Created Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for Netflix.
- – The Mean Girls musical film was released.
What Is Known About Tina Fey and What Remains Unclear?
Most biographical facts about Fey are firmly established. Some details, especially around money and physical measurements, come with a degree of variation across sources.
| Established information | Information that remains unclear |
|---|---|
| Born May 18, 1970, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. | Net worth estimates vary, with most sources suggesting roughly $75 million; the exact figure is not known. |
| Married to Jeff Richmond since 2001; the couple has two daughters. | Height is usually given as 5 ft 4 in, though some older sources list 5 ft 5 in. |
| Served as SNL head writer from 1999 to 2006. | Details about her personal finances and investments have not been disclosed. |
| Bossypants was published in 2011 and became a #1 bestseller. | Exact earnings from individual television or film projects are private. |
How Did Tina Fey Change Modern Comedy?
Tina Fey’s place in comedy history is tied to a simple fact: before 1999, Saturday Night Live had never had a female head writer. Her tenure changed expectations about who could run a late-night comedy room.
With 30 Rock, Fey turned her own backstage experience into a critically acclaimed sitcom. The show’s success reinforced her reputation as a writer who could build a series around her own voice.
Her influence has extended beyond the writers’ room. Mean Girls became a cultural reference point, and Bossypants brought her humor to a reading audience. Her early career, from Second City to SNL, is the subject of a PBS Pioneers of Television profile.
Fey continues to produce and act. Recent projects include the 2024 Mean Girls musical film and the Netflix series Girls5Eva, whose third season is in development, along with a new comedy series for NBC in the works with longtime collaborator Robert Carlock.
Her path from improv stages to network television is one of several routes comedians have taken to long-running careers. A different route into long-running comedy is traced in Richard Herring – Biography, Career, and Personal Life.
What Have Tina Fey and Others Said About Her Work?
“Bitches get stuff done.”
Tina Fey, from her book Bossypants (2011)
“Tina Fey is a brilliant writer and performer who changed the face of comedy.”
Lorne Michaels, quoted in Britannica
What Makes Tina Fey’s Career Worth Remembering?
Tina Fey built one of the most versatile careers in American comedy: writer, performer, producer, and author. From her history-making run as SNL’s first female head writer to 30 Rock, Mean Girls, and Bossypants, she has left a lasting mark on the medium. With new projects still in development, the story continues. The career of John Bishop – From Football to Comedy Stardom shows a very different path into comedy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tina Fey
What is Tina Fey’s real name?
Elizabeth Stamatina Fey. She was born on May 18, 1970, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
Did Tina Fey attend college?
Yes. Fey studied drama at the University of Virginia and graduated in 1992 before moving to Chicago to pursue comedy.
How many Emmys has Tina Fey won?
Tina Fey has won nine Primetime Emmy Awards, along with Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
What is Tina Fey’s most famous movie?
She is best known for writing and appearing in Mean Girls (2004), which later inspired the 2024 Mean Girls musical film.
Is Tina Fey still married?
Yes. She has been married to composer, producer, and actor Jeff Richmond since 2001.
Does Tina Fey have children?
Yes. Fey and Jeff Richmond have two daughters. The family maintains a relatively private life.
How tall is Tina Fey?
Tina Fey is 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall, though some older sources list 5 feet 5 inches.
When did Tina Fey start on SNL?
Fey joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 1997 and became SNL’s first female head writer in 1999.
Margaret Ellison is Editor-in-Chief at RegionalReport.co.uk, overseeing editorial policy, corrections, standards and publication decisions. She writes occasional leader columns and major regional news stories.