Who Is Amy Poehler?
Amy Poehler is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer and podcaster. She is best known as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation. She spent eight years on Saturday Night Live and now hosts the Good Hang podcast. Her new series Dig arrives on Peacock on 23 November 2026.
Poehler turned 55 in September 2026, and she shows no sign of slowing down. In October, she picked up the Comedy Innovator Award in New York. Her podcast keeps drawing big names. This profile follows her path from a Boston childhood to the top of American comedy.
If you have ever asked who is Amy Poehler, this guide gives you the full story. It covers her improv roots, her SNL years and her Parks and Recreation fame. It also looks at her films, her producing work and her family life. By the end, you will know why she still shapes comedy today.
What Matters Most
- Amy Poehler, born 16 September 1971 in Newton, Massachusetts, is 55.
- She spent 2001 to 2008 on Saturday Night Live and co-anchored Weekend Update.
- She played Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation from 2009 to 2015. She won a Golden Globe for the role.
- She voices Joy in Inside Out and co-created the Upright Citizens Brigade.
- Her Good Hang podcast won the first Golden Globe for Best Podcast in 2026.
- Her new series Dig premieres on Peacock on 23 November 2026.
- In short, who is Amy Poehler? A Boston improv comic who became one of comedy’s most trusted names.
Early Life in Massachusetts
Amy Meredith Poehler was born on 16 September 1971 in Newton, Massachusetts. Her parents, Eileen and William Poehler, both taught at high school. She grew up in nearby Burlington, a blue-collar town outside Boston. Her younger brother Greg also works in comedy as a producer and actor.
School plays gave her the first taste of the stage. At ten, she played Dorothy in her school production of The Wizard of Oz. The role lit a spark that never went out. She kept acting through Burlington High School and left in 1989.
Boston College came next, where she studied media and communications. She joined the improv troupe My Mother’s Fleabag and found her calling. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1993.
Improv Roots: Second City and the Upright Citizens Brigade
After college, Poehler moved to Chicago to study improv. She trained at Second City and ImprovOlympic, learning from the teacher Del Close. There she met Tina Fey, a friend who would shape her career.
Poehler joined the Upright Citizens Brigade in 1995 as a replacement for Adam McKay. The group moved to New York City in 1996 with four core members. Their live shows grew into a Comedy Central series in 1998. The four founders also opened the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York.
The theatre taught improv to thousands of students each year. By 2011, it ran two New York venues and one in Los Angeles. Poehler and her partners are credited with bringing long-form improv to New York.
Saturday Night Live and Weekend Update
Amy Poehler joined Saturday Night Live in 2001 and stayed for eight seasons. She co-anchored Weekend Update with Tina Fey from 2004, the first female duo in that chair. Her best-known characters were Kaitlyn, Amber and Betty Caruso. She left the show in December 2008 after the birth of her first son.
Tina Fey had tried to recruit her for years before she joined. Poehler made her debut in the first episode after the 9/11 attacks. She moved from featured player to full cast member in her first season. She was the first woman to earn that promotion so fast.
In 2008, she and Fey played Clinton and Sarah Palin in a sketch that went viral. The pair later won an Emmy for guest hosting the show together. Poehler returned to host SNL on 11 October 2025. It was fifty years to the day after its first episode.
Leslie Knope and Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation premiered on NBC on 9 April 2009. Poehler played Leslie Knope, deputy director of the Parks Department in Pawnee, Indiana. The cast included Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Nick Offerman and Rashida Jones. The show ran for seven seasons and ended on 24 February 2015.
New viewers who ask who is Amy Poehler often meet her first as Leslie Knope. A second-season episode created Galentine’s Day, a celebration of female friendship on 13 February. The made-up holiday now gets marked in real life each year.
The show also won a Peabody Award in 2011 for its warm view of democracy. Poehler won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Comedy in 2014. She wrote several episodes and directed three, including the finale. She co-wrote the last episode, One Last Ride, with Michael Schur.
Films and Voice Roles
Poehler’s film break came with Mean Girls in 2004, written by Tina Fey. She played Regina George’s “cool mom”, a role Fey wrote with her in mind. The film took $129 million at the box office worldwide. She later reunited with Fey in Baby Mama, Sisters and Wine Country.
She voices Joy, the lead emotion in Pixar’s Inside Out from 2015. The film took $857 million worldwide and won praise from critics. She returned as Joy in Inside Out 2, released on 14 June 2024.
Her other film credits include Blades of Glory, Horton Hears a Who and Monsters vs Aliens. She also wrote the book Yes Please, published in 2014. The audiobook earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album.
Producing, Directing and Paper Kite
Poehler set up her own production company, Paper Kite Productions, in 2001. Its staff was all female as of 2019, a rare setup in Hollywood. It also produced her podcast Good Hang with The Ringer.
As a producer, she backed Broad City, Difficult People and Russian Doll. She co-created Russian Doll with Natasha Lyonne and Leslye Headland. The Netflix series premiered on 1 February 2019 to strong reviews. She also co-created The Mighty B, her Nickelodeon cartoon from 2008.
Her directing work began with Wine Country on Netflix in 2019. She then directed Moxie in 2021 and the documentary Lucy and Desi in 2022. The film earned six Emmy nominations and won two.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Joins the Upright Citizens Brigade in Chicago |
| 2001 | Joins Saturday Night Live and founds Paper Kite Productions |
| 2004 | Plays Mrs George in Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey |
| 2009 | Parks and Recreation premieres on NBC |
| 2014 | Wins the Golden Globe for Best Actress as Leslie Knope |
| 2015 | Voices Joy in Pixar’s Inside Out |
| 2019 | Co-creates Russian Doll for Netflix |
| 2025 | Launches the Good Hang podcast |
| 2026 | Dig premieres on Peacock on 23 November |
Good Hang, Dig and 2026
Poehler’s podcast Good Hang premiered on 18 March 2025. It is made by Spotify’s The Ringer and her own Paper Kite Productions. The show won the first Golden Globe Award for Best Podcast in 2026. People who ask who is Amy Poehler today often find her first through this show.
In October 2026, she told People that Paul McCartney left her the most starstruck. She had interviewed the former Beatle on the 13 October episode. The same month, she received the Comedy Innovator Award in New York.
Her next screen role is Dig, a series she co-created with Michael Schur. It is based on the 2023 novel Excavations and premieres on Peacock on 23 November 2026. Poehler plays a woman who joins an archaeological dig. Hugh Laurie and Geraldine Viswanathan also star in the show.
Family Life
Poehler married Canadian actor Will Arnett on 29 August 2003. They met in 1996, when he saw one of her performances. The pair worked together on Arrested Development and Blades of Glory.
They announced their separation in September 2012. Arnett filed for divorce in April 2014, and the split was finalised in July 2016. They have two sons. Archie was born on 25 October 2008, and Abel followed on 6 August 2010.
Why Amy Poehler Still Leads Comedy
Poehler’s career runs from Chicago improv rooms to the biggest stages in comedy. She built her name on live performance, then carried it into TV, film and podcasting. Her work as a producer opened doors for other women in comedy. Few comics have matched her range across so many formats.
Her story shows the value of starting small and staying curious. Improv taught her to listen, to react and to trust the room. Those same skills power her podcast and her new drama series. Readers who ask who is Amy Poehler can start with Parks and Recreation or Good Hang.
More profiles in this series cover Nara Smith and Savannah Guthrie. Sally Field also has a profile here, written in the same style. The series sits under our celebrity profiles. Start with how to become famous for the wider picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Amy Poehler?
Amy Poehler is 55. She was born on 16 September 1971 in Newton, Massachusetts. She turned 55 in September 2026. Her Good Hang podcast won a Golden Globe that same year.
What is Amy Poehler best known for?
Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation is her best-known role. She spent eight years on Saturday Night Live and co-anchored Weekend Update. Many fans also know her as Joy in Inside Out. Her podcast Good Hang keeps her in the news today.
Is Amy Poehler still on Saturday Night Live?
No, she left the main cast in December 2008. She still returns for guest spots and special shows. She hosted the show on 11 October 2025, fifty years after its first episode. She also co-hosted Weekend Update at the 50th Anniversary Special in 2025.
What is Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast?
Good Hang is her interview podcast, launched on 18 March 2025. It is made by Spotify’s The Ringer and her company Paper Kite. She talks with comedy friends in a relaxed, low-key style. The show won the first Golden Globe Award for Best Podcast.
What is Amy Poehler’s new show Dig?
Dig is a Peacock series Poehler co-created with Michael Schur. It is based on the 2023 novel Excavations and premieres on 23 November 2026. Her character signs up for an archaeological dig. Hugh Laurie and Geraldine Viswanathan also star.
