Amy Poehler is a renowned American actress and comedian. She is recognized for her performances in sketch comedy, television sitcoms, and comedic films, having received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award from 26 nominations and a Golden Globe Award, along with nominations for a Peabody Award and a Grammy Award.
Early Life & Education
Amy Meredith Poehler was born on September 16, 1971, in Newton, Massachusetts. Her parents, Eileen and William Poehler, were educators.
She has a younger brother named Greg, who works as a producer and actor. Amy spent her childhood in Burlington, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts.
Amy Poehler discovered her passion for acting at the age of 10 when she portrayed Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” during her middle school years.
Throughout high school, she was involved in the drama department, served on the Student Council, and participated as an athlete in both soccer and softball.
After graduating from high school in 1989, she continued her education at Boston College. While in college, Amy joined an improv comedy troupe and completed her degree in 1993.
Amy Poehler’s Career
After being inspired by college improv, Amy Poehler decided to move to Chicago to study at ImprovOlympic, where she met Tina Fey. They toured with Second City before Poehler joined the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB).
In 1996, UCB moved to New York, performing in smaller venues and appearing on ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien.’ Their sketch series on Comedy Central was on air from 1998 to 2000.
Amy Poehler’s significant breakthrough occurred when she was recruited as a featured performer on ‘Saturday Night Live’ (SNL) at the start of the 2001–2002 season.
Tina Fey had spent several years advocating for Poehler’s inclusion on SNL. During her inaugural season, she was elevated to a full cast member. Beginning in the 2004-2005 season, she co-anchored Weekend Update alongside Tina Fey.
The launch of the 2008–2009 SNL season featured Fey and Poehler portraying Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. Poehler collaborated with Seth Meyers to co-write the sketch, in which the two ‘politicians’ discussed sexism in political campaigns. This sketch became the most popular viral video of the year.
During the Weekend Update segment on December 13, 2008, Poehler announced that she would be making her last appearance as an official member of the SNL cast.
In April 2009, the show featured ‘The Best of Amy Poehler,’ and she returned to co-host Weekend Update again in the season finale of the 2008-2009 season.
Amy Poehler’s most popular work includes her role as Leslie Knope in the series “Parks and Recreation,” which successfully ran for 125 episodes from April 2009 until February 2015. Additionally, she co-produced the Swedish-American sitcom “Welcome to Sweden” with her brother, Greg Poehler.
In 2013, Amy Poehler co-hosted the Golden Globe Awards alongside Tina Fey. Her filmography includes titles such as Mean Girls, Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and Shrek the Third.
In 2014, she released her memoir titled Yes, Please!. Poehler co-created and co-hosted the NBC crafting series Making It with Nick Offerman, which debuted in 2018 and was subsequently renewed for a third season.
She made her directorial debut with the Netflix film Wine Country in 2019 and is currently directing the Netflix adaptation of the novel Moxie.
Poehler’s podcast series, Say More with Dr. Sheila, which is scripted and released weekly, was launched on September 21, 2023.
In 2025, it was disclosed that she would be creating a new podcast named Good Hang with Amy Poehler, where she will conduct informal interviews with her comedy peers.
Personal Life
Amy Poehler and Will Arnett first crossed paths in 1996 when he attended one of her improv shows. They began their romantic relationship in 2000 and exchanged vows on August 29, 2003. The couple has two sons: Archie, who was born in October 2008, and Abel, who was born in August 2010.
Throughout their relationship, Poehler and Arnett collaborated on various projects, such as the television series Arrested Development, the 2007 movie Blades of Glory, Horton Hears a Who!, and The Secret World of Arrietty.
In September 2012, they publicly announced their separation, and Arnett initiated divorce proceedings in April 2014. The divorce was officially concluded in 2016.
Amy Poehler was romantically involved with comedian Nick Kroll from 2013 to 2015. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her children and is dating Joel Lovell, who previously worked as an editor for the New York Times.
Net Worth
Amy Poehler is a renowned American actress, comedian, voice artist, producer, and writer with an estimated net worth of $25 million. She is most recognized for her role in the NBC comedy series ‘Parks and Recreation.’ Additionally, she has featured in various films and gained initial fame through her work on ‘Saturday Night Live.’
