Kristen Wiig is an American actress and comedian born on August 22, 1973 in Canandaigua, New York. Her family first moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when she was three, then to Rochester, New York, where she spent most of her childhood days. She graduated at Brighton High School in 1991, and then took up a degree in art at the University of Arizona. After graduation, Kristen Wiig was first hired as a graphic artist for a plastic surgery clinic to give their clients an idea of how they are going to look like after undergoing surgery, but she left the job to seek an acting career in Los Angeles. While looking for work in Los Angeles, Kristen Wiig supported herself by taking odd jobs and joining the group The Groundlings. Her first acting stint was with The Perks, a show under the Empty Stage Comedy Theatre. Later on she was cast on The Joe Schmo Show, where she took on the character of Dr. Pat, the Quack Marriage Counselor.
Kristen Wiig found fame upon being cast on Saturday Night Live on its 31st season on 2005. After having survived the show’s series of budget cuts, she became a regular member of the show’s repertory cast in 2006, and has since been present on almost each and every episode of the show. Known as Penelope, Gilly, and The Target Lady, Kristen Wiig has earned the laughs confidence of the audiences, making her one of the 25 Funniest Women in Hollywood according to Entertainment Weekly. She also holds the most number of appearances among her cast members in SNL, and is the only regular female member of the show at present. In February 2009, Kristen Wiig appeared in an episode of the show Flight of the Conchords. Aside from acting on TV, she has also appeared on movies such as Meet Bill, Knocked Up and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. She also starred in the films Semi-Pro, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Ghost Town. Kristen Wiig is currently nominated for a Best Supporting Actress award in the Emmys.