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{{Short description|American actress}}{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}

factoids

19848}}| birth_place = Springfield, Illinois, U.S.California Institute of the Arts (Bachelor of Fine Arts>BFA)| years_active = 2012–present| occupation = Actress, comedian| spouse = | known_for = Saturday Night Live (2012–2022)Schmigadoon! (2021–2023)}}Cecily Legler Strong (born February 8, 1984)WEB,weblink New SNL Comedian has shallow Springfield roots, The State Journal-Register, Springfield, Illinois, Chris, Dettro, October 5, 2013, January 19, 2013, Strong's father, Bill Strong, was the Associated Press bureau chief at the Statehouse when Cecily was born in February 1984., November 3, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141103123230weblink">weblink live, TWEET, 299955455151718400, Happy Birthday Cecily Strong!! So glad we get to spend the day w/ her and a bunch of snow and @justinbieber! tinyurl.com/apxz6pn #SNL #Fun, Night Live – SNL, nbcsnl, February 8, 2013, March 8, 2019, is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2022.NEWS, Metz, Nina, Aidy Bryant, Tim Robinson, Cecily Strong join cast of 'SNL',weblink Chicago Tribune, September 10, 2012, December 18, 2022, She is the longest-tenured female cast member in the show's history.WEB, Schneider, Michael, Cecily Strong and Ego Nwodim on Knowing When to Leave 'SNL' and Learning Not to Take Anything Personal,weblink Variety, June 20, 2023, 7 July 2023, Strong has a starring role in the Apple TV+ musical comedy series Schmigadoon! (2021–2023), which she also co-produced. Her other roles include voice work on The Awesomes (2013–2015), supporting roles in films like Ghostbusters, The Meddler, and The Female Brain. She hosted the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2015. Her first book, the memoir This Will All Be Over Soon, was published in 2021.For her work on Saturday Night Live, Strong was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 72nd and 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Early life

Strong was born in Springfield, Illinois, and was raised in Oak Park, an inner ring suburb of Chicago.WEB,weblink Cecily Strong to co-anchor SNL's 'Weekend Update', Sj-r.com, September 16, 2013, October 5, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131007011043weblink">weblink October 7, 2013, She is the daughter of Penelope and William "Bill" Strong, who worked as an Associated Press bureau chief and as of 2013 ran his own public relations firm. Penny Legler Strong is a nurse practitioner, having worked extensively at area hospitals. Strong's parents are divorced. Strong grew up adoring SNL as a child, reenacting sketches with her friendWEB,weblink Cecily Strong Is Being Serious, The New York Times, February 7, 2014, November 3, 2014, and watching old SNL commercials on VHS. "I had a tape of the best commercials, and I wore it out, every day." She has stated that she was inspired by Phil Hartman.VIDEO,weblink Cecily Strong – Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, February 19, 2013, In a 2021 interview with Terry Gross on the National Public Radio program Fresh Air, Strong said that because her uncle is a Broadway producer, as a child she often was able to attend Broadway shows and sometimes go back stage to meet their casts.WEB,weblink Cecily Strong On 'SNL,' 'Schmigadoon!' And Coping In The Early Days Of The Pandemic, NPR, August 9, 2021, Terry, Gross, August 11, 2021, She attended Oak Park and River Forest High School until her sophomore year, when she was expelled for bringing marijuana to school. She then attended a private Catholic school until transferring for her senior year to the Chicago Academy for the Arts, where she graduated in 2002.WEB,weblink Episode 1161: Cecily Strong, WTF with Mark Maron, September 28, 2020, August 9, 2021, She then studied acting at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), graduating in 2006 with a BFA in theatre.WEB,weblink CalArts Grad Cecily Strong Added to Cast of 'SNL', December 11, 2012, SCV News, October 5, 2013, WEB, Cast Bios,weblink Cecily Strong, NBC, September 12, 2012, WEB,weblink Meet Saturday Night Live's New "Weekend Update" Anchor Cecily Strong, TV Guide, November 8, 2013, Bruce, Fretts, November 3, 2014, After graduating, Strong returned to Chicago where she studied at the Second City Conservatory and iO Chicago.

Career

Strong performed regularly at The Second City and iO Chicago.WEB,weblink Interview: 'SNL' star Cecily Strong returns home amid dream year, Chicago Tribune, June 14, 2013, Luis, Gomez, November 3, 2014, Strong performed on a cruise ship with other Second City members for four months.WEB,weblink Cecily Strong Shares the Secret to Her Saturday Night Live Success, John, Heilpern, Vanity Fair (magazine), Vanity Fair, January 18, 2016, She appeared at the Chicago Sketch Fest, Chicago Just for Laughs, the New York Sketchfest, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Goodman Theater, the Bailiwick Theater, the Mercury Theater, and with the all-female improv troupe Virgin Daiquiri.WEB,weblink Cecily Strong, Tumblr, October 3, 2012,

Saturday Night Live

Strong debuted as a featured player on Saturday Night Live on September 15, 2012.NEWS, Levin, Gary, 'Saturday Night Live' adds three new cast members,weblink USA Today, September 10, 2012, NEWS, 'Saturday Night Live' adds 3 performers for upcoming season after departures of Wiig, Samberg,weblinkweblink dead, March 27, 2019, The Washington Post (The Associated Press), September 10, 2012, The next season, Strong became a repertory player and co-anchored the recurring Weekend Update segment with Seth Meyers, beginning with the season 39 premiere. Strong later co-anchored with Colin Jost,WEB,weblink Cecily Strong and Colin Jost Are Newest 'Weekend Update' Anchors on 'Saturday Night Live', The Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2014, Richard, Morgan, November 3, 2014, and was replaced on Weekend Update with writer Michael Che, beginning with the season 40 premiere in September 2014, partly at her own request to focus on doing sketches as a part of the regular cast.NEWS, New Comic to Anchor 'Update' on 'S.N.L.', Carter, Bill, September 11, 2014, November 4, 2022,weblink The New York Times, In 2020, Strong was nominated for her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on the show.WEB, Cecily Strong,weblink October 22, 2020, Television Academy, en, She was nominated again in 2021.WEB,weblink Cecily Strong, Emmys.com, Television Academy, July 14, 2021, She was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 12th Critics' Choice Television Awards.WEB, Television Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards,weblink Critics Choice, December 7, 2021, Strong drew praise from abortion-rights supporters, and strong backlash from abortion opponents, after appearing in a comedy skit, "Goober the Clown Who Had An Abortion When She Was 23," during a Weekend Update sketch on the November 6, 2021, episode.NEWS, 'SNL,' often lamented by critics, draws rave reviews thanks to Cecily Strong,weblinkweblink November 8, 2021, live, CNN, November 8, 2021, The sketch followed U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in two cases relating to the Texas Heartbeat Act.NEWS, Cecily Strong's 'clown abortion' SNL sketch prompts women to share their stories,weblinkweblink November 8, 2021, live, NBC "Today", November 8, 2021, Strong later confirmed on her Instagram account that the sketch referenced her own abortion.NEWS, Cecily Strong thanks 'SNL' cast after personal clown sketch about abortion,weblinkweblink November 11, 2021, live, USA Today, November 12, 2021, Strong followed up on the commentary a year later, during a Weekend Update sketch on the November 5, 2022, episode, appearing as "Tammy the Trucker on Gas Prices and Definitely Not Abortion" before the 2022 midterm elections.Strong returned to SNL for season 48, and passed former castmate Kate McKinnon as the longest-running female cast member in the show's history,WEB, Saturday Night Live - NBC.com,weblink 2023-04-10, NBC, en-US, though she missed the first three shows of the season reprising her role in the play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe in Los Angeles.NEWS, Fear not, Cecily Strong fans: She hasn't left 'SNL',weblink Darel Jevens, Chicago Sun-Times, October 1, 2022, She returned on the October 29, 2022, episode.WEB,weblink Cecily Strong Returns to 'Saturday Night Live' — See Her on Set of Season 48 (PHOTO), Meghan, Darwish, TV Insider, October 27, 2022, October 27, 2022, Strong passed McKinnon's record with the December 17, 2022, episode,WEB,weblink SNL: Steve Martin and Martin Short, Austin Butler to Host in December, Keisha, Hatchett, TVLine, November 29, 2022, November 29, 2022, her last.WEB, Tinoco, Armando, Cecily Strong Leaving 'SNL' After 11 Seasons,weblink Deadline, December 17, 2022, December 17, 2022,

Recurring characters

• The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party, an unintelligent, unnamed pseudo-activist,WEB,weblink Questions for Saturday Night Live's Cecily Strong, Chicago Magazine, February 20, 2013, Elly, Fishman, November 3, 2014,
• Dana, a loud-mouthed, unfriendly retail employee who along with Niff (played by Bobby Moynihan) always insults her coworkers out of fear of being fired,
• Donna Fingerneck, The Art of the Encounter and Women in the Workplace co-host with Jodi Cork (played by Kate McKinnon),
• Heather, a one-dimensional female character from a male-driven comedy,
• Kyra, co-host of The Girlfriends Talk Show, alongside Morgan (played by Aidy Bryant),
• Cathy Anne, the drug-addicted neighbor of Michael Che (usually introduced by Che as "the woman who's always yelling outside my window"), who has strong opinions on current events,
• An unnamed blond former porn star-turned-model/commercial actress who hawks elegant items alongside Brecky (played by Vanessa Bayer),
• Gemma, an aspiring British singer with various boyfriends,
• Gracelynn Chisholm, co-host of morning show Right Side of the Bed with her husband Cory (played by Taran Killam),
• Joelle LaRue, one of the two French animal-based video clip show presenters, alongside Noelle LeSoup (played by Kate McKinnon),
• Lonnie, one of the two unintelligent kids (the other being Josh, played by Mikey Day) in the Science Room sketches.MAGAZINE, Hoglund, Andy, January 26, 2020, Saturday Night Live recap: A 'very chill' Adam Driver goes to hell and back (and, yes, Kylo Ren appears),weblink January 19, 2021, Entertainment Weekly, en-us, WEB, Perkins, Dennis, January 26, 2020, Third time's the winner, as Saturday Night Live finally takes advantage of Adam Driver,weblink January 19, 2021, The A.V. Club, en-us,

Celebrity impressions

• Christina Aguilera
• Rachel Brosnahan
• Rosie Perez
• Marion Cotillard
• Fergie
• Paula Broadwell
• Olivia Colman
• Rachel Maddow
• Michelle Rodriguez

Other work

Strong was the featured entertainer at the 2015 White House Correspondents' Association dinner.{{Citation|last=C-SPAN|title=Cecily Strong complete remarks at 2015 White House Correspondents' Dinner (C-SPAN)|date=April 25, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH5XAeKdrjM|access-date=February 12, 2017}} She took digs at the various news organizations in attendance, politicians of all persuasions, and President Obama. She also took shots at the U.S. Secret Service, host location the Washington Hilton, Brian Williams, Sarah Koenig and the state of Indiana.Cecily Strong's harshest burns in her White House correspondents' dinner speech, The Washington Post, April 26, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015In 2016, she appeared in a commercial for Old Navy,WEB,weblink Old Navy enlists SNL alums to improvise series of online spots, Campaign Live, August 20, 2016, alongside other SNL cast members Nasim Pedrad and Jay Pharoah. That year, Strong also joined the climate change documentary show Years of Living Dangerously as a celebrity correspondent.WEB,weblink David Letterman Will Explore Climate Change For National Geographic Docu-Series, September 17, 2015, Variety, June 17, 2016, In 2016, she guest starred as Samantha Stevens in TBS's Angie Tribeca and Catherine Hobart in Fox's Scream Queens. She has appeared in a series of commercials for Triscuit since 2017. Starting in 2020 she starred in a series of Prego Spaghetti sauce commercials and in 2022 she was in several Verizon commercials featuring Apple+ TV with several co-stars including Adam Scott and Julian Edelman.Her first book, a memoir titled This Will All Be Over Soon, was published on August 10, 2021.NEWS, Itzkoff, Dave, August 4, 2021, Cecily Strong Is Starting a New Conversation, en-US, The New York Times,weblink August 10, 2021, 0362-4331, INSTAGRAM, cecilystrong, CKXhggjBCuQ, I'm excited and nervous and happy and overwhelmed and all the things to share a project I've been working on – my first book #ThisWillAllBeOverSoon . I didn't plan on writing a book this year and certainly didn't think this would be the book I would first write. But I'm so glad I did and I'm so lucky to have had people in my life to inspire it. It's out on 8.10.2021, but you can learn more and pre-order a copy here:weblink January 23, 2021, The book addresses "the challenges of beginning in a relationship during the pandemic; the pain of losing family and friends; the pivotal events of her life that shaped her; and the importance of gratitude for each passing day."WEB, Cecily Strong: This Will All Be Over Soon with Chanel Miller,weblink August 10, 2021, Semicolon Bookstore, en-US, August 10, 2021,weblink dead, It developed from an essay she wrote about grieving the loss of her cousin Owen to brain cancer in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that was first published on Vulture.com in 2020.WEB, Strong, Cecily, April 21, 2020, I Don't Know How to Tell This Story,weblink August 10, 2021, Vulture, en-us, BOOK, This Will All Be Over Soon, August 10, 2021,weblink Simon & Schuster, 9781982168315, March 13, 2021, In 2021, Strong appeared in HBO Max's six-part comedy series That Damn Michael Che, featuring SNL castmate Michael Che.WEB, Petski, Denise, 'That Damn Michael Che': HBO Max Unveils First-Look At 'SNL' Star's Sketch Show — Watch,weblink Deadline, April 20, 2021, The same year, she starred in, and was a producer for, Schmigadoon!, a musical parody series on Apple TV+. Developed by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, and produced by SNL's Lorne Michaels, the series centers around a couple (played by Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) stuck in a 1940s studio musical town until they find "true love".WEB, Rickwald, Bethany, July 12, 2021, Get a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Schmigadoon!, Starring Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key,weblink August 10, 2021, Playbill, MAGAZINE, Sepinwall, Alan, July 12, 2021, 'Schmigadoon!': Musical Parody Miniseries Brings That Old Song and Dance Back to Life,weblink August 10, 2021, Rolling Stone, Strong made her New York stage debut in an Off Broadway revival of Jane Wagner's one-woman play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, which starred Lily Tomlin in 1985.WEB, Evans, Greg, Cecily Strong Sets New York Stage Debut In Revival Of Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Solo Show 'The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe',weblink Deadline, October 12, 2021, October 17, 2021, Directed by Leigh Silverman, the show opened at The Shed on January 11, 2022.WEB, Take a 1st Look at Cecily Strong in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Off-Broadway,weblink Franklin, Marc J., January 5, 2022, January 20, 2022, Playbill, en, NEWS, Green, Jesse, January 12, 2022, 'Intelligent Life' Review: Cecily Strong's 'Awerobics' Workout, en-US, The New York Times,weblink January 20, 2022, 0362-4331, It was then announced in December 2023, then Strong would co-star in the off Broadway play Brooklyn Laundry, which opened at the New York Center on February 28, 2024.WEB,weblink Cecily Strong, David Zayas to star in 'Brooklyn Laundry' off Broadway, December 19, 2023,

Filmography

Film{| class"wikitable"

! Year || Title || Role || Other notes 2012 How to Sponsor a Uterus Karen Rigsby Short film 2015 ''The Bronze (film)'' >| 2015 ''Slow Learners (2015 film)'' >| 2015 The Meddler Jillian 2015 Staten Island Summer Mary Ellen 2016 ''The Boss (2016 film)Mike Fleming Jr. "Cecily Strong Joins Melissa McCarthy Comedy 'Michelle Darnell'", Deadline Hollywood'', April 28, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015 >| 2016 ''Ghostbusters (2016 film)'' >| 2018 ''The Female Brain (film)'' >| 2022 Sparring Partner Woman Short film 2023 ''Leo (2023 American film)'' >| 2024 The Garfield Movie Marge (voice) Post production">

Television{| class"wikitable"

! Year || Title || Role || Other notes 2012–2022 Saturday Night Live Herself, Various 213 episodes 2012 Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday Various 2 episodes 2013–2015 The Awesomes Various Voices 13 episodes 2015 ''White House Correspondents' Association#White House Correspondents' dinner'' >| Featured entertainer 2016 Angie Tribeca Samantha Stevens Episode: "Tribeca's Day Off" 2016 Years of Living Dangerously Herself Episode: "A Race Against Time" 2016 (Netflix Presents: The Characters) Herself Episode: "Natasha Rothwell" 2016 ''Superstore (TV series)'' >| Episode: "Olympics" 2016 Maya & Marty Various Episode: "Ricky Gervais and Cecily Strong" 2016 ''Scream Queens (2015 TV series)'' >Scream Again (Scream Queens)>Scream Again" 2017 Man Seeking Woman CCN Reporter Episode: "Horse" 2017 ''Detroiters (TV series)'' >| Episode: "Dream Cruise" 2017 ''Great News (TV series)'' >| Episode: "Night of the Living Screen" 2018 The Simpsons Megan Matheson (voice) Episode: "Homer Is Where the Art Isn't" 2018 Nature Cat Petunia (voice) Episode: "Garden Impossible" 2019 RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Herself (guest judge) Episode: "Roast in Peace" 2019 I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson Brenda Episode: "It's the Cigars You Smoke That Is Going to Give You Cancer" 2020 Loafy Becca Main cast 2021 That Damn Michael Che Woman in elevator Episode: "Policin'" 2021–2023 Schmigadoon! Melissa Gimble Main cast; also producer 2024 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Ginger (voice) Episode: "Medicaid"

Personal life

In March 2024, Strong revealed that she is engaged to her partner Jackweblink

Awards and nominations{| class"wikitable"|+

!Year!Award!Category!Title!Result!Notes2022|Drama League Awards|Distinguished Performance Award|The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe|{{Nom}}URL=HTTPS://DRAMALEAGUE.ORG/2022AWARDS/, 2021|Critics' Choice Television AwardsCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series>Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesSaturday Night Live|{{Nom}}|Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series|{{Nom}}|2020|{{Nom}}|Online Film & TelevisionAssociation AwardsBest Female Performancein a Variety Program|{{Nom}}ACCESS-DATE=JULY 17, 2021, IMDb, |2019|{{Nom}}||2014|Online Film & TelevisionAssociation Awards|Best Female Performancein a Fiction Program|{{Nom}}|

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

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• {{IMDb name|5198446}}
• {{Instagram|cecilystrong}}
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20220526153441weblink">Official SNL cast biography

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