Ana Gasteyer
A master impressionist and character comedian who finds the hilarious, specific truth in suburbanites and office drones.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American actress and comedian·Birthday: May 4·Generation X
Biography
Ana Gasteyer built a comedy career on the bedrock of impeccable timing and sharply observed character work. Her six-year tenure on 'Saturday Night Live' was less about breaking the fourth wall and more about fully inhabiting a gallery of brilliantly mundane figures, from the intensely earnest folk singer Bobbi Mohan-Culp to the delusional middle school music teacher, creating moments that were both absurd and strangely relatable. After SNL, she seamlessly transitioned into a character actress of remarkable range, often playing women vibrating with suppressed ambition or eccentricity. Whether as the hilariously overbearing neighbor Sheila on 'Suburgatory' or the inept corporate executive on 'American Auto,' Gasteyer locates the flawed, funny heart of every role. Beyond screen comedy, she is also a formidable singer, leading her own holiday specials and cabaret shows that blend wit with vocal prowess, proving her talents extend far beyond the sketch comedy stage.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ana was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ana Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Ana's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was a featured cast member on 'Saturday Night Live' for six seasons, creating several iconic recurring characters.
- Starred as Sheila Shay, a central character, on the ABC sitcom 'Suburgatory' for three seasons.
- Played the lead role of Katherine Hastings on the NBC workplace comedy 'American Auto.'
- Released a well-received holiday album, 'Sugar & Booze,' featuring classic songs and original comedy tunes.
Did You Know?
She is a classically trained mezzo-soprano and studied voice at New York University.
Gasteyer is a distant relative of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
She played the Witch in the 2002 Broadway revival of 'Into the Woods' alongside Vanessa Williams.
““I’ve always been drawn to characters who take themselves very, very seriously. The gap between their self-image and reality is where the comedy lives.””
