Kristen Wiig
A master of character invention whose brilliantly awkward and specific creations on Saturday Night Live defined a generation of sketch comedy.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American actress and comedian·Birthday: August 22·Generation X
Biography
Kristen Wiig didn't just do characters; she built fully realized, hilariously broken people from the ground up. Arriving at Saturday Night Live in 2005, she quickly became the show's secret weapon, a writer-performer whose creations were as poignant as they were absurd. Who else could make you cringe, laugh, and feel for a woman desperately offering a 'Target Lady' gift receipt, or a shut-in like the startlingly intense Penelope? Wiig's genius lay in the minute details—a strange vocal tic, a compulsive behavior—that made her sketches feel less like jokes and more like glimpses into bizarre, parallel lives. Her success catapulted her to film, where she co-wrote and starred in the smash-hit 'Bridesmaids,' a film that reshaped studio comedy by proving female-led ensembles could be both riotous and deeply human. Wiig elevated awkwardness to an art form.
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.
Kristen was born in 1973, 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 Kristen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Kristen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and starred in 'Bridesmaids,' which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
- Was a featured player and later a headliner on 'Saturday Night Live' for seven seasons, creating numerous iconic recurring characters.
- Voiced the role of Lucy Wilde in the massively successful 'Despicable Me' animated film franchise.
- Starred in and co-wrote the independent drama 'The Skeleton Twins' with Bill Hader, showcasing her dramatic range.
Did You Know?
She worked as a waitress at a restaurant inside the Los Angeles Universal Studios theme park before her big break.
She was in the same Groundlings improv troupe class as Melissa McCarthy.
She briefly studied art at the University of Arizona before switching to theater.
She is a skilled visual artist and has designed some of her own characters' wardrobe pieces, including the Target Lady vest.
“I like to play people who are very uncomfortable in their own skin.”
