2008 Woodie Awards
Witty, winning writing
Tina Fey, the first female head writer on "Saturday Night Live," brings her brand of comedy to the sitcom "30 Rock."
Katherine M. Hill
Arts | 10/4/07
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Before comedian and writer Tina Fey joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live," wrote "Mean Girls," performed at Second City, or pitched the idea of "30 Rock," she was the average college theater student.
"When I was in college I was an extremely clean living nerd," Fey said in an interview Monday. Instead of partying she "hung around the theater department and hit on gay guys."
Many accomplishments and comedic endeavors later, Fey and "30 Rock" won Emmys. Fey is the lead actress on the show, the creator and writer of the series, which launches its second season Thursday, Oct. 4, at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.
But Fey was initially opposed to writing "30 Rock," a show within a show.
"I was resistant to writing about the workplace I had worked in," she said, referring to her past with "SNL." "I wanted to write a workplace comedy. My life was always based around workplace, not the single lady life. That was not the milieu of my life."
Fey said she took the chance, writing for a starring trio.
She wrote the "30 Rock" characters-Liz Lemon, Tracy Jordan and Jack Donaghy-with the current actors in mind but she didn't know if Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin were available.
"I never thought we'd get Alec," she said. "There are definitely [times] when we pick parts of ['SNL' producer] Lorne Michael's personality for Alec's character," she said. However, Fey often writes the character to Baldwin's acting ability, she said.
"Part of it is wanting to see the opposite of what he is," she said.
As for the single and stressed Lemon, the writer for a live comedic variety show, Fey said there are definitely similarities, even though Fey is married and a mother.
"Liz is absolutely a version of me. There are some things that are different but she's very much like me," she said.
Fey said she takes her accomplishments of being the first female head writer for "SNL" and head writer for "30 Rock" in stride.
"When I was in college I was an extremely clean living nerd," Fey said in an interview Monday. Instead of partying she "hung around the theater department and hit on gay guys."
Many accomplishments and comedic endeavors later, Fey and "30 Rock" won Emmys. Fey is the lead actress on the show, the creator and writer of the series, which launches its second season Thursday, Oct. 4, at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.
But Fey was initially opposed to writing "30 Rock," a show within a show.
"I was resistant to writing about the workplace I had worked in," she said, referring to her past with "SNL." "I wanted to write a workplace comedy. My life was always based around workplace, not the single lady life. That was not the milieu of my life."
Fey said she took the chance, writing for a starring trio.
She wrote the "30 Rock" characters-Liz Lemon, Tracy Jordan and Jack Donaghy-with the current actors in mind but she didn't know if Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin were available.
"I never thought we'd get Alec," she said. "There are definitely [times] when we pick parts of ['SNL' producer] Lorne Michael's personality for Alec's character," she said. However, Fey often writes the character to Baldwin's acting ability, she said.
"Part of it is wanting to see the opposite of what he is," she said.
As for the single and stressed Lemon, the writer for a live comedic variety show, Fey said there are definitely similarities, even though Fey is married and a mother.
"Liz is absolutely a version of me. There are some things that are different but she's very much like me," she said.
Fey said she takes her accomplishments of being the first female head writer for "SNL" and head writer for "30 Rock" in stride.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
Ana
posted 10/05/07 @ 12:07 AM EST
Boo.
If you have Tina Fey on the phone, you better be asking better questions. This doesn't even come close. Seriously, it's Tina Fey. I have no idea how this article relates to your "campus news" (besides the fact that she attended college), but if you land an interview with Fey, research, even if you're not a fan (I'm her biggest fan ever). (Continued…)
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