Kristen Wiig has come a long way from her days as Gilly, Penelope and the Target Lady, just a few of the lovable and terrifying characters she brought to life in her seven seasons at Saturday Night Live. How far has she come exactly? Badass superhero movie far, that’s how far. With the recent confirmation that Kristen Wiig will be playing supervillain Cheetah in Wonder Woman 2, Wiig has made a pretty rare career leap, even for Hollywood.
Wiig was born Kristen Caroll Wiig on August 22, 1973 in Canandaigua, New York, though she grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Rochester, New York. Wiig attended the University of Arizona, where she majored in art before relocating to Los Angeles after graduation.
While in LA, Wiig became part of the famed improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, earning her first TV opportunity on the Spike TV reality-spoof Joe Schmo, playing a fake marriage counselor. In 2005, at the behest of her manager, Wiig sent in an audition tape to SNL, included on which was her Target Lady character. She would act and write for the show full-time from 2006 until 2012.
In 2011, Wiig starred in Bridesmaids, a film which she co-wrote with friend and former Groundlings performer Annie Mumolo. The film was a critical and commercial hit, earning a nomination for Best Picture Musical or Comedy at the 69th Golden Globe Awards. Wiig herself was also nominated for Best Actress – Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy at the same awards.
More recently, Wiig has starred in Mother!, directed by Darren Arnovsky, and Downsizing, a comedy co-starring Matt Damon. She is currently rumored to be working on a follow-up with Mumolo which would see Wiig make her directorial debut.
Which Kristen Wiig role is your favorite? How do you think she’ll fit into her new role as a supervillain? Let us know in the comments below!
