30 Rock Star Tina Fey Has Big News
Tina Fey is the former head writer of Saturday Night Live and host of the show's "Weekend Update." She's also the Emmy-winning creator, writer and star of the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Now, she's an author. Her sure-to-be bestselling book, Bossypants, is a comedic memoir of her rise to the top of comedy. "You're one of the smartest women on our planet right now," Oprah says.
But that's not Tina's only big news! She is also pregnant with her second baby.
Watch Tina's announcement
Tina devoted a chapter of Bossypants to her dilemma over whether to try to have another child. "You get to 40 and you think, 'Do I really want to do it, or is it because I'm running out of time?' Also, I thought 30 Rock would be canceled by now and I'd have time to do it," she says. "My husband and I decided that, rather than risk having the show end and in several years and feeling like part of our family was missing, that we were going to prioritize a family."
But that's not Tina's only big news! She is also pregnant with her second baby.
Watch Tina's announcement
Tina devoted a chapter of Bossypants to her dilemma over whether to try to have another child. "You get to 40 and you think, 'Do I really want to do it, or is it because I'm running out of time?' Also, I thought 30 Rock would be canceled by now and I'd have time to do it," she says. "My husband and I decided that, rather than risk having the show end and in several years and feeling like part of our family was missing, that we were going to prioritize a family."
Tina says the title of her book came from a brainstorming exercise with her husband. "I was trying to think of words that he associates with me, and all these words were like, 'bossy,' 'grouchy,' 'sour.' I was like, 'Oh, brother.' 'Bossypants' was the friendliest one."
The other big decision was what to use for the book's cover. Tina settled on a picture of herself edited to look like she has the hands and forearms of a stocky, hairy man. Oprah says when she left it on her desk, people couldn't help but react to it.
"I know! The cover makes people so upset. For a picture that's not dirty or violent or anything," Tina says. "My dad goes, 'I do not like that cover.'"
The other big decision was what to use for the book's cover. Tina settled on a picture of herself edited to look like she has the hands and forearms of a stocky, hairy man. Oprah says when she left it on her desk, people couldn't help but react to it.
"I know! The cover makes people so upset. For a picture that's not dirty or violent or anything," Tina says. "My dad goes, 'I do not like that cover.'"
In Bossypants, Tina addresses the nature of being a powerful woman in the generally male-dominated world of comedy. She says interviewers will often ask her if it's weird being the boss. "You wouldn't ask Donald Trump that. You wouldn't ask Lee Iacocca if that was weird," she says. "It's not weird."
Tina credits her time at SNL for teaching her how to be a boss. "I was the head writer at Saturday Night Live, and that's like trying to manage a bunch of 6-foot-tall guys who don't care about anything. You're trying to get them to do their work," she says. "And I learned a lot from Lorne Michaels, actually, about being a boss. One of the best things he ever told me was, 'Don't hire anyone that you wouldn't want to run into by the bathrooms at 3 in the morning because you're going to be there all night.' If a person talks too much or gets mad and throws stuff, don't hire them."
Tina credits her time at SNL for teaching her how to be a boss. "I was the head writer at Saturday Night Live, and that's like trying to manage a bunch of 6-foot-tall guys who don't care about anything. You're trying to get them to do their work," she says. "And I learned a lot from Lorne Michaels, actually, about being a boss. One of the best things he ever told me was, 'Don't hire anyone that you wouldn't want to run into by the bathrooms at 3 in the morning because you're going to be there all night.' If a person talks too much or gets mad and throws stuff, don't hire them."
Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios
In 2008, Oprah made a cameo appearance on Tina's sitcom 30 Rock. They shot their scene during the day, and Tina debuted her impersonation of Sarah Palin that same night. "I was in the dressing room trying to watch YouTube clips of Governor Palin, trying to learn how she talked," Tina says.
Who is your favorite SNL character? Answer this poll
Tina says impersonating Sarah Palin was one of the great joys of her career. "It was so fun because, one, I didn't even really work at the show anymore so I got to just come in on Saturdays," she says. "And I realized I'd done plays in Chicago; I'd been on improv teams where I was begging people to show up. I had never actually done anything people wanted to see. People actually wanted to see sketches about this lady. I remember trying to be in the moment and be like, 'Just enjoy this because this is crazy what's happening right now.'"
Find out what happens behind the scenes at Saturday Night Live
Who is your favorite SNL character? Answer this poll
Tina says impersonating Sarah Palin was one of the great joys of her career. "It was so fun because, one, I didn't even really work at the show anymore so I got to just come in on Saturdays," she says. "And I realized I'd done plays in Chicago; I'd been on improv teams where I was begging people to show up. I had never actually done anything people wanted to see. People actually wanted to see sketches about this lady. I remember trying to be in the moment and be like, 'Just enjoy this because this is crazy what's happening right now.'"
Find out what happens behind the scenes at Saturday Night Live
NEXT STORY
