Cecily Strong on Wikipedia 

Satire/political satire/news satire, improvisational comedy, sketch comedy

American politics, American culture, current events, pop culture, mass media/news media

is an American actress, voice actress, and comedian. She is a cast member of Saturday Night Live, joining the show in 2012.

Strong was born in Springfield, Illinois and raised in Oak Park, Illinois.

Her father, Bill Strong, worked as an Associated Press bureau chief and is now managing partner at a Chicago public relations firm.

She is of English, Scottish, German, Swiss-German, and Italian descent.

Strong grew up adoring SNL as a child, re-enacting sketches with her friend

and watching old SNL commercials on VHS frequently, "I had a tape of the best commercials, and I wore it out, every day." She has stated that she was inspired by Phil Hartman.

She attended Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRF) before eventually transferring to the Chicago Academy for the Arts for her senior year, where she graduated in 2002.

After high school, Strong attended the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and studied to become an actress and graduated in 2006 with a BFA in Theatre.

After graduating from CalArts, Strong returned to Chicago where she studied at the Second City Conservatory and iO Chicago.

Strong performed regularly at The Second City and iO Chicago.

She also appeared at the Chicago Sketch Fest, Chicago Just for Laughs, New York Sketchfest, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In Chicago, Strong has also performed at the Goodman Theater, Bailiwick Theater, Mercury Theater, and with the all-female improv troupe Virgin Daiquiri.

On September 15, 2012, Strong made her debut as a featured player on Saturday Night Live.

Strong co-anchored the recurring Weekend Update segment with Seth Meyers, beginning with the season 39 premiere. Strong later co-anchored with Colin Jost,

and was replaced on Weekend Update with writer Michael Che, beginning with the season 40 premiere in September 2014, but remained a part of the regular cast.

Strong\'s recurring characters include a ditzy, unnamed pseudo-activist known as "The Girl You Wish You Hadn\'t Started a Conversation With at a Party",

Dana (one half of a pair of retail employees who always insult their coworkers out of fear of being fired), Kyra from "The Girlfriends Talk Show", and an unnamed blond former porn star-turned-model/commercial actress who hawks elegant items. Her celebrity impressions include Allison Williams, Anjelica Huston, Ariana Grande, Sofia Vergara, Fran Drescher, Jill Kelley, Khloe Kardashian, Lydia Callis, Lana Del Rey, Paula Broadwell, Megyn Kelly, Alanis Morissette, Gloria Estefan, Jeanine Pirro, Sarah Koenig, Rachel Maddow and Michelle Rodriguez.

Strong served as the featured entertainer at the 2015 White House Correspondents\' Association dinner. As expected, she fully lambasted the various news organizations in attendance, politicians of all persuasions, and of course President Obama. She also took shots at the US Secret Service, host location The Washington Hilton, Brian Williams, Sarah Koenig, and the state of Indiana.

Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

Dettro, Chris (January 19, 2013). "New SNL Comedian has shallow Springfield roots". The State Journal-Register. Springfield, Illinois. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014

Strong’s father, Bill Strong, was the Associated Press bureau chief at the Statehouse when Cecily was born in February 1984.

"Happy Birthday Cecily Strong!!". Saturday Night Live official Twitter page. February 8, 2013

Metz, Nina (September 10, 2012). "Aidy Bryant, Tim Robinson, Cecily Strong join cast of \'SNL

"Cecily Strong to co-anchor SNL\'s \'Weekend Update

Gomez, Luis (June 14, 2013). "Interview: \'SNL\' star Cecily Strong returns home amid dream year". Chicago Tribune

"Cecily Strong Is Being Serious". The New York Times. February 7, 2014

"CalArts Grad Cecily Strong Added to Cast of ‘SNL’ | 12-11-2012". SCVNews.com

Fretts, Bruce (November 8, 2013). "Meet Saturday Night Live\'s New "Weekend Update" Anchor Cecily Strong". TV Guide

\'Saturday Night Live\' adds three new cast members". USA Today.

"‘Saturday Night Live’ adds 3 performers for upcoming season after departures of Wiig, Samberg". The Washington Post (The Associated Press). September 10, 2012.

Morgan, Richard (May 9, 2014). "Cecily Strong and Colin Jost Are Newest \'Weekend Update\' Anchors on \'Saturday Night Live

^ Reed, Ryan (September 12, 2014). "\'SNL\' Replaces Cecily Strong as \'Weekend Update\' Anchor". Rolling Stone.

Fishman, Elly (February 20, 2013). "Questions for Saturday Night Live’s Cecily Strong". Chicago Magazine

^ Katie Dippold have carved out a key supporting role for “SNL” star Cecily Strong

Weekend Update Anchor with Seth Meyers 2013–2014

Weekend Update Anchor with Colin Jost March 1 – May 17, 2014

Current Saturday Night Live cast members

Articles with unsourced statements from September 2014

This page was last modified on 26 April 2015, at 18:09.

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