Amy Poehler is an American comedy actress.
Amy Meredith Poehler ( [ ˈpoʊlər ] born September 16 , 1971 ) is an American actress , comedian , director , producer , and writer . After studying improv at Chicago 's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s , she went to New York City in 1996 to become part of the improvisational comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade . An 18-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee , she won the 2016 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live .