Amy Poehler Siblings: All About Greg Poehler

Actress and comedian Amy Poehler PHOTO/Hollywood Reporter

Amy Poehler is an acclaimed American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director, renowned for her sharp wit and versatile performances across television and film.

Born on September 16, 1971, in Newton, Massachusetts, she was raised in the nearby town of Burlington in a middle-class family where both parents worked as high school teachers.

Poehler’s Irish heritage from her mother’s side and a mix of English, Irish, German, and Portuguese roots from her father influenced her storytelling and humor from an early age.

Growing up in a blue-collar environment, she developed a strong work ethic and a love for performance, sparked by school plays like her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

After graduating from Boston College in 1993 with a degree in media and communications, she dove into Chicago’s vibrant improv scene, training at institutions like Second City and ImprovOlympic.

Poehler’s personal life has been marked by her marriage to actor Will Arnett from 2003 to 2016, with whom she shares two sons, Archie (born 2008) and Abel (born 2010); she now resides in Los Angeles with her children, balancing motherhood with her creative pursuits.

Siblings

Amy has one sibling, her younger brother Greg Poehler.

Born on October 11, 1974, in Boston and raised alongside Amy in Burlington, Massachusetts, Greg initially pursued a conventional career in law, earning a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in 1996 and a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law.

He further specialized with a master’s in European intellectual property law from Stockholm University in 2006, practicing as an attorney in New York City and Sweden for over a decade.

However, a move to Sweden in 2006 with his Swedish-born wife inspired a career pivot toward comedy and acting.

In 2012, Greg began stand-up in Sweden and developed the semi-autobiographical sitcom Welcome to Sweden, which he created, wrote, produced, and starred in as Bruce Evans, an American accountant relocating for love.

The show premiered on Swedish TV in 2014 before airing on NBC in the U.S., featuring cameos from Amy and celebrities like Gene Simmons.

Career

Poehler’s career began in earnest in Chicago’s improv world, where she co-founded the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in 1995 with Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh, relocating the group to New York City in 1996.

Their half-hour sketch series Upright Citizens Brigade aired on Comedy Central from 1998 to 2000, establishing her as a rising improv star and later inspiring the UCB Theater, a hub for comedy talent.

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Her breakthrough came in 2001 when she joined Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a featured player, quickly promoted to repertory status, the first woman to achieve this in her debut season.

Over eight years until 2008, Poehler created iconic characters like hyperactive kid Kaitlyn and co-hosted Weekend Update with Tina Fey from 2004 to 2005, becoming the first all-female anchor team and shifting the show’s dynamic toward female-driven sketches.

She impersonated figures like Hillary Clinton and Britney Spears, earning an Emmy nomination in 2008 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Transitioning to film, Poehler debuted in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) and gained cult status with Wet Hot American Summer (2001), followed by hits like Mean Girls (2004) alongside Fey, Blades of Glory (2007) with Will Arnett, and Baby Mama (2008).

Her defining TV role arrived as optimistic bureaucrat Leslie Knope in NBC’s Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), which she also produced; the series celebrated government optimism amid cynicism, spawning memes like “Galentine’s Day.”

Poehler expanded into voice work with Pixar’s Inside Out (2015) as Joy, reprising the role in Inside Out 2 (2024), and directed films like Moxie (2021).

She co-hosted the Golden Globes with Fey in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2021, published the memoir Yes Please (2014), and produced shows like Broad City and Baking It with Maya Rudolph, while directing documentaries such as Lucy and Desi (2022).

Accolades

For her portrayal of Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, Poehler secured a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy in 2014, along with six Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series between 2010 and 2015, and three Screen Actors Guild Award nods for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.

Her writing for the episode “The Debate” earned Emmy and Writers Guild of America nominations in 2013.

In 2016, she shared an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series with Tina Fey for their SNL appearance, marking the first joint nomination in that category.

Poehler’s producing and hosting prowess shone through in her 2023 Emmy win for Outstanding Competition Program for co-hosting Baking It with Maya Rudolph.

Film work brought further honors: a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Parks and Recreation, and voice acclaim for Inside Out, contributing to its Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Beyond traditional awards, Parks and Recreation won a Peabody Award in 2011 for its portrayal of democracy, with Poehler central to the ensemble.

She received a Webby Award in 2010 for Best Actress in her web series Smart Girls at the Party, a Gracie Award in 2013 for Outstanding Female Actor, and Variety’s Power of Comedy Award in 2011.

Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2011, and in 2015, she earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.