Tina Fey - Early Life

Early Life

Fey was born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania – a township just west of Philadelphia. Her mother, Zenobia "Jeanne" (née Xenakes), is a brokerage employee of Greek descent, and her father, Donald Fey, is a university grant-proposal writer of half German and half Scottish descent. She has a brother, Peter, who is eight years older.

Fey was exposed to comedy early and has recalled:

I remember my parents sneaking me in to see Young Frankenstein. We would also watch Saturday Night Live, or Monty Python, or old Marx Brothers movies. My dad would let us stay up late to watch The Honeymooners. We were not allowed to watch The Flintstones though: my dad hated it because it ripped off The Honeymooners. I actually have a very low level of Flintstones knowledge for someone my age.

Tina also grew up watching Second City Television (SCTV), and has cited Catherine O'Hara as a role model.

Fey attended Cardington Elementary School and Beverly Hills Middle School in Upper Darby. By middle school, she knew she was interested in comedy, doing an independent-study project on the subject in eighth grade. Fey attended Upper Darby High School, where she was an honor student, a member of the choir, drama club, and tennis team, and co-editor of the school's newspaper. She also anonymously wrote the newspaper's satirical column, The Acorn. Following her graduation in 1988, Fey enrolled at the University of Virginia, where she studied playwriting and acting. She graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama.