Born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey, Tina Fey grew up just west of Philadelphia. Fey thought of herself as a "supernerd" during her high school and college years. She would go on to be a major talent on TV shows such as Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock.
Graduating from the University of Virginia in 1992, she ended up in Chicago at the Second City Training Center; home of many SNL stars. In 1975, she was scouted for SNL and was offered a position not long after, making her one of the only female writers at the time.
She then was made the head writer of SNL, the first female head writer in the show's history. She made her screen debut on the show, co-anchoring the "Weekend Update" skit with Jimmy Fallon. She, with the rest of her team, shared an Emmy Award for outstanding writing in 2002.
Fey made her move into motion pictures when she wrote Mean Girls in 2004, appearing as one of its supporting characters. She then left SNL to write, produce and star in 30 Rock in 2006, which was based on her experiences at SNL.
Returning to star in SNL as Sarah Palin, Fey also starred in films such as Date Night alongside Steve Carell, Baby Mama, and co-created the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
In celebration of Fey's birthday, Newsweek has analyzed data from Rotten Tomatoes to rank her top 10 best movies to date.
10. Baby Mama (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64 percent.
Box Office: £60.3 million.
Also starring: Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear and Dax Shepard.
Plot: Two women come together to bring a baby into the world.
What critics said: "Enjoyable and amiable in its daft way." - The Guardian.
9. Date Night (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66 percent.
Box Office: £98.8 million.
Also starring: Steve Carrell.
Plot: A couple goes above and beyond to bring the spark back into their date night.
What critics said: "It's lively stuff with funny lines, droll cameos from Mark Wahlberg and James Franco, and a nice running gag about Jeanne Tripplehorn." - The Guardian.
8. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67 percent.
Box Office: £18.4 million.
Also starring: Martin Freeman and Margot Robbie.
Plot: Adaptation of Kim Barker's memoir, The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which details her years as a reporter in Pakistan and Afghanistan beginning in 2002.
What critics said: "The film offers a fresh look at the adrenaline-laced lifestyle of war correspondents and a timely criticism of TV news. And it delivers some laughs, too." - Associated Press.
7. Wine Country (2019)
Rotten Tomato Score: 67 percent.
Box Office: N/A.
Also starring: Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph.
Plot: Women go away to relax, forgetting that alcohol is the cause and solution to their problems.
What critics said: "All in all, it's a drinkable, if at times indulgent, affair." - New Statesman.
6. Megamind (2010)
Rotten Tomato Score: 72 percent.
Box Office: £148.3 million.
Also starring: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.
Plot: A blue anti-hero must save the world when a new superhero comes on the scene who is more evil than he is.
What critics said: "It does have the odd cheeky nod for the grown-ups—and it is presented in inglorious 3D—but it's also got a screenplay overflowing with charm, intelligence, wit and a real spark." - Digital Spy.
5. Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
Rotten Tomato Score: 80 percent.
Box Office: £46.5 million.
Also starring: Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell and Ray Liotta.
Plot: Mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper.
What critics said: "There's still just enough to warrant a watch for fervent felt fanatics." - CineVue.
4. Mean Girls (2004)
Rotten Tomato Score: 84 percent.
Box Office: £86 million.
Also starring: Lindsey Lohan, Rachael Mcadams and Amanda Seyfield.
Plot: A homeschooled girl gets enrolled in a U.S. high school and befriends by the coolest girls around… and then tries to steal an ex-boyfriend of the Queen Bee. Famous for Pink Wednesdays.
What critics said: "A smart little teen picture that, for a change, actually features recognizable teens." - New York Magazine.
3. Ponyo (2009)
Rotten Tomato Score: 92 percent.
Box Office: £15.2 million.
Also starring: Noah Cyrus, Yuria Nara, Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon.
Plot: The story of a 5-year-old boy and a goldfish princess who yearns to be human.
What critics said: "The underwater scenes are as rich and teeming as Miyazaki's boundless imagination; little Ponyo in her human form, joyfully wobbling around on her newly sprouted legs, is a pure delight." - The Times.
2. Disneynature Monkey Kingdom (2015)
Rotten Tomato Score: 93 percent.
Box Office: £11.4 million.
Also starring: Monkeys mainly.
Plot: A nature documentary following the struggles of a young monkey mother to care for and raise her new baby in the wilds of Southern Asia.
What critics said: "This may be an unabashed, Disneyfied version of nature. But it's also fun, touching, and expertly assembled." - New York Magazine.
1. Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (2014)
Rotten Tomato Score: 99 percent.
Box Office: £0.4 million.
Also starring: Alec Baldwin, Nathan Lane, and Elaine Stritch.
Plot: A documentary on Broadway legend, Elaine Stritch.
What critics said: "Chiemi Karasawa deserves all the credit in the world for the intimate and hilarious portrait that is Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, a sparkling cocktail of music and memoir. On the other hand, she didn't exactly have to drag her subject out of her shell." - Newsday.
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Sophia Waterfield is a reporter for Newsweek based at its London bureau. She has written for publications such as Metro UK, ... Read more
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