AMY
POEHLER

Amy Poehler is an American actor, comedian, writer and producer born on 16 September 1971 in Newton, Massachusetts. Her work spans live sketch comedy, television, film, directing and voice performance.

Poehler developed her comedy on improvisational stages in Chicago and New York and worked with the Upright Citizens Brigade. In 2001 she joined Saturday Night Live, where sketches and Weekend Update introduced her to a broad television audience.

In Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), she played Leslie Knope, an enthusiastic local government employee. The ensemble sitcom gave Poehler a character whose optimism could drive both workplace comedy and stories about friendship.

Poehler voiced Joy in Pixar’s Inside Out (2015) and returned for Inside Out 2 (2024). As an emotion inside Riley’s mind, Joy gives her a different kind of leading role: one carried by voice, timing and the character’s changing understanding of other feelings.

Her work also extends behind the camera: she directed Wine Country and Moxie. From live performance to animated storytelling, collaboration remains a visible thread through her career.