Kristen Wiig is considered one of the best comedians in the entertainment industry today. The comedian made his big screen debut in 2006 for the film Unaccompanied minors. She went on to appear in many box office movies soon after, such as Knocked up, walk hard, whip, forget Sarah Marshalland much more.
Although she has been in the industry since 2005, she had a breakthrough in her career after starring in the 2011 film Bridesmaids. 2011 is the year she started gaining commercial success in Hollywood, and was definitely the turning point in her life. The actress who now boasts a net worth of $25 million is definitely grateful for the film’s outcome. Find out how the comedian got started.
A diligent normal student with no interest in acting
Kristen Wiig, whose real one is Kristen Carroll Wiig, was born on August 22, 1973 in Canandaigua, New York. Her mother Laurie is an artist while her father Jon Wiig ran a marina on a lake in western New York. She has only one sibling, an older brother named Eric. Kristen has mixed blood of Norwegian and Irish ancestry from her father while she got English and Scottish blood from her mother.
His ancestors were from Norway until his paternal grandfather named Gunnar Wiig immigrated to the United States and eventually grew up in New York. His father had found some fame in the entertainment industry as a well-known broadcaster for the Rochester Red Wings baseball team. He then became an executive at WHEC-TV, WROC-TV and WHEC radio.
When she was three years old, her parents decided to move to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where the famous abandoned school is located. She ended up attending Nitrauer Elementary School and Manheim Township Middle School until she reached eighth grade. At the time, their family decided to move back to Rochester so she would eventually attend Allendale Columbia School until tenth grade and then attend Brighton High School.
After finishing high school, she decided to go to Roanoke College but eventually moved back to Rochester. At the time, she decided to just attend community college while completing a three-month outdoor living program. At the time, she had no interest in the performing arts. However, she later decided to attend the University of Arizona majoring in art.
How she finally pursued an acting career
While majoring in art, she took an acting session as it was a requirement of her class. Seeing that she had potential, her teacher at the time encouraged her to keep playing. At the time, she was probably hesitant to go that route. She then completed her studies and was eventually hired by a plastic surgery clinic. She was supposed to draw post-op bodies, but a day before her work started, she flew to Los Angeles to try her luck and pursue an acting career.
It was no small feat for Kristen Wiig when she moved to Los Angeles where famous actors like Ben Affleck reside who owns a contemporary house. pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She started doing odd jobs to support herself financially. At the time, she began performing at the Groundlings and the Empty Stage Comedy Theater. While performing there, she realized that she preferred improvisation to comedy. She believed that being part of a comedy group greatly improved her skills.
With luck on her side, she eventually appeared on Spike TV The Joe Schmo Show which is a parody of reality TV. Since then, she started her career as an actress and started appearing and auditioning in various comedy shows. Since her manager at The Groundlings saw her potential, the manager encouraged her to audition for Saturday Night Live so she sent an audition tape to the program where she performed as Target Lady.
Her hard work finally paid off as she became a cast member ofSNL and makes its debut on the 31stst season on November 12, 2005. After a year as a member, she became a full cast member in 2006. While working at SNL, she also began to appear in many films. She made her big screen debut with the Christmas movie Unaccompanied Minors in 2006.
Despite his appearance in several films such as Knocked up, walk hard, whip, forget Sarah Marshall, she is still not so popular. She patiently waited her turn and had supporting roles in many comedy films.
Her career breakthrough that made her a household name
After about five years of playing multiple roles, she finally got her biggest break in her career. She starred in the 2011 film Bridesmaids where she worked alongside American actress Melissa McCarthy.Bridesmaids is the catalyst for Kristen Wiigs’ career as it made her a household name in Hollywood. Due to the popularity of the film which earned over $280 million at the box office, the entertainment industry finally took notice.
It was the turning point of her career and it is the first film where she plays the main character. She eventually broke through the fame barrier and began to become a prominent figure in Hollywood, landing both leading and supporting roles.
She then starred in major films such as Despicable Me 2, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Martian, Ghostbusters and much more. She kept grinding and so far she has already amassed a massive net worth of $25 million. She is also considered one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses.
Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Hollywood journalist, Biography
