Cecily Legler Strong (born February 8, 1984) is an American comedian, actress, writer, and producer known for historically significant work in the entertainment industry. She is best known for her tenure on Saturday Night Live (SNL), where she was the longest-tenured female cast member, while audiences were entertained from 2012 to 2022.
Early Life & Education: A Foundation for Imagination
Cecily Strong was born in Springfield, Illinois, but grew up in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago. Her parents, Penelope “Penny” Strong, a nurse practitioner, and William “Bill” Strong, a former Associated Press bureau chief and public relations entrepreneur, gave her an example of hard work and encouraged her imaginatively through stories. Although her parents divorced, she always had laughter and the love of comedy.Â
She loved comedy so much, she became an early fan of Saturday Night Live, watching different old SNL commercials on VHS tapes, memorizing skits, and performing them for friends and family. She was inspired by Phil Hartman, an SNL cast member.
Strong attended a private Catholic school, then moved to the Chicago Academy for the Arts for her senior year, graduating in 2002. Strong’s love of performing led her to the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in theatre in 2006. After graduating, she went back to Chicago to continue her training and study improvisation at iO Chicago and the Second City Conservatory locations.
Career: Saturday Night Live Superstar to Next Level
Cecily Strong first appeared on Saturday Night Live on September 15, 2012, as a featured player. After a season she was promoted to the repertory cast for the 38th season. Strong appeared as co-host of the Weekend Update segment with Seth Meyers and later on with Colin Jost. In 2014, Strong decided to stop taking the role of Weekend Update anchor so that she could focus more on sketch comedy, and continued as one of the strongest performers on the show with memorable characters such as “The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party.”
Strong’s investment in performing was proven through her return to the show for season 48 after she reprised The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe play in Los Angeles. Strong returned to SNL on October 29, 2022, with the honor of being the longest-running female cast member in SNL history, surpassing Kate McKinnon after nine strong seasons. Strong left the show on December 17, 2022 with memories of a hugely successful run on the show.
As well as being one of SNL’s best performers, Strong explored many creative opportunities outside of SNL. In 2021, Strong released her first memoir, This Will All Be Over Soon. This contemplative memoir examined her grieving memorization and experience of love and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The memoir began as an essay she wrote for Vulture about the loss of her cousin, Owen, to brain cancer.
Strong starred in and produced for the Apple TV+ musical parody series Schmigadoon! (2021) – which premiered on July 16, 2021 and is based on the original concept by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio and produced by SNL’s Lorne Michaels. Based on a husband and wife couple from the present who get trapped in a whimsical musical town stuck in the creativity of the 1940s, it was a wonderful opportunity for Strong to perform as an actress as well as a producer.
Net Worth and Legacy
Currently, Cecily Strong’s net worth is $4 million in her capacity as a comedian, actress, writer and producer. If Cecily Strong was not trailblazing enough in comedy and entertainment, extending to art and the impact of the world around us, Strong has solidified her career and contributions to the world with a better understanding of the creative impact of theatre, art and her identity as a Latin female performer.
Conclusion: The Strong Comedy and Entertainment Force
Cecily Strong, from a kid curious about comedy and then pursuing it in high school in Oak Park, to record-breaker at SNL as a cast member, to multifaceted creator, is a result of talent and perseverance. Whether through her SNL sketches, memoir or television work, audiences continue to be entertained, educated and informed of the authenticity of another human experience to their own unique journey through her voice, charm and scope of comedy, writing and producing.