- published: 12 Feb 2016
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Kristen Carroll Wiig (pronounced /ˈwiːɡ/; born August 22, 1973) is an American actress, comedienne, and writer. She is best known for her work as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2012. Wiig was a member of the improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of the Conchords, Adventureland, and Paul. Her voice acting credits include "Ruffnut" in How to Train Your Dragon, "Miss Hattie" in Despicable Me and "Lola Bunny" in the series The Looney Tunes Show.
In 2011, Wiig co-wrote and starred in Bridesmaids, receiving nominations for her acting from the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild and for her writing from the Academy and from BAFTA.
Wiig was born in Canandaigua, New York, the daughter of Laurie J. (née Johnston), an artist, and Jon J. Wiig, who ran a lake marina in Upstate New York. Her father is of Norwegian and Irish ancestry and her mother is of English and Scottish descent. The name "Wiig" hails from the area of Sogn og Fjordane in Norway. She moved with her family to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, at the age of three. Wiig later moved to Rochester, New York, where she attended and graduated from Brighton High School. After a short stint at Roanoke College, Wiig went on to attend the University of Arizona with a major in art. She took an acting class in university to fulfill a course requirement; her teacher suggested she continue to act. She dropped out and relocated to Los Angeles, where she joined The Groundlings while working odd jobs to support herself.