After realizing that acting was her passion, the art student dropped everything and headed out to Los Angeles to make her dreams a reality. While success was hardly immediate for Wiig, her hall of fame "SNL" career and breakout film role in "Bridesmaids" (2011) have made her one of the biggest comedy actresses today. This fall, Wiig taps into her dramatic side in the indie favorite "The Skeleton Twins" opposite fellow "SNL" alum, Bill Hader.
From her days selling hot dogs to her big-screen debut, here are 23 things you probably don't know about Kristen Wiig.
1. Kristen Wiig was born August 22, 1973 in Canadaigua, New York to Laurie J. Johnston and Jon J. Wiig.
2. Her mother was an artist, while her father ran a lake marina in Western New York.
3. Her surname, "Wiig," is of Norwegian descent.
4. Wiig's family moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania when she was three and eventually settled down in Rochester, New York.
5. As a child, Wiig would carry her dad's empty guitar case around the neighborhood because she wanted people to think she played guitar. She even said she'd "put Flinstones vitamins in it in case I got tired, so I could pop some and keep walking." That's priceless.
6. Once she wrapped up high school, the future actress attended the University of Arizona as an art student.
7. While there, the naturally shy Wiig enrolled in her first acting class and was encouraged to continue the craft.
8. Before pursuing acting full time, however, she worked as a graphic designer and a decorative painter.
9. Wiig even got a job drawing clients' post-surgery bodies at a plastic surgery clinic.
10. The day before she was set to start the job, she looked in the mirror and asked herself what she really wanted to do. The next day, she was driving her packed Jetta to Los Angeles to try make it as an actress.
11. While trying to find acting gigs, she worked odd jobs to make ends meet; she even sold hot dogs at the mall.
12. In Los Angeles, Wiig joined the improv comedy group The Groundlings. The group's famous members include Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, and Conan O'Brien, among others.
13. In 2003, the unknown Wiig landed a role on Spike's "The Joe Schmo Show," where she played the marriage counselor Patricia Lane, aka Dr. Pat the Quack.
14. She was sent to the hospital after injuring herself on set.
15. A few years later, she appeared on "The Drew Carey Show."
16. In 2005, she landed her life-changing job on "Saturday Night Live" and stayed on the show until 2012.
17. Wiig earned four straight Emmy nominations for her work on the comedy series, though she took home no awards (2009-2012).
18. During her tenure on "SNL," Wiig made several supporting film roles. Her big-screen debut was in "Knocked Up" (2007) as Katherine Heigl's unforgettable passive-aggressive boss.
19. In 2012, she received an Oscar nomination for co-writing "Bridesmaids" (2011) with Annie Mumolo and a Golden Globe nomination for her acting performance. The comedy hit also proved she could make the jump from TV to the big screen in a leading role.
20. Wiig's mother made a cameo in the film. She can be seen in the airplane scene, sitting two rows behind Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne, with white hair and a pink shirt.
21. Bill Murray recently stated he'd love to see Wiig, Emma Stone, and Melissa McCarthy in an all-female "Ghostbusters." Wiig replied, "I will do whatever Bill Murray tells me to."
22. As for her personal life, Wiig was married to Hayes Hargrove from 2005 to 2009.
23. (Bonus fact): The actress is a vegetarian, and eats a lot of tofu and soy.
[Sources: Boomsbeat, Wikipedia, IMDb]
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