Tina Fey's 2 Daughters: All About Alice and Penelope
Tina Fey's daughters have acted in her sitcoms
Tina Fey is the ultimate multi-hyphenate.
In addition to her award-winning career, Fey keeps busy in her personal life with her husband and their two daughters. The actress married composer and producer Jeff Richmond in 2001. Four years later, in 2005, the couple welcomed daughter Alice Zenobia. Their second daughter, Penelope Athena, followed in 2011.
The filmmakers raised their kids on the Upper East Side of New York City — a neighborhood Fey told PEOPLE was "a great place to raise a youngster," in 2010.
Now that they're older, Fey's daughters have gotten involved in her career — the comedian asked Alice and Penelope for their input on her 2024 film adaptation of the Mean Girls musical. "Sometimes I would run things by the kids," Fey told Entertainment Tonight at the film's N.Y.C. premiere. "Like casting, or you know, like, 'Should the burn book stay a book, or should it be a private Instagram account?' And they're like, 'No, it's a book, it's a book.' "
Related: Who Is Tina Fey's Husband? All About Jeff Richmond
Here's everything to know about Tina Fey's daughters, Alice and Penelope.
Alice Zenobia Richmond, 18
Fey and Richmond welcomed their first child, daughter Alice Zenobia, on Sept. 10, 2005.
Their elder daughter entered their lives at an extremely busy time in Fey's career — in April 2004, Mean Girls was taking off at the box office, and in 2006, 30 Rock was picked up by NBC.
Alice often visited the set of her mom's sitcom as a toddler, and in 2012, she appeared in the episode "Mazel Tov, Dummies!" in which she played a young version of Fey's character in a flashback. Though that was her only appearance on 30 Rock, Fey has said that Alice influenced the series in other ways.
At the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Fey revealed in her acceptance speech that Alice coined several iconic 30 Rock catchphrases like "I want to go to there." The comedian also called Alice "the funniest person" in her family.
In a 2018 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Saturday Night Live alum revealed that her elder daughter was also a budding filmmaker. Fey even shared a short film, cheekily called Butt Show, created by Alice and her sister Penelope. "They sold it to Netflix," Fey joked.
Alice also kept the family entertained during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a March 2020 appearance on The Tonight Show, Fey revealed that Alice had been hosting themed dinners for their family and held a talent show over Zoom. The event's participants included the children of Fey's friends, Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler and Ana Gasteyer.
Fey and Richmond have said they occasionally use their star-studded list of friends to try and win over Alice and Penelope, who aren't impressed by their parents' talents. “You're never cool [to your kids],” Fey told PEOPLE in 2023.
"We watch TV and we go, ‘We know that person. You like that show? We know them,' " Fey continued. "And then they say, ‘No you don't.' "
As a teenager, Alice and her mother bonded by watching SNL together. "It's great," Fey told Variety in May 2021. "She has a very good comedy education, so she's a discerning viewer."
Related: Celebrities Who Starred With Their Kids in Movies and TV Shows
Penelope Athena Richmond, 13
Fey and Richmond welcomed their second baby girl, Penelope Athena, on Aug. 10, 2011.
Just like her sister Alice, Penelope also appeared on one of Fey's shows — she was cast as a child influencer on her mom's Peacock series Girls5Eva. "Our daughter Penelope ended up being in the show," Fey shared on the Today show in 2021. "There was a part for a 9-year-old, and I was like, 'If we don't let her audition for this, she's going to kill us.' "
However, Fey was initially hesitant to cast Penelope. "She auditioned, she put herself on tape," she added. "I was like, 'I can't let the boss' kid get the first job they ever audition for.' " Fey and showrunner Meredith Scardino originally hired another actor for the role — but when that actress couldn't fly in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Penelope got her chance to shine on the small screen.
"She did a great job," Fey shared. "And she was super professional ... For kind of a grim year of like distance learning and all that stuff, it was a little treat for her."
It seems Penelope also inherited her mother's funny bone. In May 2020, she crashed Fey's at-home appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, making an "L" on her forehead.
"She just called us losers!" Fey said as her daughter laughed and ran off. "This meant 'loyalist' in colonial times, so that's on you!"
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