Today funny lady Kristen Wiig turns 40, and while we definitely adore the actress for her hilarious Saturday Night Live characters, we're moving beyond the laughs to reveal all the other reasons she's so worthy of a girl crush. Since leaving the SNL stage behind, she's juggled a variety of onscreen roles that show off both her comedy chops and her more serious side, and in interviews, she's opened up about everything from her teenage years to her vulnerability in a tough industry. With Kristen's enviable dance moves, her insightful quotes, and her low-key attitude about fame, comedy, and fandom, what's not to love? Let's celebrate her 40th with a look at the top reasons we'd love to be more like Kristen Wiig:
1. She Dreamed Big and Made It Come True
In 2013, Kristen told Vanity Fair about her childhood bedroom, which featured a few pop culture posters. "I remember in high school I had two prints on my wall," she said. "One was of the Blues Brothers movie, and it was a really big one. It was like five feet tall. And then the other one was an Academy Awards poster, and it had all of the movies that had won Academy Awards up until that year."
2. She Embraces Her Inner Fangirl
Kristen shared her celebrity obsession with Women's Health in 2009: "For most of my life I wanted to be Olivia Newton-John."
3. She Has Epic Dance Moves
No seriously, they're pretty incredible.
Even Amy Poehler's impressed.
It's the drunk jig that dreams are made of.
4. She's Genuinely Humble
In 2011, Kristen told Interview how she viewed herself, saying, "I never considered myself to be funny — maybe because socially I can be a little shy sometimes. I just didn't think that you could be both."
5. She Represents Women in a Real Way
While promoting Bridesmaids in 2011, Kristen told The Providence Phoenix about the importance of women writers in Hollywood. "If a female writer says that, no, really, this is how women think or, really, this is how women talk, I think people have to start trusting that a little bit."
6. Jon Hamm Finds Her Adorable
Kristen has acted alongside Jon Hamm on the SNL stage and in multiple movies, including Friends With Kids, and Jon had nothing but kind words for the actress when he spoke to Time in 2011. "She has that sadness and vulnerability that comics have but don't always show," he said. "She's also beautiful. She'd be horrified if she knew I was saying that. This is a lady who can wear coconuts on her boobs and talk out of her butt, but as soon as you say she's pretty, she gets super-embarrassed. She's always shrinking into a hoodie or a knit cap and doesn't want to be noticed, which is adorable."
Keep reading for more reasons we want to be like Kristen Wiig.
