Cecily Strong on SNL, Grief, and Her Memoir

Early Life and Theatrical Beginnings

• 🎭 Cecily Strong's early interest in acting began at age three in preschool drama classes.
• 🎶 She developed a love for musicals, with "Secret Garden" being her first Broadway show and "Girl I Mean To" her audition song.
• 🎭 Her early acting experiences in Chicago included dramatic musical roles, such as "Pope Joan" and "The House of Martin Gar."

Career Path and Paying Dues

• 🚢 Strong worked on a cruise ship for four months with other Second City performers as a way to "pay her dues" in comedy.
• 🎤 She discussed her time on Saturday Night Live, mentioning characters like "A girl I’m REALLY GLAD I started a conversation with" and "Gemma."
• 🏛️ Strong expressed admiration for Gretchen Whitmer, viewing her as a terrific leader and potential president.

Memoir, Grief, and Finding Light

• ✍️ Strong wrote her memoir as a form of therapy during a period of artistic and personal stuckness, particularly after losing her cousin Owen.
• 🎗️ She detailed the profound impact of her cousin Owen's battle with glioblastoma, highlighting his positivity and the support from his oncologist, Dr. Henry Friedman.
• 💔 The memoir also touches on the loss of her first love, Jane, who also died of brain cancer and maintained a positive outlook by wearing funny hats.
• 🌧️ Strong found parallels between losing Owen just before COVID-19 and the subsequent global uncertainty, using Owen as a guide.

Navigating Life and Comedy

• 😂 Laughter is still a source of medicine for Strong, providing distraction and escape, which she sees as her way of contributing to the "good fight."
• 🧘 She practices compartmentalizing and refusing to get upset about things she cannot control, a quality she finds helpful.
• ❤️ Strong met her partner, John, before the pandemic and feels she has softened her sharp edges, becoming more comfortable with vulnerability.
• 🐶 Her daughter, Emmy Lou, is named after John's love for Emmy Lou Harris and Strong's beloved dogs, Emma and Lucy.

Perspectives on Life and Art

• 🎭 Strong discussed her character "Goober the Clown," created to address abortion in a unique way, inspired by her work at Planned Parenthood and her own public stance.
• ✍️ She is collaborating on a novel with Viola Davis about a loaded abortion in Alabama, with Davis playing the judge.
• 💡 Strong believes in accepting people's flaws, comparing them to a stream that sometimes stinks or floods but is generally positive.
• 🤝 She values human-to-human connections over celebrity status, preferring genuine interactions.