Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to Host Golden Globes: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

Funny ladies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host next year’s Golden Awards, bringing their comedic chemistry to take over hosting duties from British actor Ricky Gervais.

NBC alternative programming president Paul Telegdy said the pair has a “proven chemistry and comic timing from their many years together,” leading the network to choose them for the role.

1. They’ve Worked Together for Years

Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais

Fey and Poehler, of course, have been a team for a long time, ever since their days on Saturday Night Live. They later teamed up for the 2008 comedy Baby Mama. Fey is creator and star of 30 Rock and Poehler is starring on Parks and Recreation, both NBC shows.

2. Fey Is A Multiple Awards Winner

Fey is quite familiar with the awards show stages. She has won seven Emmys for her television work, including her hysterically on-point impersonations of 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

3. Poehler Also Known For Political Impersonations

Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais

Poehler was on SNL for eight years, and often played Hillary Clinton on the show. It’s kind of a shame she’s not on SNL anymore, as Clinton continues to rack up the headlines.

4. They Both Helped Create Top NBC Shows

Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais

Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais

Poehler created and stars in the popular comedy Parks and Recreation. Meanwhile, Fey created and stars in 30 Rock. Both shows are on NBC, where the women got their first major boost with SNL.

5. They Both Were in Second City

Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais

Fey and Poehler both broke into comedy as players in the Chicago-based improvisational group The Second City, the breeding ground for so many comedians before and after them.

6. Fey Didn’t Start on SNL as a Performer

Fey didn’t come right to the screen on SNL. She started there as a writer, later becoming a head writer and performer.

7. Poehler Hit it Big Right Away on SNL

Poehler was promoted from featured player to full cast member in her first season on the show, in 2001, making her only the third person to have earned this distinction, after Harry Shearer and Eddie Murphy.

8. Gervais Has Other Plans

Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais

Gervais, who hosted the event for the past three years, got plenty of publicity and criticism for his sometimes nasty one-liners about the assembled celebrities. But he hasn’t been fired. After the 2012 ceremony, he wrote he wouldn’t return in 2013:

I had a blast actually. It was by far my favorite of the three hosting stints. I’ve told my agent to never let me be persuaded to do it again though. It’s like a parachute jump. You can only really enjoy it in retrospect when you realize you didn’t die and it was quite an amazing thing to do.

9. Poehler and Fey Probably Will Be a Lot Gentler

While both women can be spot-on with their imitations and comedy acting, their comments aren’t usually mean-spirited. Gervais, on the other hand, often delivered cringeworthy bombs at the rich and famous. But he said after the 2012 awards show that he thought the crowd was getting used to him.

I think they finally worked out that my gags only seemed rude and nasty but were actually not too scary at all. Or they were just drunker.

10. This Will Be an Important Gig for Fey and Poehler

The Golden Globes awards show is Hollywood’s second-most important ceremony, next only to the Academy Awards. The Golden Globes are the precursor to the Oscars, with this year’s gala dinner for celebrities planned for Jan. 18. The Oscars, set for Feb. 24, will be hosted this year by Seth MacFarlane, creator of the animated comedy Family Guy.