Claim: Amy Poehler started an American theater.

Amy Meredith Poehler -LRB- -LSB- ˈpoʊlər -RSB- born September 16 , 1971 -RRB- is an American actress , comedian , director , producer , and writer . After studying improv at Chicago 's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s , she went to New York City in 1996 to become part of the improvisational comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade . The group 's act became a half-hour sketch comedy series on Comedy Central in 1998 . Along with other members of the comedy group , Poehler was a founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre .   She is best known by starring as Leslie Knope in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation , for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Musical or Comedy Series in 2014 and a Critics ' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 2012 . Poehler was a cast member on the NBC television series Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008 and became co-anchor of SNL 's Weekend Update in 2004 alongside friend and colleague Tina Fey . She is also known for voicing Joy from Inside Out , Sally O'Malley from the Horton Hears a Who ! movie adaption , Bessie Higgenbottom in the 2008 -- 2011 Nickelodeon series , The Mighty B ! and Homily Clock from the American-English dub of The Secret World of Arrietty .   Poehler served as an executive producer on the Swedish-American sitcom Welcome to Sweden , along with her brother Greg Poehler . The series aired on NBC . She is also an executive producer on Broad City which airs on Comedy Central , and appeared in the season one finale . Since August 2015 , she has served as an executive producer on the Hulu original series Difficult People , which stars her former Parks and Recreation co-star Billy Eichner and comedian Julie Klausner , the latter of whom is the creator of the show . In December 2015 , Poehler received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions in television . An 18-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee , she won the 2016 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live .