Amy Poehler and National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson Photo by Brendan Bannon

Comedienne Amy Poehler has joined the National Comedy Center’s Advisory Board of Directors.

With a wide-ranging comedy career that spans improv, sketch, situation comedy and feature films, the Emmy Award-winning Poehler has been acclaimed for her eight years as a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live, as lead actor, producer and writer on Parks and Recreation, and most recently, as a feature film director/producer and television producer.

“Amy has been as influential to comedy as the predecessors she reveres as legends. That mix of being one of the art form’s most important creators, while having a keen appreciation for the work of comedic talent from generations’ past, makes her a perfect fit for the National Comedy Center’s board and mission,” said Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center Executive Director.

Poehler fills the Advisory Board seat formerly held by legendary talent manager and producer George Shapiro, who passed away earlier this year after a seven-decade career managing comedic artists including Jerry Seinfeld, Andy Kaufman and Carl Reiner and serving as an executive producer of Seinfeld. Poehler joins a robust group of artists, creators, directors, producers and writers on the National Comedy Center Advisory Board. In 2021, Poehler worked closely with the National Comedy Center’s Archives and Preservation Department on research for her critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning Amazon documentary Lucy and Desi, which she directed and also executive produced alongside Imagine Documentaries and White Horse Pictures. Poehler hosted a premiere of the film in Jamestown, NY at the National Comedy Center before it made its nationwide debut on Prime Video earlier this year. 

“I’m honored to be joining the National Comedy Center’s Advisory Board,” Poehler said. “In my time spent at the National Comedy Center, working closely with its executive director Journey Gunderson, Director of Archives Dr. Laura LaPlaca and their teams, it’s clear that this is an incredible organization and a very special place. Every visit is a mind-blowing experience for me — it’s become my favorite museum of all time. The National Comedy Center is doing extraordinary work to preserve stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, sitcoms, cartoons and so much more. Now, more than ever, we need to celebrate this art form, which heals us, soothes us and unites us. So, it’s really a privilege for me to be a part of this organization.”

Poehler is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and sought-after talents with credits including that of actress, writer, executive producer, and bestselling author. Poehler, perhaps best known for her starring role on the Emmy-nominated NBC comedy series ?Parks and Recreation, can next be seen as co-host alongside Maya Rudolph in the second season of Peacock’s Baking It, where she also serves as executive producer. Other recent projects include serving as co-creator, executive producer, and the lead voice of FOX’s animated series Duncanville, executive producer of Netflix’s Emmy-nominated series Russian Doll, Amazon’s Harlem and Adult Swim’s Three Busy Debras. On March 4, Poehler made her documentary directorial debut with Amazon’s Emmy-winning documentary Lucy and Desi where she also executive produces alongside Imagine Documentaries & White Horse Pictures. She recently starred and directed in Netflix’s Moxie and as well as appearing as co-host (alongside Nick Offerman) and executive producer of the hit crafting competition series Making It. She has a number of additional projects in development as part of her successful production company Paper Kite Productions, including the thriller-drama The Mother-In-Law, Peacock’s unscripted series The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and the Netflix animated feature Steps.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Amy to the Advisory Board,” said Pete Docter, National Comedy Center Advisory Board member and chief creative officer of Pixar. “She’s a comedic force, whether in front of the camera or behind it. We’ve both experienced the Center first-hand, and value the important work this cultural institution is doing to provide education on the art form of comedy, and to preserve its heritage.”

The National Comedy Center opened in 2018 and has collaborated with dozens of artists and estates to preserve materials that represent comedy’s significant artistic, social, and political contributions to American culture including collections illustrating the careers of legendary artists like George Carlin, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Carl Reiner, Betty White, Johnny Carson, Lenny Bruce, The Smothers Brothers, and the development of groundbreaking creative work such as sketch comedy series In Living Color, Saturday Night Live, and more. Two new exhibits opened this past summer – Johnny Carson: The Immersive Experience Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, a multi-screen theater presentation celebrating Johnny Carson’s 30 years hosting The Tonight Show 30 years later, and Carl Reiner: Keep Laughing, a multi-media, interactive exhibit that honors and celebrates Carl Reiner during his centennial year.

Within the Comedy Center’s museum galleries, more than 50 interactive exhibits and immersive experiences employ cutting-edge technology to present the story of comedy from its origins to the present day – using archival documents, artifacts, and media as their core. Its educational programming on the art form has featured George Lopez, Tiffany Haddish, Margaret Cho, Norman Lear, Debra Messing, Rain Pryor (daughter of Richard Pryor), Jay Leno, Kenan Thompson, Gabriel Iglesias, Ben Stiller, John Cleese, Jimmy Fallon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and many more.

“On behalf of the entire Advisory Board, we are delighted to have the gifted Amy Poehler join us,” said comedian, writer and actor Lewis Black, National Comedy Center Advisory Board chair. “Amy understands the importance of comedy and the incredible impact it can have on our culture. We are so lucky to have her and look forward to working with her as we continue to fulfill the Comedy Center’s non-profit mission.”