Ana Gasteyer

I live in Brooklyn.

I'm not much of a famous-person friend. I've hung out with Brooke Shields and I don't think I've ever seen that kind of pure face recognition, but I keep a low profile.

I'm friends with a lot of actresses, but my 'SNL' friends are my closest. The experience of working there is something of a battleground, a great one, but complicated. I think there's a deep connection for having survived that workplace.

I've always lived in a city. I'm very social, and in a place like New York, even if you're alone on the subway, you never feel lonely.

I was inspired more by early Bette Midler. I do wear a fancy dress and very high heels - and extra high hair. My goal is to obliterate all earnestness.

It's so easy in these cabaret venues to get earnest.

Losing yourself in the character opens you up in a way that no amount of precise preparation can.

I'm so bad at spontaneous impressions.

It's definitely like being in some weird sorority. I'm friends with a lot of actresses, but my 'SNL' friends are my closest.

It's funny, there are so many women who are former executives and have taken all that stress and anxiety and transferred it onto their kids.

I'm pretty earthy; I nursed forever because I liked it and my kids liked it, but at the same time I'm very laissez-faire about stuff like bedtimes and food.

Be tenacious. Get as much stage time as possible.

I'd like to say that parody is a celebration of a person's specific characteristics, as opposed to mockery.

I'm very social, and in a place like New York, even if you're alone on the subway, you never feel lonely.

I've always lived in a city.

I love people who try to keep the world in control - because the world is inherently not in control.

You know, once somebody knows you can sing Elphaba, it's like being able to sing Evita - people shut up about it already.

I'm not a standup, but I play one on TV.

I'm a liberal inside a liberal's body.

I played Liddy Dole last year and met her as well. From the artful way she phrased it, I still don't know if she had actually seen me play her. She made it sound like it was good, but that's just a gift they have.

I always loved comedy but I didn't start formally until I was in college.