Cecily Legler Strong (born February 8, 1984) is an American actress and comedian who was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2022. She was born in Springfield, Illinois, and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, an inner-ring suburb of Chicago. She is the daughter of Penelope and William "Bill" Strong, who worked as an Associated Press bureau chief and is now managing partner at a Chicago public relations firm. Strong's parents are divorced. Strong grew up adoring SNL as a child, reenacting sketches with her friend and watching old SNL commercials on VHS. "I had a tape of the best commercials, and I wore it out every day." She has stated that Phil Hartman inspired her.