Skip to main contentSkip to footer

All about Tina Fey's famous husband and family as she reveals her daughters helped with new Mean Girls movie

The Mean Girls creator is a doting mom of two

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON -- Episode 1900 -- Pictured: Actress & comedian Tina Fey during an interview on Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Ahad Sanwari
Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
Share this:

Tina Fey has been making the promotional rounds for the upcoming release of the movie musical version of Mean Girls, which comes out in in theaters on January 12.

The beloved actress, comedian, and writer, 53, has been opening up more and more not just about the lore of the classic teen-comedy, but also her own personal journey, including her life at home with her husband and two daughters.

Read on to learn more about Tina's family life, her famous husband, how they met, their two daughters, and how her daughters helped create the basis for the upcoming Mean Girls movie…

Avantika, Bebe Wood, Jaquel Spivey, Christopher Briney, Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Tina Fey, and Auli'i Cravalho attend a "Mean Girls" photocall at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on December 04, 2023, in Los Angeles, California.© Getty Images
The cast of the 2024 remake of "Mean Girls"

Who is Tina Fey's husband?

Since 2001, Tina has been married to composer, producer, and director Jeff Richmond. The 63-year-old has been a staple of the TV, film, and theater scene for nearly three decades.

Jeff and Tina met while working for improv theater troupe Second City in Chicago in 1994 (she was a performer and he was a pianist who later became their musical director), and later both moved to Saturday Night Live, where Jeff was a composer. After seven years of dating, they tied the knot in 2001.

Tina Fey and husband Jeffrey Richmond during "Mean Girls" New York Premiere at Loews Lincoln Square Theatre in New York City, New York, United States.© Getty Images
Tina and Jeff began dating in 1994 and tied the knot in 2001

They both left in 2006 to work together on the show 30 Rock, which Tina created and starred in, while Jeff produced and composed, even directing five episodes and appearing as an extra several times.

DISCOVER: Mean Girls: where are the cast now?

The couple have since worked together several times, with Jeff composing and often producing for most of his wife's projects, including the Broadway version of Mean Girls (for which he garnered a Tony Award nomination) and the 2024 movie musical version of Mean Girls.

Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond attend the "Mean Girls" premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on January 08, 2024 in New York City© Getty Images
Jeff has composed for much of his wife's work, including the 2024 version of "Mean Girls" and the Broadway musical

Their two daughters, Alice and Penelope

Tina and Jeff share two daughters – 18-year-old Alice Zenobia Richmond, and 12-year-old Penelope Athena Richmond, who seem to have picked up their mom's funny bone.

LOOK: Lindsay Lohan looks 'so fetch' in cut-out gown on Mean Girls pink carpet after welcoming first child

The Date Night actress has frequently gushed about her elder daughter's insight into her work, with Alice even making an appearance on 30 Rock in 2012 as a younger version of Tina's Liz Lemon. In her 2009 SAG Awards acceptance speech, Tina revealed that her daughter was even responsible for the creation of the show's popular catchphrase "I want to go to there."

Jeff Richmond, Alice Zenobia Richmond, Tina Fey, Kerry Butler and Penelope Athena Richmond pose backstage at the hit musical based on the film "Beetlejuice" on Broadway at The Winter Garden Theatre on June 8, 2019 in New York City.© Getty Images
Jeff and Tina share two daughters – Alice Zenobia Richmond and Penelope Athena Richmond

In 2021, younger daughter Penelope made her own screen debut in an episode of Girls5eva playing a nine-year-old child influencer, although her mom was initially hesitant to cast her in the role.

"She auditioned, she put herself on tape. I was like, 'I can't let the boss' kid get the first job they ever audition for,'" she shared on the Today Show. However, when the actress they originally cast was unable to take the job, Penelope stepped up and killed it. "And she was super professional…For kind of a grim year of distance learning and all that stuff, it was a little treat for her."

How did Alice and Penelope influence the 2024 Mean Girls movie?

Tina Fey and daughter Alice Richmond pose at the opening night after party for the new musical "Mean Girls" on Broadway based on the cult film at TAO Downtown on April 8, 2018 in New York City.© Getty Images
Both girls have inherited their mom's natural knack for comedy

In an interview with USA Today, Tina admitted that she would run things by her kids sometimes, and their opinion came in handy for what we think is one of the movie's most crucial details.

READ: Everything Lindsay Lohan and 'Mean Girls' taught me about Y2K style

"Early on, there was conversation of, 'Would the Burn Book still be a physical book or should it be a private Instagram?' I knew what my instinct was, but I ran it by my kids. And my older daughter was like, 'Yeah, no. Don't let those millennials overthink it!'"

Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features, and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.