Tina Fey delighted audiences nationwide for seven years as Liz Lemon, the quirky writer of a fictional NBC sketch comedy show called ‘TGS with Tracy Jordan’ on ‘30 Rock.’
'30 Rock', which Fey created, was evidently based on her experiences as a head writer on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and featured her engaging in all sorts of crazy behavior, like putting on 'Star Wars' costumes, trying different foreign accents, and attempting to “shotgun” an entire pizza.
Believe it or not, there were lots of hidden gems that helped make this beloved sitcom, a lot of which were taken from either Fey’s personal life or those of the people she knew best.
Here are 15 fun facts about Fey’s time on ‘30 Rock.’
15 Her Character, Liz Lemon, Has A Framed Photo Of A 'Bust' Magazine Cover Featuring Amy Poehler
It's no secret to most 'SNL' fans that former 'Weekend Update' co-anchors Fey and Poehler are inseparable best friends, but were you aware Poehler's face appeared on '30 Rock?' You can see her on the wall of Liz Lemon's offices in multiple episodes, as well as a pic of Fey beside legendary 'SNL' announcer Don Pardo.
14 She Dressed Up As Princess Leia On The Show Because She Loves 'Star Wars'
If you ever wondered what on Earth prompted Liz to dress up as Princess Leia multiple times throughout the series, it wasn't totally random. Fey is actually a self-professed 'Star Wars' fan. "I don't really think it's fair for me to be in a jury because I can read thoughts" is perhaps one of the greatest lines from the show.
13 She Returned To Set Just 2 Months After Giving Birth To Second Daughter Penelope
Talk about getting back to work as fast as lightning! Less than a trimester after Fey's younger daughter Penelope was born in 2011, Fey returned to the set of '30 Rock' and stood prepared to swing back into action. Who knows how long her shooting days were at that point, but by Job, do we respect her.
12 Fey Took Liz Lemon's Famous Phrase 'I Want To Go To There' From Her Eldest Daughter, Alice
Fey didn't just take inspiration from her life at 'SNL' for the iconic jokes on '30 Rock.' Lemon's infamous "I want to go there" reportedly came from none other than Fey's eldest daughter, Alice, who even cameoed on the show in a flashback episode that showed a young Liz Lemon. Adorable!
11 Liz Lemon & Jack Donaghy's Relationship Is Based On Fey's Relationship With SNL's Lorne Michaels
'SNL' creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels has forged a strong relationship with many alum of the show, and Tina Fey is undoubtedly one of them. The witty repartee between Liz and Jack was a mirror on their relationship, in case anyone has ever wondered what it was like. Pretty cool, right?
10 '30 Rock' Was Originally Intended To Be About Cable News (Like Bill O'Reilly's 'Factor'), Not Sketch Comedy
Originally, Fey had pitched an idea for her show that revolved around a cable news show, like 'The O'Reilly Factor.' Fey even said that had this plan developed, her show might have turned out similarly to HBO's short-lived drama 'The Newsroom.' We're glad she stuck with sketch comedy, because her humor is timeless.
9 Fey Pitched 'The Peacock' For The Title, But NBC Refused To Mock Their Own Logo
According to mentalfloss.com, 'Rock Center' was initially supposed to be one of the other titles for the series. When Fey suggested 'Peacock,' NBC showed reluctance toward making fun of their own logo. That will be the name of the network's upcoming streaming service, however, so someone must have come around to it.
8 Jon Hamm Auditioned To Play Jack, But Fey Knew They Likely Wouldn't Get Him
"You know, you guys, we probably aren’t going to get Jon Hamm," Fey once revealed to Entertainment Weekly that she told the crew of '30 Rock.' However, the 'Mad Men' star ended up playing a different part on the sitcom: Dr. Drew Baird, one of Liz's love interests. You can't miss out on a little Jon Hamm!
7 Fey Feared '30 Rock' Would Be Cancelled After One Season Or Less
It's common for many first-time sitcom creators to fear a new show will get cancelled before it even has a chance to grow, and Fey's case was no different. Jane Krakowski even revealed that Fey referred to one episode from Season 1 as 'Goodbye America' because she was convinced '30 Rock' wouldn't last much longer.
6 Fey & The Writers Thought About Having Liz Adopt A 12-Year-Old Boy In Season 2
Imagine what a twist this would have been for the end of Season 2? Since Liz is the type of woman who is dead-set on achieving all her goals, the writers tinkered with this idea but then tossed it out last-minute. Per Entertainment Weekly, NBC vowed to push for this concept over the summer, but this never happened.
