Heidi Gardner

**Heidi Lynn Gardner** (born *July 27, 1983*) is an American actress, comedian, and writer whose career has spanned television, film, and stage. Raised in Kansas City, Missouri, she grew up working part‑time at the historic Tivoli Theatre, a job she later credited with “setting the tone in her life.” Gardner attended the all‑girls Catholic high school Notre Dame de Sion, where she was voted *most likely to be a cast member of Saturday Night Live* by her classmates. After brief stints at the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri, she dropped out at twenty‑one, moved to Los Angeles, and spent nine years cutting hair at a salon while dreaming of comedy. A friend’s invitation to a Groundlings performance sparked her determination to pursue acting; she threw herself into improvisation workshops, earned a spot in the Groundlings Sunday Company in 2014, and by the following year was promoted to the Main Company, prompting her to leave hairstyling behind.

Gardner’s breakout came when she joined *Saturday Night Live* as a featured player for the 43rd season in 2017, later rising to repertory status in 2019. Over eight seasons she created memorable recurring characters such as Angel, Bailey Gismert, and Baskin Johns, and even broke character in a Beavis & Butt‑Head‑themed sketch, a moment praised for its “spectacularly charming” spontaneity. Outside SNL, she lent her voice to animated series like *Bratz*, *SuperMansion*, and *Mike Tyson Mysteries*, appeared in the Ben Falcone‑directed film *Life of the Party*, and made her stage debut in Michael Frayn’s *Noises Off*. A longtime fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, Gardner married Marvel writer Zeb Wells in 2010, a union that ended in 2023. As of 2024 she resides in Leawood, Kansas, where she purchased a mid‑century modern home, continuing to balance her comedic talents with writing and occasional voice work.