Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation

Amy Poehler signed off from Saturday Night Live with New York’s blind governor David Paterson (Fred Armisen) walking through her heartfelt goodbye. Now she’s leading NBC’s new comedy Parks and Recreation, where she plays ambitious local politician Leslie Knope.

CraveOnline: Did you know they would have the blind governor walking through your goodbye on SNL?

Amy Poehler: Oh yeah, I did.

CraveOnline: And you still cracked?

Amy Poehler: Oh, I did because we didn't rehearse it but I knew that Fred would just interrupt me. I adore Fred and I was so happy to have a little moment and then so happy that it was followed by a joke.

CraveOnline: What was it like having Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin on?

Amy Poehler: Oh, it was fun.

CraveOnline: What did you learn from them?

Amy Poehler: It's always great to have people on the show.

CraveOnline: Will you be involved in casting Parks and Recreation?

Amy Poehler: I'm going to ask people just come, twirl around. Yeah, we've been kind of talking about it and there's some people in mind.

CraveOnline: So we may see some people you've worked with before?

Amy Poehler: No, I don't think anyone I've worked with before. All new.

CraveOnline: Why are you shooting in L.A. and not New York?

Amy Poehler: Good question. I want to go back to New York. I think, I don't know. I think just Greg and Mike kind of have their things running out here and then who knows? Then we'll move it to New York. How about that?

CraveOnline: Are you an L.A. person?

Amy Poehler: I love it out here. [Wide eyed] No, but I still live in New York.

CraveOnline: Is Leslie Knope a spoof of any well known political figures?

Amy Poehler: I think that Leslie, my character, looks to a lot of women in politics for inspiration, and there's so many now. So it really doesn't kind of specifically deal with trying, in any way, to tap into any of those women specifically, but she certainly looks at a lot of those women in the media and in politics right now as kind of her heroes. They are her Cal Ripkens and what have you. So I think it's that. I think it's aspiring to that, but certainly kind of not living in that world.

CraveOnline: Specifically for you, is Leslie trying to be like Hilary Clinton?

Amy Poehler: Not in any way similar to how to play it certainly. I think that this character is well aware of Hilary and, kind of like in the way that she along with many kind of female politicians have paved the way and opened many doors, so she, again, kind of looks at her as a role model. But certainly, Leslie, being the deputy chairwoman of the Department of Parks and Recreation, does not have as much to do with Hillary as you would think.

CraveOnline: What made you decide to do a show now?

Amy Poehler: The opportunity to be able to work with Mike and Greg and Rashida and Aziz and everyone who is involved in the show was absolutely the reason why I wanted to do it. I was excited about the idea of being able to turn the volume down a little bit and sit with a character for a while. SNL is an amazing place to work, but the ideas and scenes and characters were very transient, and I was very excited about the idea of working with these guys who are the best at what they do and really being able to be a real character for a while.

CraveOnline: How do you anticipate it will be to play just one character?

Amy Poehler: I'm really excited about that to be able to work with these guys whose writing I've admired for a very long time. So to really genuinely be able to get invested in someone very specific and very real is something I'm really excited about.

CraveOnline: What was your reaction to the SNL they did the weekend your baby was born?

Amy Poehler: Uncontrollable sobbing. It really was. That night, I watched it from my hospital bed with my son. He was conveniently born at 6 p.m. so I was able to watch the show at 11:30. I did. I watched it live. It was amazing. As we know who have worked there, you really become a family, and to be able to have been there during such an amazing season and also to have been able to leave in such a cool way and for my friends to do such a tribute was really emotional and beautiful. I'm verythankful to have had it.

CraveOnline: Traditionally SNL launches more male success stories than women. Why do you think that’s been?

Amy Poehler: I don't know. I think that's probably changing. I mean, I think Lorne Michaels has done more for women in comedy than anyone I know. So I think that the ladies on that show in the past decade have been super-strong. So I think maybe that's changing. I think maybe that will be an old story. I'd like to think I can maybe be part of that, making that an old story.

CraveOnline: Will you still be involved with Upright Citizens Brigade?

Amy Poehler: Most definitely, yeah.

CraveOnline: Could you still make appearances on SNL?

Amy Poehler: I think that's done, yeah. I think there are so many talented people there, who want to get their stuff on. But, you know, certainly that show is always a place that you can return to and kind of stop by, but I don't think that will be happening any time soon.

CraveOnline: Does your son have dual citizenship?

Amy Poehler: Yeah. Automatically. My husband has two passports, and he likes to pretend. Sometimes he likes to take his passports and throw them on the bed and pretend he's Jason Bourne and he doesn't know which passport. That's his joke. He pretends to pack a bag really furiously, and he rifles through his two passports. So I'm hoping my son to be able to do the same thing.

CraveOnline: Will Will guest on the show at some point?

Amy Poehler: I don't know. Will's working on his show for Fox so we're just happy to be working, in this economy.

CraveOnline: How are you balancing work and motherhood?

Amy Poehler: Good, good. I feel lucky, feel very blessed and lucky, just thankful.