Tina Fey Says Her Daughter Landed A Role In "Girls5eva" By Accident

    "Penelope, you're up."

    Emily Mae Czachor
    by Emily Mae Czachor

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Almost every member of Tina Fey's immediate family had a hand in bringing Girls5eva to life.

    Tina Fey sits in an armchair while speaking at a Tribeca Film Festival event in New York City
    Cindy Ord / Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

    The writer and comedian known for her work on shows like 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live — to name just a couple of credits — served as one of the popular musical series' executive producers, while her husband, Jeff Richmond, composed much of its original soundtrack.

    Fey and Richmond's youngest daughter, Penelope Richmond, appeared in several episodes of the show as well — and during an interview on Today, Fey explained how her daughter ended up landing the role.

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    "There was a part for a 9-year-old, and I was like, 'If we don't let her audition for this, she's going to kill us,'" Tina recalled.

    Busy Philipps, Sara Bareilles, Ashley Park, Erika Henningsen, and Renée Elise Goldsberry pose together in a still image taken from the second episode of "Girls5Eva"
    Peacock / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

    "She auditioned, she put herself on tape, and then [Girls5eva creator Meredith Scardino] was like, 'Should we give her the part?' And I was like, 'No...I can't let, you know, the boss's kid get the first job they ever audition for,'" she continued.

    Busy Philipps, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sara Bareilles, and Paula Pell look surprised in a still image from the third episode of "Girls5eva"
    Peacock / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

    Penelope's addition to Girls5eva, which stars Busy Philipps, Paula Pell, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Sara Bareilles, turned out to be a serendipitous casting switch. Tina told the Today hosts that her daughter "did a great job" and "brought all [her] manners" to set, too.

    Paula Pell, Sara Bareilles, and Busy Philipps cheer in this still image from the eighth episode of "Girls5eva"
    Peacock / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

    Peacock announced its decision to renew Girls5eva for a second season this week. So who knows — maybe we'll be seeing more of Penelope when the series returns for round two!