Good things come to those who wait. At 38, "Saturday Night Live's" former head writer, Tina Fey, has proved the veracity of that age-old adage.

As 2008's white-hot lightening rod of coolness, this smoking comedian and writer could do no wrong on screen or off.

A year ago Fey was that snarky "Weekend Update" chic from "SNL." Now she's a movie star with the film "Baby Mama," an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress for "30 Rock", a woman with a new book deal and a star gracing the covers of America's top entertainment mags.

Fey even snagged a spot on Barbara Walters' 2008's list of America's top 10 most fascinating people - the ultimate litmus test for real, A-list arrival.

And why? Two words: Sarah Palin.

Even before that folksy Alaskan babe threw her hat in with John McCain and polished those pumps for the Republican's race to the White House, Fey had clearly impressed us as "30 Rock's" Liz Lemon. As the "everywoman" professional on NBC's hit, which Fey created, we lapped up the frantic, neurotic, cheese-downing nut whose life ricocheted from one insane mishap to another.

So when network exec Jack, (Alec Baldwin) kissed Lemon's forehead in one episode, said, "Mmmm. You taste good," we howled when Fey's alter ego blurted out, "It's anti-age cream."

It's crazy honest, but honest none-the-less and that, in a nutshell, is what has endeared Fey to North American audiences.

Fey's off-screen honesty is no slouch either. When asked to describe Paris Hilton's "SNL" appearance in 2006 on Howard Stern's Sirius Satellite radio show Fey said, "She's a piece of sh*t...She's unbelievably dumb and so proud of how dumb she is. She looks like a tranny up close."

Love ya Tina!

As for "SNL" guest star Matthew McConaughey - a guy who's always showing up with his shirt off, (or as Fey snarked, "Yeah, here's my deal. I'm hot."), he walked into a meeting, shirtless once again and in an "old musty sarong." Did McConaughey smell great? Ah, no Fey replied.

See? Honesty, again.

Fey's secret: Making it all look easy

Even when Fey wrote the script for the 2004 teen comedy "Mean Girls" -- a flick that sealed Lindsay Lohan's fame -- Fey nailed all the catty, highschool drama that "girlfriends" indulge in while putting on their mascara and knifing each other in the back.

Cold, but as Fey proved all too brilliantly that's the way it is.

Yet as the annals of honesty nothing compares with Fey's straight-up, "Invasion of the Body Snatcher's"-like impersonation of Palin.

Like some Faustian wish come true, Fey put on those pumps, beehived that hairdo, donned the power suit and specs and spat out the homey, "fireside chat" inanities that, to some people's minds, single-handedly destroyed Palin's chances for an election win.

Fey's eerie transformation into Palin was the stuff of brilliance. Better than an Oscar, bigger than a seat in the Oval Office, Fey's take on Palin turned a nerdy kid-turned-comic queen to into a sexy, sought-after cultural icon. That, as they say in show biz, is as good as it gets.

How did Fey do it? As "SNL" head writer Seth Meyers told USA Today, Fey "works really hard to make it look easy. People don't realize how she has watched (Palin) to pick up all the minutiae. She has killer instincts."

Honest, hard-working, talented...Hmm. In an industry that still categorizes women as either hotties or funny girls, Fey snagged our attention by doing one thing really: She worked for it.

Tina Fey may not be Sophia Loren or Britney Spears - although she could probably convince us that were true in a "SNL" skit. But with her searing take on human foibles and a huge talent for translating that into something wildly funny, Fey invaded our collective consciousness in 2008 and become what Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Dean and Brando once were and still are: Legendary superstars.

Who knows what lofty new heights Fey will scale in 2009? But if Fey's A-lister ascent in 2008 says anything at all it's summed up by another age-old adage: Overnight sensations are usually those who've have worked like a dog for 20 years to make success happen.