Colin Jost
Colin Kelly Jost (born June 29, 1982) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and author best known for his work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live (SNL), where he joined as a staff writer in 2005, served as head writer from 2012 to 2015, and has co-anchored the "Weekend Update" segment since 2014 alongside Michael Che.[1][2][3] Jost graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in history and literature, during which time he was president of the Harvard Lampoon, the university's student satire publication.[3][2] His contributions to SNL have earned him five Writers Guild of America Awards, two Peabody Awards, and multiple Primetime Emmy nominations for outstanding writing for a variety series, including a 2025 win for the SNL 50th anniversary special.[1][4] In addition to television, Jost has appeared in films such as Staten Island Summer (2015), which he wrote and produced, and authored the 2020 memoir A Very Punchable Face, chronicling his career and personal anecdotes.[1][2] Jost married actress Scarlett Johansson in October 2020, and the couple welcomed a son in 2021.[5][6]Early Life and Education
Family Background and Upbringing
Colin Jost was born on June 29, 1982, in Staten Island, New York.[2] His father, Daniel A. Jost, worked as a teacher at Staten Island Technical High School.[7] His mother, Kerry J. Kelly, served as the chief medical officer for the New York City Fire Department and practiced as a physician.[2] Jost grew up in the Grymes Hill neighborhood of Staten Island alongside his younger brother, Casey Jost, who later became a writer and producer known for work on Impractical Jokers.[7] The family resided in this area during his early years, with his parents' professional commitments in education and public health shaping a household oriented toward public service and achievement.[8] During significant events like the September 11, 2001, attacks, Jost's family experienced direct impacts: his mother, as chief medical officer, managed emergency responses at Ground Zero, while his brother was in school on Staten Island and his father remained at home.[9] Jost himself was attending Harvard University at the time, but the incident underscored the family's ties to New York City's public safety infrastructure.[9] His upbringing in this environment fostered an early interest in writing and comedy, influenced by the observational humor derived from suburban Staten Island life.[8]Academic Achievements and Influences
Jost enrolled at Harvard University after graduating from Regis High School in New York City in 2000, initially considering economics before shifting to a concentration in the history and literature of Russia and Britain.[10] This academic pivot reflected his growing interest in expansive narratives and literary analysis, which he credited with deepening his appreciation for structured storytelling applicable to comedy.[11] He completed a senior thesis examining aspects of Vladimir Nabokov's work within Russian literary traditions, demonstrating rigorous engagement with primary texts and critical interpretation.[10] In 2004, Jost graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Literature from Harvard College.[12] His undergraduate tenure included leadership roles that bridged academia and creative writing; he served as president of the Harvard Lampoon, the nation's oldest continuously published humor magazine, where he contributed satirical pieces and edited content that parodied literary and cultural tropes.[13] This position, held during his later years, involved collaborative editing of parody editions mimicking prestigious journals, fostering skills in concise, ironic prose that later informed his professional writing.[10] The Russian and British literary canon studied at Harvard—encompassing authors like Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Nabokov on the Russian side, alongside figures such as Dickens and Orwell—influenced Jost's approach to character-driven humor and social observation, as evidenced by his early Lampoon submissions drawing on these traditions for absurd yet pointed satire.[14] While Jost has not detailed specific pedagogical influences from professors, his coursework emphasized historical context in literature, which he later described as equipping him to dissect power dynamics and human folly in comedic sketches.[10] These academic experiences provided a foundation distinct from purely performative comedy training, prioritizing textual precision over improvisation.Career
Early Writing and Comedy Beginnings
Jost's involvement in comedy writing began during his time at Harvard University, where he served as president of the Harvard Lampoon, a prestigious student-run humor publication known for satirical content.[15] This role honed his skills in crafting comedic sketches and articles, providing foundational experience that directly influenced his later professional pursuits.[16] Following his graduation from Harvard in 2004 with a degree in History and Literature, Jost initially worked as a reporter and copy editor at the Staten Island Advance, a local newspaper, where he contributed to news and feature writing.[17] He soon transitioned to television scriptwriting, contributing as a writer for the Nickelodeon animated series Kappa Mikey, which aired from 2006 to 2008 and followed a group of aspiring performers in Japan.[3] [18] These early gigs marked his entry into professional comedy production, emphasizing structured narrative humor over his prior academic satire. In 2005, at age 22, Jost joined the writing staff of Saturday Night Live (SNL), bypassing traditional stand-up circuits in favor of sketch-based television writing.[19] [1] His rapid hire reflected the value placed on his Lampoon credentials and demonstrated writing samples, as SNL producers sought fresh talent capable of weekly topical satire.[20] This position represented a pivotal shift, immersing him in high-stakes live comedy production from the outset of his network career.Saturday Night Live Tenure
Jost began his tenure at Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a staff writer in 2005, shortly after graduating from Harvard University.[1] [21] During his early years, he contributed sketches and earned multiple Emmy nominations for writing, reflecting his rapid integration into the show's production process.[22] From 2009 to 2012, Jost advanced to writing supervisor, overseeing script development and team coordination.[15] He then served as co-head writer from 2012 to 2015, collaborating on key segments including political satire during election cycles.[23] In this role, he resumed co-head writer duties from 2017 to 2022, during which the show navigated shifts in hosting talent and topical humor amid cultural events like the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections.[21] Jost transitioned to on-air performing with his debut as co-anchor of Weekend Update on March 1, 2014, initially partnering with Cecily Strong following Seth Meyers' departure to host Late Night.[22] Michael Che joined as his permanent co-anchor starting with the season 40 premiere on September 27, 2014, establishing a duo known for deadpan delivery and alternating joke-writing to inject unpredictability.[24] [25] By October 2025, Jost and Che had anchored over 220 episodes together, marking the longest tenure for any Weekend Update pairing in SNL history, with Jost appearing in additional sketches sporadically, such as cameos in digital shorts and holiday specials.[26] Jost's multifaceted role evolved to emphasize Weekend Update as his primary platform, where he delivers satirical commentary on current events, often drawing from personal anecdotes like his Staten Island roots.[1] The segment under his co-anchorship has received Peabody and Writers Guild awards, though critics have noted occasional reliance on formulaic political jabs.[23] As of the 2025–26 season (season 51), Jost continues in the role, confirmed by his wife Scarlett Johansson amid speculation of potential exits post-season 50.[27]Additional Media Projects and Ventures
Jost authored the memoir A Very Punchable Face, published on April 14, 2020, by Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House.[28] The book, consisting of essays drawn from his personal experiences including childhood on Staten Island and his early career mishaps, debuted at number one on The New York Times bestseller list for hardcover nonfiction and employs self-deprecating humor to recount events such as facial injuries sustained in sketches.[28] In 2015, Jost wrote the screenplay for the coming-of-age comedy film Staten Island Summer, directed by Rhys Thomas and produced by Lorne Michaels, which follows teenage lifeguards planning a major party and draws from Jost's Staten Island upbringing.[29] The Paramount Pictures release featured an ensemble cast including SNL alumni and received mixed reviews for its nostalgic but formulaic portrayal of adolescent antics.[29] Jost maintains an active stand-up comedy career, performing tours across the United States with dates extending into 2025, as promoted on his official website.[30] His routines, often incorporating observational humor on personal and topical subjects, have appeared on platforms like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and comedy festivals, building on his recognition as a "New Face" at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal.[30] In September 2024, Jost co-hosted the live comedy showcase Colin Jost & Michael Che Present: New York After Dark on Peacock, streaming from The Bell House in Brooklyn and featuring guest stand-up performers alongside the SNL Weekend Update duo's banter.[31] This marked Peacock's first live comedy event, emphasizing unscripted interactions and drop-in appearances.[31]Creative Output
Authored Works and Bibliography
Colin Jost authored the memoir A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir, published on July 14, 2020, by Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House.[28] The book comprises a series of self-deprecating, humorous essays recounting his upbringing on Staten Island, early comedic influences, and professional experiences at Saturday Night Live, including mishaps that resulted in facial injuries.[32] It reached the New York Times bestseller list shortly after release, with Jost narrating the audiobook version himself.[33] No additional full-length books by Jost have been published as of 2025. Jost has contributed satirical short-form pieces to The New Yorker, primarily in the "Shouts & Murmurs" and "Daily Shouts" sections, often parodying everyday absurdities and personal anecdotes.[34] Notable examples include:- "Automatic Reply" (Daily Shouts, January 23, 2013), a fictional out-of-office email response exaggerating workplace frustrations.[35]
- "I Will Slap You" (Shouts & Murmurs, February 2, 2015), a hyperbolic rant on petty confrontations.[36]
- "My High-School Commute" (March 9, 2020), detailing the logistical challenges of his daily travel from Staten Island to Manhattan for school.[37]