Colin Jost
- In full:
- Colin Kelly Jost
- Born:
- June 29, 1982, Staten Island, New York, U.S. (age 42)
- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Scarlett Johansson
What is Colin Jost known for?
Where did Colin Jost go to college?
Does Colin Jost have children?
News •
Colin Jost (born June 29, 1982, Staten Island, New York, U.S.) is an American comedian, actor, and writer who uses his self-deprecating style to great effect as the longtime cohost (2014– ) of Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update.” Jost, who joined the sketch-comedy show in 2005, has also served as a co-head writer (2012–15 and 2017–22).
Early life
Jost is the eldest of two sons born to Daniel A. Jost, a teacher at Staten Island Technical High School, and Kerry J. Kelly, a chief medical officer for the New York City Fire Department. The family lived in the New York City borough of Staten Island. Colin Jost attended Regis High School, a tuition-free Catholic school in Manhattan. Every day he made the 90-minute trip, which required him to take a bus, ferry, and the subway. While at Regis, he was a member of the speech and debate team.
After graduating from high school in 2000, Jost went to Harvard University, where he was president of the Harvard Lampoon, the university’s famous humor magazine. He also wrote for the school newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. During his freshman year, he lived in the same dorm as Pete Buttigieg, the future U.S. secretary of transportation; when Buttigieg ran for president in 2020, Jost played him on Saturday Night Live (SNL). Jost, who studied history and literature, graduated from Harvard in 2004.
Saturday Night Live
Jost joined the writing staff of SNL in 2005, at age 22. In 2009 he became writing supervisor, and three years later he was elevated to a co-head writer of the show. He held that post until 2015.
In March 2014 Jost became coanchor of “Weekend Update,” replacing Seth Meyers, who had left to host his own late-night TV show. Jost was initially paired with Cecily Strong, but she was replaced by Michael Che in September 2014. Jost and Che have a great on-air rapport, but it was not instantaneous. Jost said in a 2022 New York Times interview that it “definitely took a while for us to figure it out, individually and together, and that’s why it’s satisfying now to be out there and get to enjoy it after years where it felt like a struggle.”
One of their most famous bits is reading jokes they have written for each other live on air, without having seen the jokes ahead of time. Che, who is Black, often writes jokes for Jost that make him seem like a racist. “I literally try to come up with the worst possible things for him to say, because there’s nothing really bad to say about him,” Che told The New York Times in 2020. In 2017 they became co-head writers of SNL, positions they held until 2022. In October 2021 Jost made his 155th appearances on “Weekend Update,” breaking the record set by Meyers.
Jost was part of the SNL team that won two Peabody Awards for political satire (2008 and 2017). He has also received five Writers Guild Awards (2007, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2018) for his work on the show.
Other activities
Jost wrote the screenplay for Staten Island Summer (2015), a comedy about teenage lifeguards. He also had a small role in the movie, and he later appeared in How to Be Single (2016). His other movies include the animated Tom & Jerry and Coming 2 America (both 2021). In 2018 he and Che cohosted the Emmy Awards ceremony. Jost later became host of the TV game show Pop Culture Jeopardy! (2024– ).
Personal life
In 2020 Jost published the memoir A Very Punchable Face. Later that year he married actress Scarlett Johansson, and in 2021 the couple had a son. Jost is also stepfather to Johansson’s daughter from a previous marriage. In 2024 Johansson and Jost appeared in the comedy Fly Me to the Moon. That year Jost hosted the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. “Some incredible news organizations here,” he told the crowd. “Also, some credible ones.”