Colin Jost Reveals His Dream ‘SNL’ Host and More Highlights From His Reddit AMA
Colin Jost participated in a Reddit AMA on Tuesday afternoon, responding to questions in a humorous manner and sharing some valuable insight and advice. The topics of discussion ranged from his new film, “Staten Island Summer,” to his career at “Saturday Night Live,” where he recently made the transition from one of the head writers to a performer, replacing Seth Meyers on Weekend Update.
His new film, “Staten Island Summer,” will be on Netflix on July 30, 2015 — featuring a “SNL”-based cast, it follows a group of lifeguards in Staten Island as they attempt to throw a staff party on the last weekend of summer. Check out some of the highlights form his Reddit AMA below:
Who would he like to see host SNL who never has before?
“The two I most want to see host are Stephen Colbert and Dave Chappelle.”
Who was his personal favorite SNL host?
“One of my favorites of all time was my childhood hero Jim Carrey.” Colin went on to joke about his least favorite, “One of my least favorites, from a legal standpoint, was Robert Blake.”
Did Seth Meyers prep you for Weekend Update?
When asked if Seth Meyers prepped him for WU, Meyers was spelled like Myers. Jost decided not to answer the question directly and took the time to correct the spelling, “Fun fact: It’s Seth Meyers. Seth Myers is a nickname for Seth Greene when he plays Mike Myers’s son in ‘Austin Powers.'”
When did he know he wanted to be a comedian?
“I never thought about “being” in comedy when I grew up, because I didn’t know it was a real job. But looking back, it’s the only thing I ever really cared about.”
What advice does he have for aspiring performers?
“Find other people who make you laugh and spend as much time with them as you can. They’ll make you better and keep you motivated.”
How was the transition from writer to performer on SNL?
“It was pretty crazy. I already had a whole rhythm to my week as a writer, so it took a while to change it up and focus more on performing than on writing. Here’s what helped a ton: Rob Klein and Bryan Tucker took over most of the Head Writer job and they’re two of the funniest writers I’ve ever met. Rob and Bryan and I write a lot together for the show. Also Dennis McNicholas, who used to be one of the head writers with Tina Fey and Adam McKay, started producing WU last year and that was awesome. And our WU writers are the best and made our jobs a lot more fun: Pete Schultz (Leslie [Jones] calls him “Franklin”), Josh Patten (Leslie calls him “Clarence”), Katie Rich (Leslie calls her “Rachel”), and Megan Callahan (Leslie has not yet addressed her by name.)”
What was his favorite behind the scenes moment at SNL?
“The craziest moment was walking out to do Weekend Update and my first joke was about the Patriots and Deflategate and the one person I passed walking to the desk was Robert Kraft. He was just hanging out and watching the show in our studio. I was like, “Hey… Ear muffs?”
Does he have influences from the UK?
“Many, yes. Evelyn Waugh, Martin Amis and ‘A Fish Called Wanda’ are three that come to mind. Plus ‘Harry Potter’ for his style.”
What’s his favorite street in NYC?
“I love Avenue B for some reason. It’s not all cocky like Avenue A.”
