Michael Che
A dry, street-smart comic who broke barriers as the first Black male head writer at SNL and co-anchor of its iconic Weekend Update desk.
Born 1983 (age 43)·American comedian and actor·Birthday: May 19·Millennials
Biography
Michael Che's comedy feels like a late-night conversation on a city stoop—wearily observant, deceptively sharp, and delivered with a laid-back cadence that makes the punchlines land harder. Cutting his teeth in New York's stand-up clubs, his voice was too distinct to remain behind the mic. He joined 'Saturday Night Live' as a writer in 2013, and a year later was thrust into the spotlight as co-anchor of Weekend Update alongside Colin Jost. The pairing was electric, with Che's grounded, skeptical demeanor playing perfectly off Jost's prep-school earnestness. In 2017, he added another line to his legacy by becoming, alongside Jost, the first Black male head writer in SNL's history. His humor often tackles race, politics, and social dynamics with a shrugged-shoulders realism, avoiding preachiness for wry, relatable insight. Beyond the studio, his Netflix specials and his segment 'Che's World' reveal a comic deeply connected to his New York roots, translating the absurdities of everyday life into a uniquely modern brand of satire.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Michael was born in 1983, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1988Started school
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 40
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became co-anchor of 'Saturday Night Live's' Weekend Update desk in 2014, forming a defining partnership with Colin Jost.
- Served as a co-head writer for 'Saturday Night Live' from 2017 to 2022.
- Created and starred in the HBO Max comedy special 'Michael Che: Shame the Devil.'
- Co-hosted the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2018 with Colin Jost.
Did You Know?
He worked as a writer for 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' before joining SNL.
Che briefly attended the University of Alabama before dropping out to pursue comedy.
He is a talented visual artist and has sold his paintings.
His grandmother nicknamed him 'Michael Che' as a child, and he later legally changed his last name from Campbell.
“I think the Update desk works best when it feels like two friends talking about the news.”
