Colin Jost

Jost recounted that Michael Che met the audience before the show and told them not to laugh at anything Jost said.

“He went and met with the audience before they loaded in, like looked them in the eyes and were like, listen, you're not laughing”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 50:03

Jost said he and Michael Che expected to be fired every summer for at least their first two years on Update.

“for like the first two years at least, we thought we were going to get fired every summer”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 46:46

Jost said his early Update struggles came from nerves that audiences misread as cockiness.

“I think I was really nervous, and I probably smiled or laughed in a way that made people think I was kind of cocky about it”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 47:04

Jost said he envisions the ferry as an accessible pay-as-you-go family swim club in Manhattan.

“I could imagine creating a place like that that's not like a weird fancy members club, but it's actually more like middle class in Manhattan swim club”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 27:26

Jost argued the ferry is not a money pit, saying events have already recouped the investment and docking costs.

“we've done some events on it where we really have already made back the money we've invested and the money we've spent on stuff to dock it”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 26:23

Jost said the ferry cost about $280,000 compared with roughly $300 million for a new boat.

“the new boat cost like $300 million to build. So I was like, I'm getting an old one for only $280,000”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 25:20

Jost said performing in film rather than live felt liberating because he could take risks.

“getting to perform not live is even more liberating because you can just take swings”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 56:23

Jost said The Breadwinner, in which he plays a rival stay-at-home dad, is set for release on May 29.

“breadwinner that's coming out may 29th is what i'm told and i have i think i have a fun part”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 55:33

Jost described being SNL head writer as nightmarish because it added managing colleagues to his writing duties.

“I found it to be a really nightmarish job in a lot of ways because you're suddenly doing the same job you're doing, but you're also having to manage everyone”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 45:35

Jost said an episode he thought was a heart attack at SNL was caused by stress, lack of sleep and sugar.

“It was a combination of stress, not sleeping, and also having all this sugar”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 15:02

Jost argued that serious, driven peers are essential for learning, healthy competition and hearing about opportunities.

“you find people that are serious about something, even if it's comedy, and are really driven or really, you know, and then you learn from them”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 41:51

Jost said he realized his earlier activities had all been comedy versions of other pursuits, pointing him toward comedy.

“So I just, I started realizing that that was probably where my interest was, even if I was doing it in these other ways”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 40:03

Jost said he was astonished by contestants' pop culture knowledge on Pop Culture Jeopardy!.

“I cannot believe the level of knowledge that these teams have about pop culture”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 58:11

Jost said he hopes his Hegseth impression barely registers with Hegseth given larger issues.

“I kind of just think it's not—it's such, in the scheme of things, like, probably, I hope, barely on his radar”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 54:24

Jost said the Harvard Lampoon's 150th anniversary was about a week away, with alumni including Conan O'Brien returning.

“It's actually the 150th anniversary is coming up in like a week. Wow. So we're going back like Conan and a bunch of people”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 32:26

Jost said he found the Lorne Michaels documentary moving because it felt authentically in Michaels's voice.

“i found it kind of moving because he is very much him and it felt like it was of his in his voice weirdly”

SmartLess: "Colin Jost" (May 4, 2026) · Listen from 8:56