Michael Che

Michael Che (born May 19, 1983, Manhattan, New York, U.S.) is a comedian, writer, and actor who is known for his deadpan wit and acerbic style. His jokes often address social issues, such as racism and inequality. Che joined Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a writer in 2013, and the following year he became the first African American cohost of the sketch comedy show’s “Weekend Update” segment. He also served as co-head writer of SNL from 2017 to 2022.

Early years and art

He was born Michael Che Campbell, the youngest of seven siblings. His middle name honors Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara, and he later assumed the name Michael Che. After his parents separated, he was raised by his mother, who worked several jobs. Che grew up in poverty, and the family lived in a housing project on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. By the time he was a teenager, Che had developed a rebellious streak, and his mother kicked him out when he was 14. He bounced around, living with different people, and he later graduated from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts. While at the school, he took art classes.

Che worked at a Toyota dealership for several years before deciding to pursue a career in the arts. He focused on creating acrylic portraits, which he later printed on T-shirts that he sold on the streets in the Manhattan neighborhood of Soho. One day Richard Hilfiger spotted his work and later came back with his father, the designer Tommy Hilfiger. That led to a job designing logos, but Che was uncomfortable with what he called the “really WASPy” workspace and began having doubts about his talent. He received permission to work from home but began missing deadlines. Che eventually stopped working, and in an interview with The Village Voice in 2014, he said he “completely fell apart.” But it became an important lesson for Che, who said, “Now everything that I get to do, I take advantage of it. Because that’s a lot to just let go up in smoke.”

Comedy career

About 2010 Che decided to try stand-up comedy, and he began doing open-mic gigs several times a day. In 2012 he made his first TV appearances. His notable credits that year included three episodes of Bunk, a game-show parody, and an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. His career subsequently took off. In 2013 Rolling Stone magazine named Che one of the “50 funniest people now,” praising the 29-year-old comic for “a style that mixes cagey political humor…and broad, poignant observational bits.”

Saturday Night Live

Later in 2013 SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels hired Che as a writer. The following year he became a correspondent for The Daily Show, a satirical news program hosted by Jon Stewart. After just a few months there Che left in September 2014 to become the new coanchor on “Weekend Update.” He joined Colin Jost, and the two eventually developed an easy chemistry. One of their popular skits is a joke swap, in which the two comedians write cringe-inducing jokes for the other one to deliver live on air, without having seen the jokes ahead of time. Che’s jokes often portray Jost as racist. “We just try to make each other laugh,” Che said in a 2018 interview with Vanity Fair. In 2017 Che became co-head writer of SNL, again teaming up with Jost. They both held that job until 2022, though Che continued to write for the show.

Other projects

In 2016 Che starred in the Netflix comedy special Michael Che Matters. For parts of the stand-up act, he addressed racism in society. “Blacks and cops aren’t getting along. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news in the past 400 years. My brother’s a cop, actually. I only see him at Thanksgiving, and even then, I’m like, ‘I’m reaching for the potatoes!’” he said, raising his arm as if to show he did not have a gun. Che starred in another Netflix special in 2021, Michael Che: Shame the Devil. He also starred in the HBO comedy series That Damn Michael Che (2021–22), featuring comedy sketches that touched on issues such as police brutality. In addition, in 2018 Che and Jost cohosted the Emmy Awards ceremony. Early on in the show, Che made a barbed observation: “Six awards, all white winners. One lady won twice.”