You don’t rack up nearly two decades at 30 Rockefeller Plaza without bearing witness to some truly iconic live TV moments. For Colin Jost, the longest-tenured writer at “Saturday Night Live,” a couple of celebrated guest hosts particularly stand out for their masterful command of Studio 8H.
Appearing on Bruce Bozzi’s “Table for Two” podcast this week, Jost sang the praises of Adam Driver and his “especially good” table read abilities when hosting the legendary late-night staple. The Girls actor has graced the SNL stage four times since 2016.
“He makes a choice for all those pieces, and an interesting choice, in the same way Will Ferrell does,” Jost analyzed of Driver’s distinctly committed hosting style.
Speaking of Ferrell, the SNL alumni-turned-frequent host also earned kudos from Jost for his unparalleled familiarity with the frenetic week of putting together a new show from scratch. “Obviously he knows it in a whole other way,” Jost remarked.
After nearly 20 years behind the scenes at SNL’s newsroom, few are more qualified than Jost to evaluate which boldfaced names rise to the unique hosting challenge. Welcoming a different celebrity emcee nearly every week requires a special breed of versatile performer.
Jost would know – he’s been skewering politics and pop culture alongside Michael Che from the “Weekend Update” desk since 2014. The boyish 40-year-old stands as SNL’s current longest-serving cast member and head writer.
When not leading the headline-making punchlines, Jost is a doting dad to 2-year-old son Cosmo with wife Scarlett Johansson. He gushed that the tot is “a pretty good swimmer” who is “almost independent” in the pool already, adding, “He’s a smart guy, too, such a fun kid.”
Between his unrivaled SNL tenure and home life with an adorable toddler, Jost has plenty to keep him busy off the air. But when it comes to breaking down that week’s celebrity host, he remains among Studio 8H’s most discerning experts.
