Kate McKinnon is a brilliant comedian who became a household name during her hilarious tenure on Saturday Night Live, dazzling audiences everywhere.
Kate McKinnon is a brilliant comedian who became a household name during her hilarious tenure on Saturday Night Live, dazzling audiences everywhere. The charming actress made quite the splash on the long-running, revered program, joining in 2012 and quickly being promoted to a featured player the following year. During her time with the NBC staple, McKinnon was celebrated for her exceptional character work and celebrity impressions, having memorably portrayed famous figures like Hillary Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres, and Rudy Giuliani as well as introducing fans to some uproarious original characters.
She would break out and explore various roles in both television and film during her time with SNL, appearing in movies like Ghostbusters, The Spy Who Dumped Me, and Bombshell, as well as in shows such as The Magic School Bus Rides Again and Joe vs. Carole. The actress departed the groundbreaking series in 2022, revealing on Live With Kelly and Ryan that, “Telling Lorne was really hard. He knew it was coming. He was very sweet. But he has been a father figure to me, and so much more. It was just really hard — simple human emotions, not wanting to say goodbye to something you love.”
Fans are eagerly awaiting McKinnon’s next big move, having become enamored by the spirited performer and the energy and humor she brings to every project. She has consistently proven how dynamic and compelling she is and that she will rise to the occasion when it comes to any role, no matter how large or small. With countless successful shows and films under her belt in her decorated decade-long career, it will truly be exciting to witness what the star does next.
McKinnon earned the opportunity of a lifetime when she joined the cast of SNL for its 38th season, officially becoming a featured player on April 7, 2012. With an arsenal of impeccable celebrity impersonations and her eagerness to embrace any character (the more delightfully outlandish the better), the gifted actress captured the respect of passionate SNL viewers with her fearless approach to comedy. The following year after a stellar freshman season, McKinnon was promoted to repertory status in 2013, garnering a well-deserved Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and quickly demonstrating early on her desire to excel on the groundbreaking program.
For the 2016 presidential election, McKinnon was chosen to appear as Hillary Clinton, perfectly capturing the politician’s mannerisms while delivering a healthy dose of humor in all her sketches. Her hilarious work during that period led to the comedian winning an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, becoming the first cast member to win the award since Dana Carvey in 1993. McKinnon would go on to dazzle audiences with her spot-on impressions of celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Bieber, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Rudy Giuliani (among countless others), showcasing her innate gifts as a performer and ability to masterfully embody any famous figure.
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Outside of her sharp impressions McKinnon consistently showcased her entertaining character work, leaving her mark on the long-running series with her sidesplitting personas. The comedian was brilliant as Colleen Rafferty, a woman prone to paranormal experiences who is amusingly questioned alongside her two pals on their mutual misadventure, with Colleen’s uproarious account proving far more traumatic. McKinnon’s other original characters include the Russian Olya Povlatsky, the senile Debette Goldry, and heavily intoxicated Sheila Sovage, all of which further cemented her status as a knockout cast member. After 10 impressive years at SNL and two Emmy wins, McKinnon departed SNL in 2022.
Throughout her time on Saturday Night Live, the ambitious comedian would also take on roles both big and small in television and cinema, with the actress appearing in films like the comedies Masterminds, Office Christmas Party, and Rough Night. In 2016, McKinnon headlined the infamous comedy reboot of the iconic Ghostbusters movie alongside fellow SNL stars Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones, and the always enjoyable Melissa McCarthy. Despite a less-than-stellar box office response, the female-led picture did decent with critics and McKinnon was singled out for her performance as engineering physicist Jillian Holtzmann, earning numerous accolades including and nominations including Best Comedic Actress at the Women Film Critics Circle.
McKinnon would also go on to lend her voice to popular animated flicks like Finding Dory, Ferdinand and DC League of Super-Pets, also appearing alongside the great Lily Tomlin in the Netflix series TV The Magic School Bus Rides Again, portraying Miss Frizzle’s younger sister Fiona. The actress teamed up with Mila Kunis for the 2018 action comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me, proving she had all the talent and star power needed to bring big laughs to audiences everywhere; the Tribune News Service raved about the comedian, stating, “Thank goodness for McKinnon, who launches this middling material to greater heights through her own sheer will. Now that's a superpower.” While fans of McKinnon knew her immeasurable abilities as a comedic performer, they would soon witness her remarkable dramatic side.
Not only has McKinnon wonderfully demonstrated her killer comedic chops to her fans and curious viewers, but she also decided to break away from the genre completely and take on more serious roles, doing so when she joined the cast of the 2019 drama Bombshell. In Jay Roach’s gripping picture chronicling Fox News CEO Roger Ailes’ sexual harassment and the toxic workplace he promoted, McKinnon portrayed the composite character Jess Carr, a closeted liberal lesbian who works as a producer on the O’Reilly Factor. The award-winning film was a huge shift away from her usual parts and showed audiences exactly what she was capable of as an actress, holding her own against powerhouses like Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and a wonderful Margot Robbie.
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When asked about working closely alongside McKinnon, Robbie gushed about witnessing the comedian in a completely different light, having told Pride, “But it was so fun to play with Kate. She improvs a lot, and she's funny and hilarious. We had a lot of dramatic moments to do together, and to watch Jay work with her, and to see her in that space, which I've had, I think most audiences have had so few chances to see her in that sort of acting realm, so fun, she's so talented, and she's the nicest person ever.” McKinnon would continue to zig instead of zag when she was cast as the controversial animal rights activist Carol Baskin in the Peacock limited drama series Joe vs. Carole.
Kate McKinnon portrayed one-half of the warring titular duo in the 2022 Peacock drama series Joe vs. Carole, with the program offering a dramatized take on elements of the Tiger King story, centering on the criminal case of zookeeper Joe Exotic as he becomes entangled in a bitter feud with Carole Baskin, ultimately becoming convicted of murder-for-hire. The actress appears opposite stars like John Cameron Mitchell and Kyle MacLachlan in the fascinating show, in which she delivered a brilliant performance as the animal-loving activist Baskin. McKinnon skillfully portrayed the larger-than-life polarizing figure and also produced the miniseries, proving that not only could she invest in captivating content but that she could also create and execute a commanding performance.
The actress opened up to Entertainment Weekly about tackling the hefty role of the real-life Baskin, saying, “It's sometimes complicated when you're playing someone to meet them in real life, but I did turn to her own words and experiences in creating this character. And it is a character. I mean, it's certainly based on her, but I don't claim that everything about this character is about Carole." Her role in the Peacock series marked a turning point in her already highly-decorated career and gave audiences a full look at her undeniable skills as a performer.
McKinnon has shown time and time again that she is more than ready to tackle big leading roles, whether they be in comedy or drama and on the big or small screen. The endearing comedian is not afraid to tackle any genre or character, and has made it abundantly clear she will fully commit to any persona and truly make it her own. Having amassed a loyal following of fans during her dazzling tenure on SNL, McKinnon has shifted her sights to new and exciting projects and opportunities and is keeping audiences on their toes. She is set to once again join Margot Robbie in the star-studded upcoming Greta Gerwig film Barbie, with her official part being kept under wraps. The sky is truly the limit for McKinnon, and it will be exciting to witness her continuous takeover of Tinseltown.