‘SNL’ Star Colin Jost ‘Preparing Mentally’ for Possible Departure in the Near Future

Colin Jost is reportedly considering leaving Saturday Night Live. The comedian is known as the co-host of the “Weekend Update” segment, among other things, but he is also the co-head writer of the show. Now, he is reportedly looking ahead to what’s next.

Jost is expanding his horizons outside of SNL this spring with the release of his memoir, A Very Punchable Face. According to a report by Variety, the book includes a hint about Jost moving on with his career soon. Reporters reviewed uncorrected galley proofs for the book, where Jost considers his future.

Jost wrote that he is “preparing mentally” to leave SNL sometime in the near future. He reportedly said that he wants to stay on “Weekend Update” through the 2020 election, which culminates in November. That means that Jost would have to stay on into the beginning of Season 46, which in all likelihood would keep him there for the rest of the year through contractual obligation.

This was only speculation, and even that may not be phrased the same way in the final product. Jost’s book is due out on April 14 from Penguin Random House’s Crown imprint, and Variety notes that there is still plenty of time for the language to change by then.

Still, it is clear that Jost’s time at SNL is coming to a close sometime soon, even if it is not this year. Jost has been working on the show for 15 years now. He signed on in 2005 as a writer, shortly after graduating from Harvard University. Like many other famous comedians, Jost wrote for the Harvard Lampoon, eventually becoming the president.

Jost rose through the ranks at SNL, becoming a writing supervisor in 2009 and then co-head writer in 2012. He also gradually made his way into the cast, beginning with “Weekend Update” in the fall of 2013, when Seth Meyers left.

Jost’s affinity for political comedy is clear in his work on SNL. During the 2016 presidential election, he appeared in sketches and cold opens as Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich. During the 2020 Democratic primaries, he has made several appearances as South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Meanwhile, Jost has pursued stand-up comedy and written comedy as well. He has appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and in various stand-up festivals, and has written pieces for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Huffington Post and Radar.

These days, Jost is more associated with the world of A-list Hollywood than ever, as he is currently engaged to actress Scarlett Johansson. The two got together in the spring of 2017, and got engaged last May. With that in mind, there’s no telling what could be next for the 37-year-old comedian.

SNL airs next Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Jost’s book, A Very Punchable Face, will be available on April 14 everywhere books are sold.