What Happened to Kate McKinnon?
The Rise to Fame
Kate McKinnon Berthold (born January 6, 1984) is an American comedian, actress and author. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2022, where she became known for her character work and celebrity impressions. For her work on the series, she was nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics and nine for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, winning in 2016 and 2017.
McKinnon starred in the Logo sketch comedy series The Big Gay Sketch Show (2007–2010), voiced lead roles in the PBS Kids animated series Nature Cat (2015–2025) and the Netflix animated series The Magic School Bus Rides Again (2017–2021), and portrayed Carole Baskin in the Peacock miniseries Joe vs. Carole (2022).
McKinnon has appeared in films, including Sisters (2015), Office Christmas Party (2016), Rough Night (2017), The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018), Yesterday (2019), Bombshell (2019), The Bubble (2022), Barbie (2023), The Roses (2025), and In the Blink of an Eye (2026).
She is the author of the Millicent Quibb series for middle grade readers.
Early life
McKinnon was born and raised on Long Island in the town of Sea Cliff, New York, to Laura Campbell, a parent educator, and Michael Thomas Berthold, an architect. She has a younger sister, comedian and actress Emily Lynne, with whom she has collaborated on the Audible series Heads Will Roll, as well as the digital series Notary Publix. Their father died when McKinnon was 18 years old.
As a child, McKinnon played several instruments. She started playing the piano when she was five years old, the cello at age 12, and taught herself how to play the guitar at 15.
The Peak Years
McKinnon's knack for accents began when she was in fifth grade. She auditioned to be "the queen of reading week" and used an English accent. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she says, "I think the genesis of my entire life, probably, was the smiles I elicited doing this British accent. I've been chasing that dragon ever since."
She graduated from North Shore High School in 2002, and from Columbia University in 2006 with a degree in theatre. There she co-founded a comedy group, Tea Party, that focused on musical improv comedy. At Columbia, she starred in three Varsity shows: V109 Dial D for Deadline, V110 Off-Broadway and V111 The Sound of Muses. Her cast and crewmates included future actors Jenny Slate and Grace Parra, directors Tze Chun and Greta Gerwig, and The Onion managing editor Peter Koechley. She was also a member of Prangstgrüp, a student comedy group which set up and recorded elaborate college pranks.
In 2007, McKinnon joined the original cast of Logo TV's The Big Gay Sketch Show, where she was a cast member for all three seasons.
Since 2008, she has performed live sketch comedy regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. She has also worked as a voice-over actress, and has voiced characters for series such as The Venture Bros., Robotomy, and Ugly Americans. In 2009, McKinnon won a Logo NewNowNext Award for Best Rising Comic. She was nominated for an ECNY Emerging Comic Award in 2010. In 2014, she appeared in the Kennedy Center Honors as part of a tribute to Lily Tomlin. In 2016, she starred in the reboot Ghostbusters, alongside Melissa McCarthy, and fellow SNL cast members Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones. In 2023, she played Weird Barbie in the Barbie movie. In 2025, she co-starred in the films The Roses, and In the Blink of an Eye.
McKinnon has made appearances as a voice actress in series like The Simpsons (as Hettie in "Gal of Constant Sorrow") and Family Guy (as Karen / Heavy Flo in season 14, episode 6 "Peter's Sister," and additional voices in other episodes), and films such as Finding Dory, The Angry Birds Movie, Ferdinand and DC League of Super-Pets. McKinnon voiced Fiona Frizzle in The Magic School Bus Rides Again, a continuation of The Magic School Bus children's series, from 2017 to 2020. Since 2015, she has voiced Squeeks in the PBS Kids series Nature Cat, starring with fellow SNL cast members Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan.
McKinnon joined the cast of Saturday Night Live as a featured player on April 7, 2012, following a March 28, 2012 report of her being hired. She was promoted to repertory status in season 39 in 2013.
In 2013, McKinnon was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Comedy. McKinnon won the 2014 American Comedy Award for Best Supporting Actress, TV for her work on SNL. In 2014, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics along with four of her colleagues for the song "(Do It On My) Twin Bed." She was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the second time in 2015. She won the following year, becoming the first actor from SNL to win the award since Dana Carvey in 1993.
What Changed
McKinnon began appearing as Hillary Clinton on the series leading up to the 2016 presidential election. The real Clinton appeared alongside her in a sketch during the show's season 41 premiere. McKinnon has said that her impression of Hillary Clinton comes from a deep admiration, and that she "unequivocally want[ed] her to win" the 2016 presidential election. On November 12, 2016, which was the first show after Clinton's loss in the election, she reprised the role to open the show with a solo performance of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen, whose death was announced two days before her performance. After the election, McKinnon began to impersonate Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway alongside Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump. On February 11, 2017, she debuted her impression of Elizabeth Warren during Weekend Update and Jeff Sessions in the cold open.
McKinnon is known for her character work and celebrity impressions of pop singer Justin Bieber, comedian television host Ellen DeGeneres, and numerous political figures, including US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Senator Lindsey Graham, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Clinton, Warren, Robert Mueller, Angela Merkel, and Rudy Giuliani. She has been nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics and six for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, winning in 2016 and 2017.
McKinnon's return to season 46 made her the show's longest tenured female cast member, surpassing her cast mates Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant by five episodes. Bryant and McKinnon left the series after season 47. They had both originally planned on leaving at the end of the 45th season in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed their plans and they left at the end of season 47 in 2022. Strong passed McKinnon's record with the December 17, 2022 episode of season 48.
Saturday Night Live characters
Olya Povlatsky, a Russian woman who voices her opinions on current events, comparing them to the outrageous struggles she faces in her village. She also appeared in a cold open with Beck Bennett as Vladimir Putin reading a prepared statement against her will.
Sheila Sovage, a heavily intoxicated woman at a bar who meets and hooks up with a heavily intoxicated man or woman, played by the host, at closing time.
Jodi Cork, The Art of the Encounter and Women in the Workplace co-host with Donna Fingerneck (played by Cecily Strong).
Where Kate McKinnon Is Now
Barbara DeDrew, a lesbian volunteer at the cat shelter Whiskers R We.
Deenie, a.k.a. "Somebody's Mom," a middle-aged woman who attempts to recap shows she's been watching, but only knows the characters by self-applied nicknames, such as "Big Boobs" and "Mustache." She is always eating some foul concoction out of Tupperware, such as Brussels sprouts and imitation crab, which generally revolts Weekend Update anchor Colin Jost.
Mrs. Santini, an apartment dweller who writes passive-aggressive notes to her neighbors. Originally performed as Effie Villalopolus on Comedy Bang! Bang!
Colleen Rafferty, a 27-year old woman (despite looking middle-aged, implicitly due to her repeated traumas) who appears on panels with two friends. They recount their experience of a shared paranormal event, such as being abducted by aliens. The other two friends always have an idyllic experience, while Rafferty instead experiences significant trauma.
Les Dykawitz, a lesbian cop from the 1970s who works for the Chicago Police Department along with her partner Chubina Fatzarelli (played by Aidy Bryant) in "Dyke & Fats."
Debette Goldry, a senile elderly actress whose harsh experiences with being an actress in old Hollywood are more outrageous than what modern actresses have gone through.
A member of Woodbridge High School's theatre troupe that performs solely about social justice issues they know very little about.
Legacy
Noelle LeSoup, the co-host of the French show "America's Funniest Cats" who appears on the American version of the show along with Joelle LaRue (played by Cecily Strong).
Shud, a crass mermaid who is based on a blobfish, and makes sexual advances on an unfortunate marooned sailor.
Dr. Wayne Wenowdis, a strangely accented middle-aged medical doctor, who debuted in 2020, as part of the Weekend Update segment with Colin Jost.
Madame Vivelda, a fortune teller who predicts people's 2020 experiences.
Saturday Night Live impressions
Work as a creator
McKinnon co-created and co-stars in the web series Notary Publix with her sister Emily Lynne. In addition to Aidy Bryant (who stars in the series), McKinnon's SNL co-stars Beck Bennett, Jay Pharoah and SNL writer Paula Pell all guest-starred in the six-episode first season of the web series.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Kate McKinnon?
Kate McKinnon rose to fame as described below; the full story — peak years, what changed, and where things stand now — is covered in detail with verified facts.
Where is Kate McKinnon now?
Current status, per public records and reputable coverage, is detailed in the 'Where Now' section.
Why did Kate McKinnon disappear from the spotlight?
Career trajectories shift for many reasons — the 'What Changed' section covers the verified facts.
How old is Kate McKinnon now?
Kate McKinnon is 42 (born January 6, 1984).
What was Kate McKinnon famous for?
Kate McKinnon Berthold (born January 6, 1984) is an American comedian, actress and author. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2022, where she became known for her character work and celebrity impressions. For her work on the series, she was nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics and nine f
Is Kate McKinnon still active?
Recent activity, where documented by reputable media, is covered above.
What is Kate McKinnon's most famous work?
Career highlights are detailed in the peak-years section.
Where can I find verified updates on Kate McKinnon?
Wikipedia's biography and reputable entertainment outlets are the most reliable sources.