What Are 'SNL' Writer Colin Jost's Religious Beliefs? Inside His and His Wife's Faiths

There’s a lot you might not know about Saturday Night Live (SNL) comedian and writer Colin Jost. For starters, the man behind the witty comedy is actually a Harvard graduate who studied history and literature, focusing on Russian and British works. Another fun tidbit? Colin is 5 feet 10.5 inches tall and has a son named Cosmo (yes, that part is true).

On a more serious note, Colin’s mom, Kerry J. Kelly, narrowly escaped being crushed to death while attempting to render aid to injured individuals when the Twin Towers were struck by hijacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001.

While plenty has been revealed (and still remains a mystery) about Michael Che’s sidekick on SNL’s Weekend Update segment, we’re diving deeper into Colin’s box of personal facts, focusing this time on his religion.

It is widely believed that Colin was raised Catholic and still observes the religion. However, in 2017, he shared a photo of himself as a young boy with the caption, "I was voted Best Smile and Worst Jehovah's Witness," sparking speculation that he may have practiced the faith. Given Colin's comedic nature, it’s unclear whether the caption should be taken at face value.

Nevertheless, even if Colin is Catholic, he doesn’t shy away from poking fun at the religion on Weekend Update. In fact, he has delivered more than a few jokes centered on Catholicism and the less-than-flattering stereotypes often associated with it.

His wife, on the other hand, is Jewish. Scarlett Johansson’s father is of Danish descent, while her mother’s side is of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. In 2017, Scarlett learned that members of her mother’s family came from Jewish communities in Eastern Europe and some tragically lost their lives during the Holocaust.

Because Colin and Scarlett prefer to keep their private lives out of the spotlight, only occasionally sharing glimpses into their marriage and parenting journey, it remains unclear how they plan to raise their son when it comes to religion.

Colin was born in 1982 in Staten Island to parents Daniel Jost and Kerry Kelly. His knack for writing and comedy was evident early on as he served as the editor of his high school newspaper, The Owl. He also wrote a column cleverly titled Owl Droppings, per a 2016 interview Colin and Michael gave to Us Weekly.

As for his parents, his father, Daniel, is an engineer who taught mechanical drawing at Staten Island Technical High School. His mother, Kerry, worked as a doctor for the FDNY for 35 years and became the department’s first female Chief Medical Officer, a milestone also highlighted in his Us Weekly interview.

In his memoir, A Very Punchable Face, Colin reflects on his mother’s remarkable career, particularly her role during 9/11. Kerry arrived at the scene to treat injured firefighters before the towers collapsed.

Warned by Capt. Hank Cerasoli that the first tower was falling, the two ran for safety, only to be buried high in debris. "Everything around them turned black. All they heard was noise and all they felt was debris piling up on top of them. [My mom] said she was waiting to die," Colin recounted, per the New York Post.

Thankfully, Kerry made it through that horrific day and went on to share her story. It’s something Colin’s definitely proud of — and it's clear why!