Kate McKinnon Berthold Bio
Kate McKinnon Berthold (born January 6, 1984) is an American actress and comedian best known for her decade on the NBC sketch series Saturday Night Live, where she became widely recognized for character work and celebrity impressions. She has also built a film and voice acting career that includes roles in major studio comedies and animated features, and she has received multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations and two wins.
Early Life and Background
Kate McKinnon Berthold was born and raised in Sea Cliff, New York, the daughter of Laura Campbell, a parent educator, and Michael Thomas Berthold, an architect. She grew up on Long Island and has a younger sister, Emily Lynne, who is also a comedian and actress and collaborator on audio and digital projects.
McKinnon studied music and performance from an early age, learning piano at five, taking up the cello at twelve and teaching herself guitar at fifteen. She graduated from North Shore High School in 2002 and earned a theatre degree from Columbia University in 2006, where she co-founded a musical improv comedy group and participated in student theatre alongside future industry peers.
Path to Celebrity
After college, McKinnon developed her comedic voice through sketch and improv. She became a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City and joined the original cast of Logo TV’s The Big Gay Sketch Show, appearing for the program’s three seasons. Those early years established her as a skilled character performer and rising comic.
During this period she also began work as a voice actress and appeared in web and stage projects that showcased musical improv and character work. Early recognition included awards and nominations from comedy organizations that noted her rising profile in sketch comedy and alternative comedy circuits.
Kate McKinnon Career
Early Career (2004–2011)
McKinnon launched her professional career in the mid-2000s with appearances in New York City comedy venues and television sketch work. She joined The Big Gay Sketch Show in 2007 and performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre beginning in 2008, where she honed the impersonations and character work that would become her signature style.
Across the late 2000s and early 2010s McKinnon expanded into voice acting for animated television and film, contributing additional voices to series and developing credits on projects that included adult and children’s animation. She earned early industry recognition that helped her transition from the New York comedy scene to national television opportunities.
Breakthrough (2012–2017)
McKinnon joined the cast of Saturday Night Live as a featured player in April 2012 and was promoted to repertory status in 2013. Her work on the NBC series became the centerpiece of her public profile: she created recurring characters, developed musical comedy pieces, and became known for impressions of public figures and celebrities. Her performance range on SNL led to multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and related writing and music categories.
On Saturday Night Live McKinnon’s impressions — including political figures and entertainment personalities — earned widespread attention during the 2016 presidential cycle. Her portrayal of Hillary Clinton was featured during the 2016 election season, and she later developed impressions of other political figures and media personalities that became recurring staples of SNL cold opens and sketches.
During this breakthrough window McKinnon moved into feature films. She appeared in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot alongside fellow Saturday Night Live alumni and established film comics. Her film work continued with supporting and voice roles in studio comedies and animated releases, widening her audience beyond sketch television.
Notable Works and Milestones
McKinnon’s signature project remains Saturday Night Live, where she spent a decade building a range of memorable characters and impressions. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2016 and again in 2017 for her work on the show. Her film credits include Ghostbusters and the 2023 film Barbie, and she has been a recurring voice actor on animated series and family films.
Kate McKinnon Award Nominations
Across her career McKinnon has received numerous industry nominations for television performance and writing. She has been nominated multiple times for Primetime Emmy Awards, including nominations tied to her work on Saturday Night Live and for original music and lyrics performed on the program. These nominations reflect sustained recognition from peers for both her comedic performance and creative contributions to sketch material.
Kate McKinnon Awards Won
McKinnon has won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series twice, receiving the award in 2016 and again in 2017 for her work on Saturday Night Live. She has also received other industry honors that recognized her growing influence in comedy during the mid-2010s.
Kate McKinnon Family
McKinnon is the daughter of Laura Campbell and Michael Thomas Berthold. She has one younger sister, Emily Lynne, who works as a comedian and actress and has collaborated with McKinnon on audio and digital comedy projects. Their family background and early creative experiences on Long Island informed McKinnon’s interest in music and performance from a young age.
Personal Life
McKinnon has been public about her sexual orientation and discussed how prominent television figures influenced her acceptance of that identity. She was in a relationship with photographer and actress Jackie Abbott from 2016 to 2019. McKinnon does not maintain social media accounts by choice and has cited concerns about misrepresenting her real feelings. She has also spoken publicly about having geographic tongue, a benign mucosal condition.
Beyond television and film, McKinnon continues voice work on animated series and contributes to original audio projects and written work. Her career blends sketch performance, character acting, voice roles, and film appearances while maintaining a profile as a leading contemporary comedic actress.