What Is Michael Che's Net Worth and Salary?
Michael Che is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a net worth of $10 million. He is best known for being a cast member and co-head writer on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (SNL), a role he assumed in 2013. Since 2014, he has co-anchored "Weekend Update" with Colin Jost.
Che has headlined the Netflix comedy specials "Michael Che Matters" (2016) and "Michael Che: Shame the Devil" (2021). He created and executive produced the HBO Max sketch comedy series "That Damn Michael Che" which premiered in 2021. Michael's writing credits extend to "Above Average Presents" (2012), "Detroiters" (2017), and the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, which he co-hosted with Jost in 2018. His acting credits include "Chinese Puzzle" (2013), "Lyle" (2014), and "Top Five" (2014).
"Saturday Night Live" Salary
As a main cast member and writer on SNL since 2014, Michael Che earns $25,000 per episode. Assuming he appears in all 21 episodes per season, he would make approximately $525,000 annually from SNL.
Early Life
Michael Che was born Michael Che Campbell on May 19, 1983, in Manhattan, New York City. Named after Che Guevara, he is the youngest of seven children born to Nathaniel and Rose Campbell. The family lived in public housing on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In a 2019 interview with "The New York Times," Michael recounted, "You go without heat. You go without food. You go without doorknobs. You go without everything."
Michael attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Post-high school, he worked as a customer service representative for a Toyota dealership for two years. He also designed t-shirts featuring acrylic portraits of celebrities and sold them in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. His designs attracted attention from Tommy Hilfiger, who offered him freelance design work. However, Che did not submit any designs, citing fear as the reason, and subsequently fell into depression. This prompted him to explore comedy.
Career
Michael began his stand-up comedy career in 2009 at the age of 26. He started performing at open mic nights in NYC comedy clubs such as the Comedy Cellar and Caroline's. In 2012, he won New York's Funniest Stand-Up competition and debuted on the "Late Show with David Letterman."
Che's career accelerated in 2013 when he was named one of "The 50 Funniest People" by "Rolling Stone" and one of "10 Comics to Watch" by "Variety." That same year, he joined "Saturday Night Live" as a writer. In 2014, he served as a correspondent on "The Daily Show" before replacing Cecily Strong on "Weekend Update," becoming SNL's first African-American co-anchor.
In late 2017, Che was promoted to co-head writer of "SNL" alongside Colin Jost. A popular "Weekend Update" segment involves the duo writing jokes for each other to deliver live without prior review. This segment often features Che making Jost deliver uncomfortable jokes, creating memorable comedic moments.
In 2014, Michael released his own "The Half Hour" special on Comedy Central, followed by his first Netflix special "Michael Che Matters" in 2016. In 2019, he guest-starred on "Sesame Street" and "The Other Two" and made appearances on "WWE Raw" and "WrestleMania 35" alongside Jost. In 2021, he launched the Netflix special "Michael Che: Shame the Devil," and premiered "That Damn Michael Che" on HBO Max, which featured colleagues from "SNL" and other notable guest stars. The show was renewed for a second season in July 2021.
Personal Life
In April 2020, Michael shared on Instagram that his grandmother had passed away from COVID-19. In her memory, Che covered one month's rent for all 160 apartments in the NYCHA building where she lived. Additionally, he hosted the 2019 benefit "A Night for NYCHA with Michael Che & Friends," raising over $110,000.
Che enjoys a close friendship with his "Weekend Update" co-anchor Colin Jost. They frequently exchange quirky gifts; for instance, Che sent a party clown to Jost's intimate birthday dinner and a Hawkeye costume for Christmas. Che was also present at Jost's 2020 wedding to Scarlett Johansson.
Awards and Nominations
Michael Che has received multiple accolades throughout his career. He has shared five consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series with his "SNL" colleagues since 2017. For "That Damn Michael Che," he received three Black Reel Awards for Television nominations in 2021. He also has nine Writers Guild of America Award nominations, winning for "SNL" in 2017 and 2018, and earning a nomination for "That Damn Michael Che" in 2022.
