In season 40 of Saturday Night Live, which begins Sept. 27, viewers will witness history when 30-year-old stand-up comedian Michael Che becomes the co-anchor of “Weekend Update,” the first African American to hold the position. Che may be familiar to fans of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, where he had a short run as a correspondent.
Before you tune in to watch him on SNL, here are some facts about this comedy game changer.
1. Michael Che was born Michael Che Campbell, has six brothers and sisters, and grew up in New York City’s public housing in the Lower East Side.
Che’s hilarious take on his hometown during his debut on Late Night With David Letterman covers hot-button issues such as gentrification and the recession.
2. He only appeared in seven comedy sketches during his short run on The Daily Show.
In the “Race/Off—Live From Somewhere” segment, Che is sent to cover the situation in Ferguson, Mo., but is faced with racism when he attempts to safely file his report.
3. He has only been performing since 2010 and began writing for SNL last fall.
Che’s “Black Jeopardy” skit for SNL put an extra-special twist on the popular quiz show.
4. He doesn’t consider himself very political and makes light of it in his skits.
In “Brand-Name Politics,” Che investigates American loyalty to political brand names such as “Clinton” and “Bush” and searches for a 2016 presidential candidate of his own.
5. He made Rolling Stone’s “The 50 Funniest People Now” list.
In the Above Average comedy network’s skit “Taking It to the Streets: The Realest Candidate,” Che asks people on the streets of New York City why they’re voting for Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.
Nicole L. Cvetnic is The Root’s multimedia editor and producer.