While he’s poised to reach new heights as one of the five new additions to the cast of Saturday Night Live for Season 51, Kam Patterson has already built a strong following as a stand-up comic in his own right.
The 26-year-old got his start at open mics in his hometown of Orlando, Florida, before joining the exploding comedy scene in Austin, Texas. There, Patterson quickly became a regular on Kill Tony, Tony Hinchcliffe’s hit podcast and live variety show, after just one appearance. “I truly believe this is the future,” Hinchcliffe said at the time, calling Patterson “a phenom.”
That Kill Tony connection makes Patterson a potentially controversial choice for SNL. The show is closely associated not only with Hinchcliffe, but also with other divisive comics like Joe Rogan and almost-SNLer Shane Gillis. Even so, Patterson’s own material isn’t known for being overtly political—aside from a frequently cited bit in which he praises Donald Trump for surviving an assassination attempt.
At the same time, Kill Tony also gave Patterson a distinction few, if any, new hires at SNL can claim: he’s performed onstage at Madison Square Garden.
Most of Patterson’s recent video content comes from Kill Tony, where clips of his stand-up regularly rack up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
Equally popular are Patterson’s vlogs, which range from life on the road to adventures like rock climbing.
Now 26, Patterson is also beginning to build out his filmography. His credits aren’t extensive yet, but they’re higher profile than most newcomers. He appears in Theo Von and SNL alum David Spade’s self-financed comedy Busboys, and he stars alongside Kevin Hart in 72 Hours—a film that also features his new SNL castmates Marcello Hernández and Ben Marshall.
Patterson joins SNL as a featured player alongside Marshall, Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, and Tommy Brennan. Season 51 of the show premieres October 4.
