FORT WORTH, Texas — Jeremy Culhane was studying abroad in Scotland, writing an economics research paper at 3 a.m., when he concluded, “I’m gonna die if I keep on having to do this, I think I’d rather do comedy.”

Eleven years later, he’s wrapping up his freshman season on “Saturday Night Live.”

“’SNL’ is a beautiful thing that you can never promise yourself, because it’s just so rare that it actually happens,” Culhane told the Star-Telegram in a phone interview. “I was just even happy to get to audition. I was just happy to be invited to the party.”

In his first year, he worked with comedic legends like Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Melissa McCarthy. And he’ll finish the season with Will Ferrell in Saturday’s season finale.

From Fort Worth to ‘Live from New York’

Culhane started theater in Los Angeles, doing improv bits during high school. But at TCU, his adoration for sketch comedy grew through the school’s improv group, Senseless Acts of Comedy.

As a philosophy and economics major, he knew when graduating that comedy was the career path for him. So, he moved back to California and dabbled in improv and sketches.

He worked with the comedy streaming service Dropout TV for nearly a decade. Culhane humbly says this is what helped platform him. He also has a following of more than 455,000 on social media and more than 13 million likes on TikTok.

“I had submitted a bunch of years. I think I know how to feel about me. And if they wanted me, they could have had me,” Culhane said about auditioning for “SNL.” “But then my manager was like, just do one more year.”

And fortuitously, he got the part.

Success on ‘Saturday Night Live’

To charm Lorne Michaels and the other “SNL” producers, Culhane’s audition centered on a “nunchuck pastor” who was quitting church. To his advantage, the nunchucks flew out of his hands and hit an audience member.

Riffing on the flying nunchucks scored him another audition where he gave impressions of Jeremy Allen White and Glen Powell.

Culhane was actually the first cast member to appear on camera for “SNL” Season 51. He plays a military leader introducing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, played by Colin Jost.

Some “SNL” stars take years to be noticed by the audience. It is not uncommon for newbies to play purely background or utility characters. But Culhane has already gone viral in his first season for a Tucker Carlson impression and his Mr. On Blast character.

“Why don’t we talk about ‘Sinners?’” Culhane joked, playing Tucker Carlson on Weekend Update. “Because of course, leftist woke America’s favorite movie is about sinning.”

The bit did so well, Culhane returned as Carlson in the most recent episode to discuss the 2026 Met Gala looks.

For Mr. On Blast, he slides into the news desk with a hotshot smirk slapped on his face and a fedora on his head, “looking like a blackjack dealer on a Disney cruise.” He criticizes billionaires, big pharma and Chinese birth rates. After every roast, a corny jingle plays where he awkwardly but amusingly dances along.

“That one was truly my brand of comedy of like, how stupid can we get?” he said.

He also told the Star-Telegram that behind the scenes at the show is just as fun. He met Tina Fey in an elf costume. Mikey Day took him under his wing during their pinwheel skit.

“It’s been so crazy. Seeing and meeting some of my comedy heroes as they walk by my dressing room and I’m in a stupid costume,” said Culhane. “Everybody has such a love for the show. They’re just excited to see what you can do.”

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The “Saturday Night Live” Season 51 finale airs on Saturday, May 16, at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

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