Katie Rich — Biography
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Katie Rich — Biography
Katie Rich is an American comedy writer, improviser, and performer whose career has bridged the stages of Chicago’s Second City, the writers’ room at Saturday Night Live, and the collaborative world of television sketch and scripted comedy. Known for her sharp character work and incisive satirical voice, Rich has built a reputation as both a performer and a behind-the-scenes architect of contemporary humor.
Early Life and Chicago Roots
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Rich came of age in the city’s storied improv and sketch comedy scene. After graduating from Northwestern University, she trained at iO Theater and The Annoyance Theatre before joining The Second City. At Second City, she became a member of the resident e.t.c. company, where her performances blended physical comedy, biting satire, and an instinct for characters that magnified everyday absurdities. This foundation would become essential for her transition to national stages.
Saturday Night Live and Breakthrough
In 2013, Rich was hired as a writer for Saturday Night Live, a role she held until 2017. During her tenure, she contributed to the Weekend Update desk and to sketches that played with political, cultural, and gendered dynamics. Rich’s comedic sensibility, rooted in improvisation and character-driven satire, gave her material a distinctly human edge even when tackling the surreal. Her years at SNL placed her at the nexus of late-night television’s political commentary during a turbulent period in American politics.
Beyond SNL — Expanding Mediums
Following her departure from SNL, Rich returned to writing and performing across television and digital platforms. She has worked on animated projects and developed scripts that draw upon her Chicago-honed sensibility of ensemble-driven storytelling. She has also continued to make appearances on stage and in podcasts, where her candid reflections on comedy, gender, and the industry underscore her reputation as both a writer’s writer and a performer’s performer.
Thematic Concerns
Rich’s work often revolves around the contradictions of identity—how individuals attempt to present themselves and how those attempts unravel in moments of absurdity. As a satirist, she takes on political pomposity, cultural hypocrisy, and the awkward intersections of public and private life. Her grounding in improvisation allows her to pivot seamlessly from observational humor to heightened parody.
Recognition and Legacy
Though not as widely profiled as some of her contemporaries, Rich is admired in the comedy community for her precision, collaborative spirit, and ability to craft jokes that reveal deeper truths. Her trajectory from Chicago improv stages to the national stage at SNL embodies the pipeline of American sketch comedy talent, while her ongoing projects demonstrate her commitment to evolving as both a performer and a writer.
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