Chris Kelly (writer)

Career

Early career

Kelly grew up in Sacramento, California, the son of Joanne née Kellogg (1960–2009) Kelly. He has a sister, Janelle, and a half sister, Katie, from his mother's remarriage. He attended and graduated from Sheldon High School. He attended college at UC Irvine. He was a staff writer and director at Funny or Die and Onion News Network, the latter of which won the 2009 Peabody Award. He was also Head Writer for Matt Besser's Comedy Central special This Show Will Get You High in 2010. Kelly also performed at NYC's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre with his storytelling show Chris Kelly: America's Princess Diana, and before that, wrote, directed and starred in the play Oh My God, I Heard You're Dying! He was on various Maude Teams as both a writer and actor, including Stone Cold Fox, 27 Kidneys, and Thunder Gulch, and was a frequent monologist at ASSSSCAT in both NYC and LA.

''Saturday Night Live''

Kelly joined Saturday Night Live as a staff writer in 2011 for the 37th season. He was promoted to a supervising writer on the 40th season. Along with his SNL writing partner, Sarah Schneider, Kelly has created many sketches including: "(Do It On My) Twin Bed," "Back Home Ballers," "The Beygency" (about Beyoncé), and "First Got Horny 2 U." He and Schneider primarily wrote for Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon, Kelly has been nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on SNL.

In August 2016, it was announced that Kelly and Schneider would be co-head writers for SNLs 42nd season. Kelly was the first openly gay head writer of SNL. Both Kelly and Schneider left SNL after the completion of the 42nd season.

''Broad City''

Kelly was also a writer and consulting producer on Comedy Central's Broad City, which earned him a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Comedy Series.

''The Other Two''

Main article: The Other Two

Along with SNL co-headwriter Schneider, Kelly is the creator and executive producer (along with Lorne Michaels) of The Other Two, which premiered on January 24, 2019, on Comedy Central. The show stars Drew Tarver, Heléne Yorke, Molly Shannon, Ken Marino, and Case Walker. Season 3 received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

Film

Kelly wrote and directed his first feature film, Other People, that premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in the opening slot. The film is about a struggling comedy writer (played by Jesse Plemons), who has just broken up with his boyfriend and moves from New York City to Sacramento to help his sick mother (played by Molly Shannon). He has to live with his conservative father and younger sisters for the first time in many years and feels like a stranger in his childhood home. As his mother's health deteriorates, David tries to extract meaning from the awful experience and convince everyone that he's doing okay. The film is loosely based on his own life drawing from his experience of losing his mother to cancer in 2009. He was labeled one of the "13 Hot Directors to Watch" at Sundance in 2016.

Personal life

In 2015, Kelly lived in Los Angeles with his boyfriend and their dog Jill.

Awards and nominations

Kelly received the following awards and nominations:

Peabody Award

• 2009 Peabody Award - Onion News Network (won)

Primetime Emmy Award

• 2012 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series - Saturday Night Live (nominated)
• 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series - Saturday Night Live (nominated)
• 2014 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series - Saturday Night Live (nominated)
• 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series - Saturday Night Live (nominated)
• 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special - Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special (nominated)

Writers Guild of America Award

• 2012 Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series - Saturday Night Live (nominated)
• 2013 Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series - Saturday Night Live (nominated)
• 2014 Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series - Saturday Night Live (nominated)
• 2015 Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series - Saturday Night Live (nominated)
• 2015 Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Comedy Series - Broad City (nominated)

References

References

1. [http://www.egcitizen.com/obituaries/joanne-piazza/article_a4a78f99-833f-5e53-adaf-15b5e0769a55.html Joanne Kelly Obituary] accessed 11/23/2016
2. "I Think I Have Overstayed My Welcome In Sacramento". Tumblr.
3. (2016-12-05). "Sheldon High grad is lead writer for Saturday Night Live".
4. (8 March 2016}}{{Dead link). "Inside the Thriving Comedy Career of 'SNL' and 'Broad City' Writer Chris Kelly". The Billfold.
5. "Chris Kelly".
6. (November 20, 2015). "Sarah Schneider & Chris Kelly talk 'First Got Horny 2 U,' the ladies of SNL, Beyoncé, and more".
7. "'SNL's' Sarah Schneider & Chris Kelly Reminisce About Writing 'Back Home Ballers' Sketch".
8. (August 12, 2016). "Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider Are Your Newest SNL Head Writers".
9. (12 August 2016). "'SNL' Promotes Sarah Schneider and Chris Kelly to Co-Head Writers". [[Splitsider]].
10. (16 August 2016). "Chris Kelly Makes SNL History as First Out Head Writer". [[The Advocate (LGBT magazine).
11. (January 17, 2014). "'Broad City' brings female misadventures to male-oriented Comedy Central". Los Angeles Times.
12. (October 25, 2018). "Broad City Returns in January Alongside New Series The Other Two". [[New York (magazine).
13. "The Other Two".
14. (21 January 2016). "Sundance 2016: 13 Hot Directors to Watch".
15. (August 3, 2016). "'SNL' Writer Chris Kelly Taps Into His Life Story for 'Other People'". NBC News.
16. "Other People".
17. (January 22, 2016). "Sundance begins with a divisive "Sundance movie," go figure". avclub.com.
18. "Meet Jill.".
19. "The Peabody Awards - Onion News Network".
20. "2016 Writers Guild Awards Nominees".