Colin Jost, SNL's longest-serving Weekend Update anchor, discusses his unusual childhood—including not speaking until nearly age four and later sounding like Carmela Soprano—and his impulsive $280,000 purchase of a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry with Pete Davidson that's now becoming a waterfront event venue and swim club hybrid. The ferry acquisition, dismissed as 'the single dumbest purchase of his life,' is actually generating revenue and inching toward a permanent Manhattan dock spot.
Key Moments
Colin Jost
“Yeah. I'm not just saying that. I mean, I of course I believe I'm I'm looking at your face and I know that you're not just saying that. That's incredible.”
Colin reveals his first word was 'Will' when he finally spoke at nearly four years old
“This was an experimental school. Colin, a friend of my father's started one of these um things in his home out in Calabasas. And um it was called Heartlight, one word. Um light like Li GD light. That's right.”
Jason recounts his own bizarre school experience on a bus with massage classes
“I texted Pete, which is the is the wrong person to text with when you have an idea like this and I was like, 'Should we buy this?' The city was auctioning it and he was Yeah. He was immediately was like, 'Fuck yeah, we got to do this.'”
Explaining how he and Pete Davidson impulsively purchased the decommissioned Staten Island Ferry
“We are we are in the in the process of doing that and it's just it's a long process because all the waterfront stuff is just there's environmental there's so we're in that process and I think we're actually getting close to that process having a dedicated spot.”
Colin discusses plans to permanently dock the ferry as a Manhattan waterfront event and swim club space
SmartLess is a comedy interview podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. The three hosts bring their signature irreverent humor to wide-ranging conversations with celebrities, exploring both their professional accomplishments and their most absurd personal stories. The show balances genuine curiosity with relentless roasting, creating an intimate yet hilarious space for long-form conversation.
Takeaways
1
Childhood silence wasn't pathological—just patience Colin Jost didn't speak until nearly age four, but speech therapists found nothing medically wrong. His mother noticed he comprehended everything; he simply wasn't ready to talk. This challenges the assumption that delayed speech always requires intervention or signals a deeper issue.
2
Sugar crashes catch up later in life Colin described eating unlimited candy during SNL writing nights in his twenties with no consequences, then experiencing heart palpitations in his thirties from the same behavior. What felt manageable in youth became a health risk as metabolism changed, illustrating how long-term dietary habits compound.
3
Impulse major purchases can work out financially Colin and Pete Davidson bought a decommissioned $280,000 Staten Island Ferry on a whim. Rather than hemorrhaging money, they've already recouped costs through events and are negotiating a permanent Manhattan dock. The 'dumbest purchase' is becoming a revenue-generating waterfront asset and swim club.
4
Restricted eating before performing shapes comedy careers Stage performers avoid eating before shows due to acid reflux risk, forcing them to wait hours post-performance to eat. Colin ate almost nothing during his three-month Broadway run, then binged entire meal sequences on the flight home, illustrating the hidden physical discipline behind performance work.
5
Extreme commutes shaped adolescent resilience Colin took a 1.5-hour round trip daily (bus, ferry, subway) from Staten Island to Manhattan for high school at age 14–18. Rather than suffering, he normalized it, using commute time for homework. Long commutes weren't trauma—they became a productive habit builders for motivated students.
6
SNL's asbestos office still standing after warnings Colin revealed SNL's offices were flagged for asbestos abatement five years ago, but he chose not to vacate his 15-year office—effectively choosing exposure risk over relocation. The anecdote underscores workplace safety complacency even in high-profile institutions.