Chloe Fineman (born July 20, 1988) is an American actress and comedian. She became a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live starting in its 45th season in September 2019,[2] and was promoted to repertory status in 2021 at the beginning of season 47.[3]
Chloe Fineman | |
|---|---|
 Fineman in January 2020 | |
| Born | July 20, 1988[1] Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University (BFA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2018–present |
| Known for | Saturday Night Live |
Early life and education
Fineman's parents are painter Ellen Gunn and KineMed executive David Fineman.[4] She has two sisters, visual artist Emma and CrossFit athlete Alexia (Leka).[4] Her father is Jewish and her mother is a Protestant. Fineman was raised attending Camp Kee Tov, a Jewish day camp at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley.[4][5]
She graduated from Piedmont High School in 2006. The school's acting teacher described her as "equally brilliant with comedy and drama". As a junior, Fineman directed Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman; as a senior, she directed The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler; she also performed lead roles in The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt and Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley. Since her graduation, she has returned to the school to direct plays and lead workshops.[6]
While in high school, Fineman impersonated a peafowl on the Late Show with David Letterman after winning a bird calling competition.[7]
Fineman graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.[8][9]
Career
2017–2018: Early work
After graduating from college, Fineman moved to Los Angeles,[4] where she performed in The Groundlings troupe's Sunday Company.[10][11] She also performed in "Characters Welcome" at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.[12] In 2018, she was recognized as a "New Face" at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal,[10][13] and she was nominated for Best Comedian at the 2019 Shorty Awards.[14] Her television appearances include Jane the Virgin and Search Party.[10]
She maintains an online presence known in particular for her celebrity impressions in front-facing camera comedy videos.[5][15][16] On Instagram, she has posted celebrity impressions as well as clips from her Groundlings work and stand-up comedy.[12] On YouTube, she has done character impressions.[11] In 2018, Vulture critic Luke Kelly-Clyne wrote that after seeing Fineman do impressions of Meryl Streep and others, "As I found out, that extra bit of genius she possesses – that intangible thing that takes a good impression to a great impression – is rooted in her ability to create entirely original characters who feel as real as anyone you've ever met," concluding, "Chloe Fineman is absolutely one of the most talented new performers right now, and she's long overdue for a break."[17]
2019–present: Saturday Night Live
Fineman's addition to the cast of Saturday Night Live, the long-running NBC sketch-comedy show, as a featured player was announced on September 12, 2019, along with the additions of Bowen Yang and Shane Gillis.[18] Alongside Yang and Heidi Gardner, Fineman was cited as the season's best performer by Andy Hoglund at Entertainment Weekly.[19] Her promotion to repertory status was announced on September 27, 2021, shortly before the show's 47th season began.
Fineman portrayed Sylvia Plath in the Apple TV+ series Dickinson (2021).[20] In 2022 she had a supporting comedic role as a wedding planner in the romantic comedy Father of the Bride,[21] and in the same year she portrayed Marion Davies in the Damien Chazelle-directed film Babylon. In 2024, she appears in Francis Ford Coppola's science-fiction epic Megalopolis in the role of Clodia Pulcher, with Coppola casting Fineman after seeing her in a 2019 stage show where she imitated Melania Trump video calling Ivana Trump.[22][23][24]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Home Team | Intern Emily | |
| Father of the Bride | Natalie Vance | ||
| White Noise | Simuvac Technician | ||
| Babylon | Marion Davies | ||
| 2024 | Megalopolis | Clodia Pulcher | |
| Despicable Me 4 | Patsy Prescott | Voice |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Mozart in the Jungle | Fanny Mendelssohn | Episode: "An Honest Ghost" |
| Grown-ish | Waiter 1 | Episode: "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" | |
| Jane the Virgin | Assistant | Episode: "Chapter Seventy-Seven" | |
| 2019–present | Saturday Night Live | Various characters | Main role, 97 episodes |
| 2020 | High Fidelity | Clara | Episode: "Good Luck and Goodbye" |
| 2020–2021 | Search Party | Charlie Reeny | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens | Greta | Episode: "Stop! Nora Time" |
| Big Mouth | Leah Birch (voice) | Recurring role, 9 episodes | |
| Dickinson | Sylvia Plath | Episode: "The Future Never Spoke" | |
| 2023 | Is It Cake? | Herself / Judge | 1 episode |
| Twisted Metal | Bloody Mary | 1 episode | |
| 2024 | Baby Shark's Big Show! | Lannie (voice) | Episode: "The Danceathon" |