Emily Lynne Berthold is often introduced as Kate McKinnon’s younger sister, but that description doesn’t tell the whole story. She has built a creative career of her own as a comedian, actress, writer, and voice performer, working across television, digital comedy, audio entertainment, and other forms of storytelling.
Her connection with Kate is certainly an important part of her public story. The sisters grew up together and eventually turned their shared sense of humor into professional collaborations. They co-created and starred in the digital comedy series Notary Publix and later developed the fantasy-comedy audio series Heads Will Roll. In 2026, they returned to that world with Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent, bringing their creative partnership back to audiences.
What makes Emily’s story especially interesting is the way her career has evolved. She has moved between stand-up, acting, writing, voice work, and digital comedy instead of staying tied to a single format. Her journey offers a closer look at a performer who has developed her own identity while continuing to share a unique creative bond with her famous sister.
Emily Lynne Berthold Quick Bio
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Emily Lynne Berthold |
| Known Professionally As | Emily Lynne |
| Known For | Comedy, Acting, Writing, and Voice Work |
| Birth Date | November 18 |
| Birth Year | Not Reliably Confirmed Publicly |
| Birthplace | Sea Cliff, Long Island, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Comedian, Actress, Writer, Voice Performer |
| Education | SUNY Purchase College |
| Field Of Study | Film |
| Mother | Laura Campbell |
| Father | Michael Thomas Berthold |
| Sibling | Kate McKinnon |
| Husband | Matt Leary |
| Marriage | 2025 |
| Notable Digital Project | Notary Publix |
| Major Audio Project | Heads Will Roll |
| Television Work | Friends from College and other comedy projects |
| Creative Areas | Comedy, Acting, Writing, Voice Acting, and Audio |
| Current 2026 Project | Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent |
Who Is Emily Lynne Berthold?
Emily Lynne Berthold is an American comedian, actress, writer, and voice performer whose work has crossed several areas of entertainment. She has appeared in television productions, performed comedy, written material, and taken on voice roles in animated and audio projects.
For many people, her name first comes up because of Kate McKinnon. Kate, who became widely known through Saturday Night Live and later through film and television, is Emily’s older sister. The two grew up together in Sea Cliff, New York, and their shared love of comedy eventually became part of their professional lives.
Still, Emily’s career stands on its own. She has taken on creative roles that go beyond acting, including writing and developing comedy projects. That combination has allowed her to work in different formats and experiment with characters and stories in ways that aren’t always possible in traditional television.
Her professional journey is also a reminder that a performer doesn’t have to fit neatly into one category. Emily has moved comfortably between comedy, acting, writing, and voice work, building a career around creativity rather than a single job title.
Emily Lynne Berthold’s Early Life And Family
Emily grew up on Long Island with her older sister, Kate McKinnon. Their parents were Laura Campbell and Michael Thomas Berthold. Public biographical information about Kate identifies Laura as a parent educator, while Michael worked as an architect.
The sisters developed a close relationship during childhood, and humor became an important part of their connection. Their early creative experiments eventually provided the foundation for the collaborations they would pursue as adults.
Their family also experienced a major loss when Michael died in 2002, when Kate was 18. While that event is part of the family’s documented history, details about how Emily personally experienced the loss have largely remained private. It’s therefore more appropriate to acknowledge the event without speculating about feelings or circumstances that she hasn’t publicly described.
What is clear is that Emily and Kate remained close as they moved into adulthood. Their relationship eventually developed beyond family life and into a creative partnership that has produced several recognizable comedy projects.
Emily Lynne Berthold’s Education And Creative Background
Emily studied film at SUNY Purchase College. That educational background fits naturally with the direction her career later took, particularly her interest in storytelling, comedy creation, and projects that involve more than simply performing.
A film education can provide an understanding of story structure, production, editing, and visual storytelling. Those skills can be particularly useful for someone who wants to write and develop original material as well as appear in it.
Emily’s career reflects that broader interest. Her credits have included performance and writing, and her professional biography also credits her with writing for branded entertainment and major events.
Rather than following a conventional route into acting, she has continued to explore different sides of the creative process. That versatility has become one of the defining features of her professional identity.
How Did Emily Lynne Berthold Start Her Career?
Emily’s professional career grew out of her interest in comedy and performance. Stand-up was one of the early forms through which she developed her skills, but she soon explored scripted comedy, acting, writing, and other creative formats.
One example of her early creative work is Pudding Face, a short comedy project associated with Emily as a writer, director, and editor, with Kate appearing in the cast. The project is useful in understanding Emily’s background because it shows that her interests weren’t limited to performing in front of an audience.
That behind-the-scenes involvement has remained an important part of her career. Emily has repeatedly taken on roles that allow her to help shape the material itself, whether through writing, character development, or co-creating larger comedy projects.
Her work therefore reflects a broader creative approach. She isn’t simply a comedian who performs jokes; she’s also interested in the process of building the characters and worlds in which those jokes take place.
Emily Lynne Berthold’s Stand-Up Comedy Career
Stand-up comedy was an important chapter in Emily’s career. Performing live requires quick timing, confidence, strong writing, and the ability to respond to an audience in real time. Those skills can become valuable tools for performers who later move into television, sketch comedy, or scripted work.
Emily eventually decided, however, that traditional stand-up was no longer the right format for her. In 2023, she publicly discussed stepping away from live stand-up and indicated that she felt happier after making the change.
Importantly, leaving stand-up didn’t mean walking away from comedy. Emily continued developing humorous material through other formats, including online sketches, writing, acting, and voice work.
The change also reflects something broader about her career. Emily has never been limited to one type of comedy. Moving away from the stage gave her more room to experiment with characters and stories in formats that better suited her creative interests.
What Is Notary Publix?
Notary Publix is one of the most notable examples of Emily Lynne Berthold and Kate McKinnon working together as professional comedy creators. The digital comedy series premiered in 2015 and was created and performed by the sisters.
The series allowed Emily and Kate to build a fictional comedy setting around their shared sense of humor. Their work was supported by other performers from the comedy world, including Aidy Bryant.
For Emily, the project is significant because it highlights her involvement as a creator as well as a performer. She wasn’t simply brought into a project because she was Kate’s sister. She and Kate worked together to develop the comedy and then appeared in it themselves.
That distinction is important when looking at Emily’s career. Their family relationship may have helped make the collaboration natural, but the project itself demonstrates Emily’s ability to contribute creatively.
Emily Lynne Berthold’s Television And Voice Work
Emily has built a varied résumé that includes television appearances and voice performances. Her professional work includes Friends from College, while her comedy credits also include Our Cartoon President and The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show.
Voice acting has given Emily another way to use the timing and character skills she developed through comedy. Unlike traditional acting, voice performance depends heavily on delivery, rhythm, tone, and vocal personality. A performer has to make a character recognizable largely through sound.
That skill has become particularly useful in Emily’s audio work. Her role in Heads Will Roll allowed her to combine comedy and character acting in a format that doesn’t rely on physical appearance.
Rather than having one defining mainstream role, Emily’s career has developed through a collection of varied projects. That may make her résumé less immediately recognizable than Kate’s, but it also demonstrates how broad her creative interests are.
Emily Lynne Berthold And Heads Will Roll
Heads Will Roll became one of Emily’s most significant collaborations with Kate McKinnon. The Audible Original is a fantasy-comedy series created by the sisters, with Kate playing Queen Mortuana and Emily voicing JoJo.
Audio comedy gave them the freedom to build an imaginative fictional world while focusing heavily on character, dialogue, timing, and storytelling. Emily’s role went beyond simply providing a voice. She was involved in the creation of the series alongside Kate.
That partnership continued in 2026 with Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent. Emily returned as JoJo and continued working as one of the project’s creators.
The second installment was released in June 2026 and expanded the cast with a number of well-known performers. Among the guests are Megan Mullally, Richard Kind, Laurie Metcalf, Jimmy Fallon, Carrie Coon, and Patti LuPone.
Emily also appeared on the Earsay: The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club podcast in July 2026 to discuss the new season. Her comments offered a closer look at the creative process behind the series, including the way ordinary experiences can inspire unusual comedic ideas.
The project is therefore an important snapshot of where Emily’s career stands today. She isn’t simply acting in an audio comedy; she’s helping create the world, write the material, and bring its characters to life.
Why Did Emily Lynne Berthold Leave Stand-Up Comedy?
Emily’s decision to leave stand-up appears to have been a change in creative direction rather than a departure from comedy altogether. When she discussed the decision in 2023, she indicated that stepping away from live stand-up made her happier.
That choice makes more sense when viewed alongside the rest of her career. Emily has always worked across multiple forms of comedy, so leaving live performance opened the door to other possibilities.
Writing and audio comedy, for example, allow performers to spend more time developing characters and stories. Online sketches can also provide greater freedom to experiment with ideas without the constraints of a traditional stand-up set.
Emily’s later work shows that comedy remained central to what she does. The difference is that she found new ways to express it.
Emily Lynne Berthold And Kate McKinnon’s Close Bond
Emily’s relationship with Kate is one of the most recognizable parts of her public life. The sisters grew up together, developed a shared sense of humor, and eventually transformed that bond into a professional partnership.
Their collaborations include Notary Publix and Heads Will Roll, but their connection isn’t limited to those credits. They have also appeared together publicly to discuss their projects and continue to create new material as adults.
Their creative relationship is especially interesting because both sisters contribute to the work. Emily has written, performed, and helped develop projects with Kate rather than simply appearing in productions associated with her sister.
That history gives their partnership a different dimension. They already knew one another’s humor and personalities long before they began working professionally. The familiarity appears to have become an asset when developing characters and comedic ideas together.
Their 2026 return to Heads Will Roll shows that the collaboration remains active. It also reinforces the distinction between Emily’s individual career and the work she chooses to create with Kate.
Who Is Emily Lynne Berthold’s Husband, Matt Leary?
Emily Lynne Berthold married artist and designer Matt Leary in 2025. The couple has generally kept their relationship relatively private, although Emily has shared selected moments with the public.
Their wedding attracted additional attention because Kate McKinnon played an important role in the ceremony. PEOPLE reported in 2026 that Kate officiated Emily’s wedding to Leary and later discussed the experience during a joint appearance with Emily while the sisters were promoting the second season of Heads Will Roll.
Emily’s marriage marked an important personal milestone, but she has continued to keep much of her private life separate from her professional identity. As a result, the most reliable information about her relationship comes from moments that she, Leary, or reputable publications have publicly shared.
The wedding also offered another glimpse into the closeness between Emily and Kate. Kate’s involvement was a personal reflection of their family relationship rather than simply another professional collaboration.
Emily Lynne Berthold’s Hobbies And Online Life
Away from her professional work, Emily has shown an interest in horror, comedy, animals, and creative projects. Her social media activity has included humorous videos, photographs, childhood memories, and posts involving her pets.
Her online presence offers fans a more informal glimpse of her personality. Instead of focusing only on acting credits or professional announcements, Emily has also shared everyday moments and memories involving Kate.
Those posts can be entertaining, but they should be viewed in context. Social media offers only selected snapshots of a person’s life and shouldn’t be treated as a complete biography.
For readers interested in Emily Lynne Berthold, her public interviews and documented professional credits provide a more dependable picture of her career. Her social media, meanwhile, adds a personal layer to that story.
What Is Emily Lynne Berthold Doing In 2026?
Emily remains active in comedy and audio entertainment in 2026. Her most prominent current project is Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent, the second installment of the Audible Original she created with Kate McKinnon.
The new season arrived in June 2026, with Emily returning as JoJo. She also continued her involvement behind the scenes as a co-creator and writer.
The series brings back the fantasy-comedy world established in the original production while introducing a new collection of characters and performers. For Emily, the project represents several parts of her career at once: writing, character creation, voice acting, and comedy.
Her July 2026 appearance on Earsay also provided fresh insight into her work. Discussing the new installment gave audiences a chance to hear Emily talk about the creative process in her own words.
That current activity is important when considering Emily’s career in 2026. She isn’t simply known for earlier stand-up work or for being Kate McKinnon’s sister. She’s continuing to develop original comedy and take on creative roles across different forms of entertainment.
Emily Lynne Berthold Beyond Being Kate McKinnon’s Sister
It’s understandable that Emily Lynne Berthold is frequently introduced through her relationship with Kate McKinnon. Kate is a major entertainment figure, and their sisterly relationship has become part of the public’s interest in Emily.
But stopping there would overlook much of Emily’s professional history.
She has performed stand-up, acted in television projects, written comedy, contributed to branded entertainment, worked as a voice performer, and helped create original digital and audio productions. Those experiences give her a creative résumé that extends well beyond her family connection.
Her work with Kate is actually one of the clearest ways to see those skills in action. With Notary Publix, the sisters combined writing and performance. With Heads Will Roll, they expanded into long-form audio storytelling. Emily’s contribution to those projects shows that she has an active role in shaping the material.
Her 2026 work on Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent brings all of those strengths together. She is a performer, writer, and co-creator working alongside her sister while maintaining her own place in the comedy world.
Final Thoughts
Emily Lynne Berthold’s career is more than a footnote to Kate McKinnon’s success. She has developed a creative identity through comedy, acting, writing, voice performance, and audio storytelling, often moving between several of those roles within the same project.
Her path has also changed over the years. After stepping away from stand-up, she continued finding ways to make comedy while giving herself more room to write, develop characters, and experiment with different formats.
Her partnership with Kate remains a particularly important part of that journey. The sisters’ shared history has grown into professional work that audiences can hear and watch, from Notary Publix to the Heads Will Roll series.
In 2026, Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent provides the latest example of that evolution. Emily is once again creating and performing alongside Kate, but her role in the project also highlights something that has been true throughout her career: she has a creative voice of her own.
For anyone researching Emily Lynne Berthold’s biography, family, husband, career, or relationship with Kate McKinnon, that is perhaps the most useful takeaway. She may have entered the public conversation through a famous family connection, but her body of work shows a performer who has spent years developing her own place in comedy and entertainment.
FAQs About Emily Lynne Berthold
Who Is Emily Lynne Berthold?
Emily Lynne Berthold is an American comedian, actress, writer, and voice performer. She is also Kate McKinnon’s younger sister and has collaborated with her on projects such as Notary Publix and Heads Will Roll.
Is Emily Lynne Berthold Married?
Yes. Emily married artist and designer Matt Leary in 2025. Kate McKinnon officiated the ceremony, according to a 2026 PEOPLE report.
Who Is Emily Lynne Berthold’s Husband?
Emily’s husband is Matt Leary, an artist and designer. The couple has maintained a relatively private personal life while sharing selected moments publicly.
Is Emily Lynne Berthold Kate McKinnon’s Sister?
Yes. Emily is Kate McKinnon’s younger sister. The two grew up together on Long Island and later became creative collaborators in comedy and audio entertainment.
What Is Emily Lynne Berthold Known For?
Emily is known for comedy, acting, writing, and voice performance. Her work includes Notary Publix, Friends from College, Our Cartoon President, The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show, and Heads Will Roll.
Why Did Emily Lynne Berthold Leave Stand-Up Comedy?
Emily discussed stepping away from stand-up in 2023 and indicated that she felt happier after leaving live performance. She continued pursuing comedy through writing, acting, sketches, voice work, and audio projects.
What Is Heads Will Roll?
Heads Will Roll is a fantasy-comedy audio series created by Emily Lynne and Kate McKinnon. Emily voices JoJo, while Kate plays Queen Mortuana. Its second installment, Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent, was released in 2026.
What Is Emily Lynne Berthold Doing In 2026?
In 2026, Emily continues working as a comedian, writer, voice performer, and co-creator. Her most prominent current project is Heads Will Roll: Heir Apparent, which she created and performed with Kate McKinnon.
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