Here's How Much Aidy Bryant Is Really Worth
If you don't already know who Aidy Bryant is, where have you been? The hysterical actor has been on "Saturday Night Live" since 2012, and you may recognize her from her Hulu show "Shrill," which just ended after three seasons. Or perhaps you've seen her work in episodes of hit TV series like "Portlandia," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," or "Girls." At this point, she's a comedy staple, and based on her career so far, she's a staple that'll be hard to remove.
Through her superb work on television, the sketch comedy star has amassed a stellar fortune. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the comedian is worth an estimated $4 million dollars. Along the way, Bryant also became a voice for the body positivity movement, and has written new narratives in comedy, shifting the zeitgeist to reflect that.
But how did Bryant become a strong voice for women, and how did she earn so much money along the way? Find out below.
Childhood interests led to a lucrative career
Aidy Bryant has been interested in performing since she was a kid. The actor first became enthralled with life on the stage when taking theatre courses in school and at summer camp, according to Phoenix New Times. Her parents took her to improv classes, and she eventually crossed paths with instructors who greatly influenced her. "I was so lucky to have met those people — Bill Binder, and the people who run the Torch Theatre. I credit them for showing me what long-form improv was and what it could be," Bryant said of her teachers.
Bryant's early start in improv was integral to her landing the money-making gig she has now on "Saturday Night Live." She told the Phoenix New Times, "When I was around 15 years old I had been doing these theater camps for kids and stuff like that, but I met a teacher who taught real improvisation, very comparable to what I ended up doing in Chicago, which got me hired for 'SNL.'" We're sure Bryant's eternally grateful for her teachers, and we are too.
A life-altering mindset change
For years, Aidy Bryant struggled with body positivity and self-esteem, following strict diet plans in an effort to lose weight. But when she stopped this practice, as she told The Cut, her life and her career (and eventually her net worth) changed.
"I finally was like, 'What if I put all of that energy into just trying to like myself and focus on the things I actually want to do as opposed to this thing that's like a made-up concept?'" she asked herself. "Within two years, I was hired by Second City; two years later I was hired by 'SNL,'" Bryant noted of her attitude shift.
Bryant has taken that far into her career. As she told The Washington Post, "I am fat. To me, it's like taking the power out of it. It doesn't have to be so loaded. It's just true." Bryant is living proof that the most profitable asset is confidence.
Aidy Bryant found success in Chicago
Aidy Bryant has had a financially fruitful career in comedy, but she had to work for the position she's in now. After graduating high school, Bryant moved to Chicago to pursue her passion for improv, and she proved her talent by joining some of the country's most prestigious theaters: iO, Annoyance Theatre, and the legendary Second City, per Phoenix New Times.
It was her work in Chicago that earned Bryant a coveted spot on the famed sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live." Creator Lorne Michaels watched her perform a sketch of her own writing and soon after she was asked to audition. Bryant became one of the youngest cast members, and the first plus size woman, to join the show, and nine seasons later she's still making viewers laugh every Saturday night.
And her gig is quite lucrative. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Bryant is making anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000 dollars per episode of "Saturday Night Live." We'd dress up as a chicken to perform a sketch with Ryan Gosling for $15,000. Heck, we'd do it for free.
Showbiz plays a big part in her relationship
Aidy Bryant's career didn't just bring her wealth — it led her to her husband. She and husband Conner O'Malley, a writer, met at the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago, per Bust, went on one date, and have been together ever since. O'Malley and Bryant got engaged in a truly hilarious way, which she recounted on "Late Night with Seth Meyers."
It's safe to say the two have the rom-com relationship you'd hope from two comedy writers. O'Malley played a part on Bryant's Hulu show "Shrill," and his introduction to her mom, the story she shared on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," could have been a sketch on "Saturday Night Live."
O'Malley's list of credits also includes "Late Night with Seth Meyers," "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson," and "Palm Springs." Through various acting, writing, and producing gigs, he has earned his own enviable net worth, an estimated $2.6 million according to The Personage. Bryant jested to Meyers, "now we have TV money," but judging by their net worths, it's not much of a joke.
Aidy Bryant also starred in her own show
"Saturday Night Live" isn't the only television show you can find Aidy Bryant on. For three seasons, Bryant starred in the aforementioned comedy "Shrill," based on the Lindy West memoir of the same name.
Bryant used the series as an opportunity to show a plus-sized woman whose life does not revolve around weight, but rather how it's just one facet. And she wants to see it on television more. "That would be my dream. And I think, this is the tricky fine line, that also doesn't completely ignore their fatness. ... How do you acknowledge it, respect it, but also not let it be this character's complete defining quality?" she said to Entertainment Weekly.
"I feel really proud of what we did," she told W of her efforts on "Shrill." Much of those efforts were made possible through her roles as creator, writer, and executive producer, in addition to being the star. Filling those roles likely added to her net worth, too. Bryant isn't just a comedian — she's in the business of making groundbreaking art.
Her filmography continues to expand
Now that "Shrill" is over, Aidy Bryant has other projects in the works, including an animated series called "Human Resources," per Variety. She also stayed on the "Saturday Night Live" cast for a 10th season, a decision she wasn't sure of until mid-2021, per The Washington Post.
And Bryant will likely continue to land parts thanks to her immense talent, which was recognized by the Television Academy in 2021. Bryant was nominated for an Emmy Award in two separate categories: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series, for her work in "Shrill" and "Saturday Night Live," respectively. "It seems insane. And I certainly at first was like, 'This is a mistake. No.' But it's also really, really nice," she told Entertainment Weekly of her double nomination.
Recognition isn't the only thing she's earning as an award nominee. While she didn't get paid directly for her nominations, it's reasonable to assume she can leverage the title "Emmy nominee" for a higher salary at her next job.
She has a plus-size clothing brand
Comedy isn't Aidy Bryant's only passion. The star also has a sartorial love that she's channeled through her work on "Shrill," a partnership with Old Navy, and a plus-size clothing line of her own.
Bryant launched her brand pauline after years of struggling to find ample options of cool clothes that fit her. "I always loved clothes...but I always felt like there wasn't quite exactly what I wanted out there. Things felt too trendy to me or too shapeless or too cutesy," she told Refinery29. Now, after showing up to countless events in custom outfits, Bryant fans can buy what they see her wearing on the red carpet.
Bryant's clothing business is bound to be lucrative, too. The dresses, which retail for $175 each, are all sold out on her website, and they aren't available in stores. We're excited to see what designs Bryant sells next. Hopefully they don't sell out before we have a chance to buy them.
How does she spend her money?
Aidy Bryant has a lot of money, as we've covered, and she's unafraid to spend it on her happiness. Bryant shares a one-bedroom apartment in New York City with her husband Conner O'Malley, which she purchased for nearly $1 million dollars, according to Variety, and she's filled her bright, whimsical space with items that bring her happiness, which she showed off on Oprah Daily.
Among those possessions whose presence allows her to write pique comedy? Crystals. "I have the most millennial crystal collection ever," she told The Cut. "I don't know what any of them mean and I never charge them," she added. We'd guess they mean humor, creativity, and money. Lots of money.
Bryant doesn't just spend money on "trinkets," as she calls her things. She and her husband took a trip to London before the pandemic hit, as she shared with Seth Meyers on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." As delightful as the road trips she took around the American Southwest as a child surely were, hopping on a plane and flying to another country is an entirely new ballgame for the memory bank (and the ol' pocketbook).
Aidy Bryant stays busy
Aidy Bryant works a lot. And we mean a lot. Between writing for and co-starring in "Saturday Night Live," helming her own series, and inventing new projects, she can't have much time left to just relax. Unless she's superwoman. Well, let's be honest, she kind of is.
Bryant has been known to pop by improv shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Manhattan, per Phoenix New Times, and she's also available for speaking engagements. Well, she's available if you have an extra $100,000 to $200,000 dollars lying around, as that's her fee per All American Speakers. A couple gigs at that rate will definitely add to her net worth.
Despite her fame, money, and supreme talent, Bryant maintains that she lives a normal life. "It's not too crazy," she told Phoenix New Times. If starring in the most famous sketch comedy show of all time is normal, then we agree — she lives a normal life. Having $4 million dollars, though? Definitely not normal.