Career
After Bryant graduated from Columbia College, she toured with the musical improv group Baby Wants Candy and was approached by The Second City. She has performed with iO Chicago, The Second City and the Annoyance Theatre. She was a writer and ensemble member for both "Sky's the Limit, Weather Permitting" and "We're All In This Room Together" on the Second City Stage.
Bryant made her debut as a featured player on Saturday Night Live on September 15, 2012. She was promoted to a repertory player during her second season on the show.
In 2013, Bryant landed a recurring role in the second season of IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang!, playing the show's segment producer. Bryant also made an uncredited cameo appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. She has made guest appearances on programs such as Broad City, Documentary Now!, The Awesomes, and Girls.
In 2014, Bryant, Eli Bruggemann, Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider, and Kate McKinnon were nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the "Home for the Holiday (Twin Bed)". The music video sketch aired on December 21, 2013. She won the award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2015 EWwy awards which honor performances that were snubbed by the Emmys.
In 2016, Bryant had a recurring role as Alice in the Louis C.K. series, Horace and Pete. In 2017, Bryant provided the voice of main character D.D. Danger on the animated series Danger & Eggs. In 2018, Bryant received a nomination at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
In 2019, Bryant starred in the Hulu series Shrill. After Bryant became involved with Shrill, as a co-writer, co-executive producer and as the main character, there was a question of whether she would return for the 2019–20 season of Saturday Night Live, although Lorne Michaels encouraged her to work on both shows. Bryant stated that she would work 12-hour days on Shrill and then at SNL afterwards, accounting for 22-hour days. Shrill would run for three seasons ending in May 2021, and Bryant was told that its third season would be the last one after it was shot. Bryant planned to exit SNL after its 45th season, however, the COVID-19 pandemic caused her to reconsider leaving after 'one last normal year' that concluded with the 2021-2022 47th season.
In 2021, Bryant had signed an overall deal with Universal Television. She voiced Emmy on the adult animated series Human Resources, a spin-off of Big Mouth, which premiered on March 18, 2022.
In October 2022, Bryant directed a music video for the song "Hurricane" by country music duo Plains (Katie Crutchfield and Jess Williamson).
In February 2024, Bryant hosted the 2024 edition of the Independent Spirit Awards, an awards show dedicated to independent films. Her performance as host was praised, with British Vogue writer Emma Specter noting that she was "able to roll with the live-performance element of the gig without radiating the nervous and clammy energy of a less-experienced performer". In October 2024, it was announced that she would return to host the awards in 2025.
Bryant is set to star in the upcoming Peacock dramedy Lonely Hearts Club.
