Nathanael Bargatze was born on March 25, 1979, in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended DuPont Elementary School and later Donelson Christian Academy in Nashville, where his father taught history. After graduating in 1997, he briefly attended Volunteer State Community College, then enrolled at Western Kentucky University, but dropped out to pursue comedy full-time.

In 2002, Bargatze moved to Chicago to study at The Second City’s improvisational comedy program before shifting to stand-up comedy. By 2004, he was performing in New York City’s Boston Comedy Club circuit. His national profile grew through appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Netflix’s The Standups. This was followed by Netflix specials, The Tennessee Kid in 2019 and The Greatest Average American in 2021. 

From there, his career exploded. He hosted Saturday Night Live in 2023 and again in 2024, and hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2025. In February 2026, he debuted as creator and host of ABC’s The Greatest Average American. He runs the show through his own production company, Nateland Entertainment.