From SNL to to Iowa Climate Candidate

Gary Kroger went from late-night laughs to campaign trail conviction—and he’s still not done fighting for the planet.

When most people hear the name Gary Kroger, they think of Saturday Night Live. And for good reason: he was a cast member from 1982 to 1985, performing alongside comedy icons like Billy Crystal, Martin Short, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But what most people don’t know is that Gary left Hollywood behind two decades ago, not to retire, but to make a different kind of impact.

This week on Three Degrees, Gary Kroger joined us to talk about his unlikely evolution from comedy to climate politics. In an hour filled with wit, honesty, and urgency, Gary reflects on why he returned to Iowa, what drove him to run for office, and how we can reclaim the climate narrative from both apathy and denial.

“I didn’t want the L.A. life for my kids,” he told us. “I didn’t like the status obsession, the pollution, the values. And more recently, I couldn’t keep paying taxes in a state that wants to silence us. Silence us for supporting climate action, public education, LGBTQ rights—you name it.”

Gary and his wife moved to Vermont, but his journey through Iowa politics is the heart of this episode. A native of Cedar Falls, he ran for Congress in 2016 and later for the Iowa House. From the start, climate change was central to his platform - thanks, in part, to Three Degrees co-host Channing Dutton. “Channing really activated my activism,” Gary said. “He made sure I was putting climate at the top of the list.”

For Gary, the issue was always deeply personal. “My kids asked me - what kind of environment are you handing over to us? That’s the issue that rises above all others. What good is a strong economy if you can’t breathe the air or drink the water?”

Gary doesn’t just speak in talking points. He speaks from experience - decades of watching the weather shift, flights get rougher, and politics become more polarized. “In the last ten years, I’ve noticed more flight cancellations, more turbulence, more extreme weather,” he said. “That’s not opinion. That’s lived reality. And when you pair that with the data - the graphs showing CO₂ emissions spiking post–Industrial Revolution - how can anyone still deny what’s happening?”

But Gary also understands the limits of doom and gloom. As a veteran performer, he knows that to truly reach people, you need humor, heart, and hope.

That’s where Curb Your Enthusiasm comes in. Gary shared the story of his appearance on the show, playing a meteorologist accused by Larry David of fabricating forecasts to clear the golf course. “There was no script,” Gary said. “Larry just said, ‘I’m going to confront you on the golf course.’ I improvised the jet stream explanation, and then he hit me with the line: ‘There’s a jet stream of bullshit coming out of your mouth.’ It was perfect.”

Gary sees that kind of humor, not mocking the science, but exposing the hypocrisy as essential to breaking through. “Comedy doesn’t sell the message, but it brings people into the message,” he said. “It’s a way to disarm people, to make them listen.”

We asked him who’s doing climate communication right. His answer? “You are. Meteorologists. The scientists in the field. You have the credibility. Politicians, even the good ones, get dismissed. But when people hear it from someone they trust to tell them if it’s going to rain tomorrow, that lands differently.”

We also asked him to imagine delivering the closing of a stump speech around the phrase climate action for your kids. Without hesitation, he launched into a heartfelt and stirring message about generational responsibility:

“We’ve had the luxury of clean air and clean water. But now we’re at a turning point. The regulations that protected us are being erased. We’re seeing an ideology that doesn’t just deny science—it actively attacks it. But we have to do better. We have to act - not for ourselves, but for our kids, our grandkids, and everyone who comes after us.”

The conversation turned to the role of Democrats in today’s climate fight. “They’ve lost their voice,” Gary said. “They let Republicans dictate the narrative. While Democrats are trying to solve real problems—like climate, education, and health care- Republicans distract with fear. Immigration. Gas prices. Bread. And it works. They move the goalposts, and we keep playing catch-up.”

Still, Gary remains hopeful. Not blindly optimistic—but stubbornly committed. “We can’t give up. This is the only game in town. We don’t get to say, ‘Well, it’s over.’ We have to keep pushing, keep educating, keep showing up. What other choice do we have?”

The episode ends with a laugh, naturally. Gary drops a surprisingly good golf tip - “loosen your grip. The tighter you hold the club, the more committed you are to slicing or hooking”—and a reminder that humor and humanity go hand in hand.

It’s a conversation that stays with you. Honest. Urgent. Funny. And above all, grounded in the belief that if we want to change the future, we need to show up—loudly, clearly, and together.

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