When fans think of big celebrity purchases, they usually mean mansions or luxury cars ... not retired ferries. But famously, that’s exactly what Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Pete Davidson did four years ago. Now, Jost is opening up more about wife Scarlett Johansson's reaction and the status of the project.
It all started back in 2022, when Jost teamed up with Davidson to purchase a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat at auction for just over $280,000. The vessel, formerly part of New York City’s public transit fleet, had been retired from service and was in rough shape. Definitely far from tourist-ready attraction the SNL duo would eventually envision.
At the time of the purchase, the ferry was essentially a giant floating scrap pile. It had been stripped of operational systems, needed significant structural and cosmetic repairs, and lacked a clear purpose. Still, that didn’t deter Jost and Davidson, who saw potential in the aging boat.
“I texted Scarlett, like, ‘Guess what? We own a ferry now,’” Jost recalled in a preview clip for his May 4 appearance on the SmartLess podcast. “And she was like, ‘We?’”
It sounds as if Johansson wanted no part of the ferry project. Of course, as one of the most successful actresses of all time, the pricetag was hardly a drop in the bucket for Johansson. But it seems as if she was happy to let Jost figure it out on his own.
In the years since the purchase. Jost and Davidson have been asked about the ferry's status. The pair have mostly made jokes about it, suggesting their in debt or that they regret buying it. But the initial plan included creating a comedy club or perhaps a hotel on deck.
Earlier this season, Davidson returned to Saturday Night Live to talk about the ferry on "Weekend Update." After jokingly calling it "Titantic 2," Davidson teased that the ferry would be the "new Staten Island" for anyone who wanted to leave New York City because Zohran Mamdani won the election.
Speaking on SmartLess with hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, Jost described a new idea for the ferry inspired by his childhood on Staten Island.
He described going to the Great Hills Swim Club, recalling how both kids and adults were happy to go and hang out there. “I could imagine creating a place like that, that’s not a weird fancy members club, but is actually more middle class in Manhattan,” he explained.
Exactly how long it will take for that vision to become a reality is anyone's guess. It doesn't sound like Jost has a timeline he's willing to share. And by all accounts, Scarlett Johansson continues to keep her distance from the project.
“It’s going to be fine,” Jost said on the podcast, half-reassuring the hosts and half-convincing himself. “Is this a good financial sign where you’re like, ‘It’s fine!?’”
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