WE ARE PAT - CHATTING WITH JULIA SWEENEY and ROWAN HABER

It’s Pat….. Remember that infamous and lovable character on Saturday Night Live. Is Pat a he or a she? Or is Pat transgender? All is discussed in fascinating new documentary. We Are Pat.

As hilarious as it is endearing, We Are Pat explores Julia Sweeney’s iconic (and controversial) 90’s SNL character, “Pat.” Created by Julia Sweeney in the 90s, “Pat” became a phenomenon on SNL before facing cultural backlash as conversations around transness and non-binary identity politics evolved. What starts as a pop culture excavation becomes something deeper: a reflection on gender identity, the elasticity of comedy, the ethics of authorship, and what happens when a joke outlives the era it was born in.

We Are Pat brings together a who’s-who of trans and gender non-conforming comics and cultural commentators tasked with the ultimate challenge - to reconsider and re-write “Pat" through a modern, more inclusive lens. The film also features interviews with Julia Sweeney, Kevin Nealon, Molly Kearney, Abby McEnany, Murray Hill, Nori Reed, Robin Tran, Sabrina Wu, Roz Hernandez, James Tom, Ally Beardsley, JD Samson, River Gallo, Riv Butcher, Grace Freud, April Clark, Ever Mainard, Hayden Johnson, Brontez Purnell, and Jules Gill-Peterson.

The film is the brainchild and is directed by Rowan Haber

Coming off a wildly successful theatrical release which included an Academy Award-qualifying run at DCTV in New York and a sold-out LA premiere at Vidiots, Tribeca Films recently launched We Are Pat on all digital platforms, perfectly timed to nationwide Pride celebrations.

The film will be available widely on streaming giant Peacock on August 20th, 2026.

I spoke with Director Rowan Haber and Pat “it-self” - the fabulous Julia Sweeney about the documentary and the emotional journey it has been for both of them.