Building the cast Saturday night live not an easy feat.
The people responsible for casting the actors and comedians who take over Studio 8H once a week talk about the process in the first episode of Peacock’s new four-part documentary series, SNL50: Behind Saturday Night.
Lindsay Shookus was head of talent and producer of the beloved late-night show for two decades. In the documentary series, she talks about what it’s like to see comedians who promised not to be chosen after auditions.
“When someone comes out and they don’t laugh, it’s just the worst feeling because it was like, ‘I chose these people,'” she says.
Shookus recalls auditioning actor and podcaster Henry Zebrowski. Although he started out fairly traditional, he had a secret twist in mind.
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“In three minutes he came out of the wall and was completely naked,” she shares.
“It was such a shock and I’m not even sure, I have no idea what he did at that point, a naked guy. But he was a naked guy. He didn’t get hired, but not because he was naked.”
Elsewhere in the first episode — dubbed “Five Minutes” after the time potential actors have to audition — Shookus talks about going on a talent hunt.
“Sometimes you’d see something in an audition and say, ‘This could be in a skit tomorrow,'” she shares.
“And that was always nice, wasn’t it? That they had already come and that there was already a lot of stuff that you could put on the show right away.”
SNL50: Behind Saturday Night currently streaming on Peacock.
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Source: HIS Education