Live From New York - James H. Miller [192]
ADAM SANDLER:
I was in, I think, sixth grade when Saturday Night Live was the biggest thing. I’m sure the other guys who are my age probably said this too, but my big thing was trying to stay up to watch it. In the schoolyard the cooler kids were talking about the Bees and they talked about Belushi a lot, and I wanted to be part of that conversation. So I tried to stay up, and I’d make it to eleven o’clock and I was very excited; all I had to get through was the news. And I’d usually get to about eleven-twenty — and fall asleep. And then my brother would be carrying me to my room and while he was carrying me I’d be like, “Is it on? Is the show on?” He’d say, “Yeah yeah, don’t worry, go to sleep, I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.” And so he would tell me what happened on Sunday mornings and then I would bullshit in the playground and pretend I saw the show also.
I loved Aykroyd. I loved Belushi. I loved Bill Murray. I loved Chevy. I think the reason I loved Caddyshack so much growing up is that all my favorite guys were in the movie together. No matter who they cut to, I was, “I love that guy. I love him too.” The hosts back then were cool. Like when Reggie Jackson hosted — I was a huge Yankee fan — that was as cool as it got.
The show was a major part of the life of every one of the kids I grew up with. It was not only topical, because it dealt with current events; it was just like instilled in our heads. “These are the funniest guys of our generation, so whatever they say is funny is funny.”
TIM HERLIHY, Writer:
Adam Sandler was my college roommate at NYU. He decided he wanted to do stand-up his sophomore year, so I just helped him out. We all kind of helped him out with some material. I started doing it more — more and more as his school progressed. I always figured that he would be successful. We both graduated, and then he went out to L.A. after graduation and I stayed in New York and actually went to NYU Law School. When he got the job at SNL, I kind of helped him out. And then he got me a tryout in the spring of ’94.
CHRIS ROCK:
I was a featured guy. Adam actually had to write for like a year. He might’ve got on here and there, but he basically was a writer for a year. We’d give each other jokes sometimes on each other’s pieces. Adam actually gave me the best joke I ever had on the show. It was a Nate X sketch. My militant character, Nate X, used to do these Top Five lists, ’cause the Man wouldn’t give him ten. So — “Top Five Reasons Why Black Guys Don’t Play Hockey.” Adam gave me the joke: “Don’t feel the need to dominate another sport.” Adam Sandler! Adam Sandler, man. Good guy.
FRED WOLF:
Rock is so smart. God, he’s so smart, and he has such a unique sense of humor. We would talk sometimes, you know, we shared an office when he was there. We had these connecting offices in the back toward what’s now “Update.” But anyway, we would talk forever. He was so smart about things. And he appreciated Jim Downey as much as anyone else did.
CHRIS ROCK:
I watched it as a kid, sure. Loved it. Dreamed of being on it. It was my dream. I was twenty-one when I joined the cast. I got a duplex apartment in Fort Green. I bought a car, a Corvette. That stuff. My mom started making money doing stand-up too. That was cool. Prices go up. I had a big year. First SNL, then the movie New Jack City came out, so I was hot shit — at least I thought I was.
Dana Carvey was the show. He carried the show on his back. Add to him Mike Myers, Jan Hooks, and the others, and I think it was a great cast. Our cast actually went on to the most success afterwards, probably. Even Rob Schneider