Live From New York - James H. Miller [252]
ANA GASTEYER, Cast Member:
The one miracle is that every host makes it through. I’ve seen really drunk people make it through, I’ve seen really stoned people make it through. Everyone makes it through. The system has been around for twenty-seven years now; it’s pretty well oiled and sensitive — it just happens.
Of course, you see a lot of true colors. I mean, even the coolest person in the whole world at some point shits their pants because they’re so nervous or so elated that they made it through this terrifying thing and wasn’t it fun.
I credit Lorne and Marci and the show for kind of making each host feel like that was really the most special show, because I’ve seen people who we’ve unanimously thought stunk up the barn still really experience elation when it was over and, you know, feel so celebratory and excited by their experience, and it’s cute. You see it even in people that are very, very hip and cool.
It’s scary. People act like idiots when they’re scared. You know, total idiots. Jerry Seinfeld was fearful. Totally fearful. He was very controlling and weird about knowing what sketches had been picked. He was like, “What about this idea?” He made people mad, but then once he knew what sketches had been picked, he was lovely, it was amazing. So everybody has their shtick. Obviously we prefer it when there’s somebody like that who brings something to the party — over, you know, somebody who’s like, “Well, she’s a pretty girl.”
CHRIS KATTAN:
There are some weeks where the writers are just kind of unmotivated and it’s like, “What are we going to write for this person,” you know? She’s so generic, she’s like this person, or he’s like this person, and it’s like the same thing again. And then there’s the obvious ones, like when Jennifer Lopez was here, it’s like, “Oh well, we’ve got to hit these jokes and these jokes,” and then it turns out she doesn’t want to make those jokes, so then how can we do it subliminally?
JIMMY FALLON:
It’s kind of an amazing thing when you’re with a writer. You see the joy in the human face, and not because of what they’re writing, or the job of writing it, but the excitement that they’re going to unveil a good reference or a good bit, kind of like a mad scientist rubbing his hands together and giggling: “If this monster works, I’m a genius, and if it fails, it’s back to the drawing board.”
They’re excited not about writing it, but about what the audience’s reaction will be. It’s kind of exciting that way for the writers. Writing itself is tedious. No one ever really enjoys writing until it’s done. But you’re excited to see people read it, excited to think, “Will they get it? Will they like this line?” It’s line by line. It’s just cool to watch how insane these guys are.
MOLLY SHANNON:
Kevin Spacey was really great when he came. He was an amazing host. He’s just like a machine: “I want to do this, I want to do that.” He just creates the whole thing. He just comes in with a plan and he follows it through, and he was like masterful. He was amazing to watch. He just came in and had great ideas and he’s funny.
TINA FEY:
Part of the beauty of the show is that at its longest it’s only a week; come hell or high water at one A.M. on Sunday, it’s done. It’s like taking the SATs; they will say, “Put your pencils down,” at a certain point. It is best when the host trusts us. It’s easiest for us when people come in and trust us. When someone comes in and they’re really diffi-cult, it kind of brings us all together against