Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade - RE-RELEASE - Cecily Strong

Episode Date: March 4, 2026

Let’s revisit leaving SNL, Trump hosting, and teeth acting with Cecily Strong. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Sessly Strong is with us right now. This is one we aired a few months ago. We got to have a nice little chat with her. She was on the show when Dana did it, I think. And she were there when you hosted, right? Yeah, I mean, we, yeah, she was in that cast. She had a nice long run on SNL. We talked all about that.

And, you know, just the leaving of SNL is kind of bittersweet, and you're walking out the world. And she was on a show, Schmigadoo. Shmegadoon. Mm-hmm. Sheen and Michael Key. Yeah. And yeah, she was, when she left, it was one of those ones that they feel a little bit because when a good cast member leaves, it's tough.

I mean, they cover it, but, you know, she's one of the ones that was just a consistent hitter every week. Yeah, she kept just up in her game all through the seasons, you know. And it's hard to leave it. She did. And the show's really funny. It was three years ago at the time of her. So I don't know. Is that what she was on three years ago?

Well, according to our producer. It feels like we just talked to her. But anyway, they go so fast. But a lot of good things, we had a great time with her. And she gives us a lot of insight to what it's like over there. And also life after. Yeah. Yeah, she's an adorable person.

Yeah. Cessley Strong. Here we go. Everyone off. She's here. The thing about Cessaly is she's always prompt. You'll find that she'll be on the Zoom a little bit earlier than when it was scheduled, like 35 to 45. Oh, sorry.

Hi, I love your sweater. Yeah. Well, thanks. We're doing a similar themed. Well, this is a, yeah, kind of colorful. It's the perfect puffer. That's David's. David has a perfect puffer.

I'm in Northern California. It's freezing and there's a hypersonic river. You know, there's never a rainstorm. It's always a cyclone bomb. So, but it's kind of nice out. Is that still going? Is that still happening? Oh, yeah.

We haven't quit. Northern California never lays down with this. They never quit. That's true, I suppose. I'm not apologizing for my hair, but I'm just going to say, we're just going to deal with it on this. It looks like a fashion choice. It's kind of hip.

That's what it used to look like. I'm going to say two words right now about David's hair. Bad, bad boy. Yes. Back me up. Bad boy, right? Unkept. Ready to fight here.

Yeah. And bad boys never go out of style. Right. Bad boy lost his comb. Bad boys never go out of style. So they're in style and they're going to stay in style. I think forever, yeah. Dana was saying it rains and you're not in L.A., I don't think, but it's raining always now.

It's a new thing. And you think with the taxes and everything, the only thing we get is good weather. Now we don't even have that. So when it rains, the weatherman goes like this. it's going to pour for seven days straight. And there's such a big drought here. Everyone goes, oh, good. And he goes, but it's not going to help the drought.

Did you think that? And I go, I did think that. And I go, no. See, it's funny, you would think that. But the drought is getting worse. And I'm like, I don't think I know what a drought is then. Because why is all the rain not helping? And they're like, it's nothing.

It's got to go underground, man. It's all about recharging it underground. Right. But it was like, well, it's good to fill the ones overground too, I think. I don't know. We don't know what's getting filled. We can celebrate the little wins, right? I thought it was a little win.

Yes, it was a little wind. Shasta is a mofo. That thing is so fucking huge. And it's going to get so full when the mountains start to melt that they're going to have to release water. Here's my point. If it rains outside, I don't really have a point. I take, I took a one hour shower yesterday just to kind of just a, because it was raining outside. I go, how much could it hurt?

Yeah. I didn't know where you were going with that, but I'm okay. I'm so punching and I have nothing. But at least I'll admit it ahead of time. Cessley, we're so glad you're on this show. We're so excited. It's wonderful to be here. I just adore you both.

I hope you know that. I think I told you both that the 50th, but I don't, or the 40th, I mean, geez, but I don't know if you're going to be. 50th is next. No, the 40th, Cessley. It is Cessley, right? You say Cessley. Yes, Cessley, yes. it wrong. Okay. People do say it wrong. You've been saying it right. I appreciate that. I'm Dana and he's

David. Yeah. No, it's Cecily. It's very hip. Cecilie is like works at a mall or something. Cecily, I don't know about it. Yeah. Yeah. When we did the 40th, aside from the excitement of it all and seeing every return, someone was fun to see an old, new cast, whatever, whatever, she was assigned the thankless job of doing my bye with me which, you know, the show was so thrown together. That was very exciting. I mean, can you imagine if you were...

Yes, yes. It didn't kill and get off the charts and win awards. Wow. Yeah, just for a second for our audience. David used to do a character, his first character that landed an absolute catchphrase, flight attendant as you get off the plane, saying,

Bye bye. Right. So then on the 40th, you two are in the sketch. Fill us in. What happened? How did you get together? Where were you in the show? Hour three or hour six?

We ended the Californians. Yes. And I actually have the picture of you and I standing there, I think, with Bradley Cooper. But I have the little framed picture on my wall. Yeah, I love it. You know, what was fun about that was, I think it was I talked to Shroom Taker, Michael Shoemaker. and he shrewmaker what's the shroom taker with michael like his name sounds like shroom taker

oh i thought it's like he deals in psilocybin um i'll just have a small amount marchie so anyway you guys did the sketch show the californians and then the end you two were placed on the soundstage kind of at the at the edge of their set and did a goodbye oh bye bye bye bye Bye bye. Yeah. It was funny because as Shoemaker, I asked Shoemaker, I said, what if, because this show is obviously so thrown together, no one cares, what if when someone's leaving a sketch, they just walk by and we go, bye-bye?

And he goes, yeah, we can probably do that. So he talked to Higgins, and then they said, you would be good for that. And then we stood there. And I have a picture. I think it's probably from rehearsal or is it from the real show? I have one, I think, from rehearsal. Oh, I'm not sure. and, hey gang, let's put it on social media when this episode comes out.

Yes, I have it too. But it was fun because Taylor Swift was in it. So basically, Dana, it was very unorthodox. They do this sketch. That's a big favorite sketch. And then when they're leaving, we just stand there for absolutely no reason and go bo-bye. I remember it. I remember it now.

Yeah, it's kind of meta or whatever that word means. It was fun. And Taylor Swift was in it. She was very tall. She is very tall. Was she swift in a way in her movements? Sorry, it's all I got. Now, why do you ask that?

Well, I don't know. Maybe some subconscious connection. So anyway, Cessley, we've been watching all your cool stuff. I didn't even know where to start. We can go chronologically. But one thing that I did absolutely love as someone who loves accents is the way you're British indiscernible. character. Gemma. Super cockney. Like that is just music to me. I love hearing. Music to be ears. I'm Gemma. Would you give us just a, you don't have to do it. I mean, just talk through it in that.

Just give us a three seconds. Well, I think you also have to put, make it feel like you have big teeth too, I think because I was, I was watching a lot of a British reality show, but everybody gets their teeth done. So, so. Is it Gemma Collins? That's, there is a Gemma Collins who is on the show that I was watching a lot of a slight over bite yeah yeah sort of like if you think if you're talking around your teeth like that so you're hey i want to hear it say more it's just like you're talking around your teeth it's there's a show called the only way it's essex and it's sort like that and they do a lot of like american vocal fry almost oh it's so refined i love that i god i love that you're doing I love accents too.

It's fun for me. It's just what it sounds like to my ear. I feel like there's always said in a million comments. They're like, that's not how that sounds. Which are the most fun people to be watching. Yeah, the ones that are upset. We don't sound like that. But you're teasing it out and making it a character.

I mean, you're doing something lispy or something with your teeth. Yes. It's very, gives you a little. The S, it's almost like a little lisp because of the teeth, I think. Is that, is it a little. little who's the great actress Olivia Coleman or you know she did the queen is that the name of that actress yeah I assume so yes let's let's say that's her name he's on the crown close enough she has a little over by doesn't anyway I love that so that's where we wanted to start well I appreciate

just fanning out okay well I'm a fan and Dana just you know I also I just want to say I also have a picture of you from the 40th it was it was a huge deal I think I was in my second year on the show or something. So it was like, it was 2014. Yeah, it was very cool. I have a picture of you and Mike Myers and your Wayne's World get-ups. And I got to stand in between you, too. And that was very exciting. Yeah. Wow. We was, that night, yeah, when you just say, it's Billy Crystal. There's Steve Martin. Oh, Bill Murray. It was in the audience. Oh, there's Eddie Murphy, Tom Hanks. There's Donald Trump. I mean, it's just like Keith Richards. Everybody was famous that you looked at.

It was nerve-wracking in that way. That 40th, that darn 40th. Did you get a plus one? I did actually, to the party, I did. What? Was that, should I? I don't know. Is that not?

No. I'm calling Lauren on the other phone. Some were in the overflow room. The most, the toughest one, a cast member, some were put in the overflow room. Rough. Next year, we'll have a net up top. There'll be no overthrow.

Those people are short of like a loose. Circus net. They'll bounce around. It'd be like that thing of like, they'll see the show. So I had to go in there and get Rob Schneider. I love the Lauren. Yeah.

You must do your own version of Lauren. But I can't do it in front of like the best Lauren. Lauren impersonator. Everyone has different ones, you know. Yeah, everybody's done it. Andy Samberg did the, he does the quiet one. Bill Hader just, you know, it'd be really nice if like it was a good show. You know, there's the quiet Lauren and right.

I don't know. Everyone has their. I like to imagine that Lauren, I like to do Lauren when he's like laughing so hard at a sketch or something. Imagining that he really loves her. Oh, my fucking God. Oh, no, they didn't fuck. Shit. That is my shit.

Let him really go not. Well, that's, to that point, Lauren has a, he'll be very casual. If something hits him, and we've never talked about this, he goes into almost a convulsion or spasm. He has a laugh from. zero to 10 puts his head down. We've never talked about that. That is a, that is a really, really good observation because he does that at read through. If you can make him laugh and slap the desk or something, you're like, holy shit.

Oh, yeah. And just to be clear, he doesn't say those things. That's what I. I know. I like to put that on him. Yes. But I have seen him a couple times in 11 years, laugh very hard. Yeah.

How is he, you know, we were talking with other cast members. other day. And Lauren's, Leon's, Keenan, I don't know how these go in order or whatever. This comes out of

2020. Anyway, but Lawrence, Lawrence kind of amazingly, I'll say sort of brilliant, passive aggressive, intentionally, sarcasm to get you to relax.

I'll get you start. Like, it'd be really nice if this sketch would really be funny. That'd be a good thing. Right. You know, those kind of statements.

Which Keenan said relaxed him, you know? Huh. It either can relax or put pressure. I think initially it put pressure on me when I first got there. Yeah. I was just so fucking scared. But eventually I got used to his sense of humor, the dryness of just.

You know, Dana, sometimes I remember I was behind one of the, you know, where the sketches are. So if you walk in for people at home, and behind the sketch is like nothing. And so I'm just waiting to go in with some goofy outfit on. And Lorham comes around the corner where they're like, 20 seconds. And then I'm getting nervous looking at my sides. And then Lauren walks with an AMSDA light casually. And he goes, you want to try tonight? I'm like, what?

And then he just drifts off. And I'm like, am I not trying ever? You know, and then I bopach the sketch because now it's in my head. Yeah. He has his style. I think it's a little, it's kind of Lauren being sassy, I think. Yeah, he's like, okay, Lauren. He's got his little dig-in.

We have a sketch called Sassy. Remember, Dana with Phil Hartman? Who Cessaly likes. Right. You've read it. Let's go back a little bit to your house. How Cecily Strong became Cecily Strong. We don't have to spend much time on it, but I thought it was very, very interesting.

And you amongst other people have mentioned, or at least if this is accurate, Phil Hartman as kind of a true North Star, Will Ferrell did as well. And we all love Phil. And he was brilliant. Yes. Well, I also think, listen, I have so many, like I feel like I've spent a lot of time with you both on the show, like, watching and really enjoy it. There's so many people I love. And usually it's just when you say one thing in an interview, then it kind of fix for her.

But, I mean, I'm, I was just a huge fan of the show in general. And I do think, you know, I've played a lot of straight characters on the role. And I think he just is kind of like the, the, such a great straight. man. Yeah. He'll play, he'll take the lead if you need it or he'll completely play the base, so to speak, hold it down. Do you, now you actually reenacted, I mean, did you, like, you had an uncle was a Broadway producer. Yes. Your mom and dad were kind of at a certain, a very young age, kind of saying, Cecily, maybe this is for you or do I get that right? Like, what did that dream occur to you? I think I never like, for real had the dream, even at the audition was like, well,

I can't, I don't want to say it out loud even because this is so, this just doesn't happen. And I don't want to be disappointed if I got to, you know, that I should be so happy that I got to audition. I got to be here. But I think I was like, when I was three, I would just perform a lot around the house. And my parents are like, I don't know. And they put me in a drama class. Like, I hope that's it. I hope that scratches that itch.

And it's not something worse. Well, kids like it. Then you keep with it. Like, you know, I think every kid is. like we got into comedy in our house and everyone just liked comedy. But I agree with you that when you say you're auditioning for something and when I start doing stand-up,

you don't want people to go, how to go? And if you don't get it, you're like, ah, and then they go, oh. Right, then it's like a bummer thing when you're like, well, I wanted to be happy about that. That was the idea initially. Well, the pressure keeps building because it's going toward 50 years. Like, it was enough for me to even imagine I could be on it, but there was only 10 years before me.

Now a cast member goes, okay, check out the history of the show before you audition. It's like months of pouring through so many sketches. But I could not believe. That's a very common theme for people of being very humble about auditioning. Like, my God, this is a dream. And just some of the darkness of the people who it went asymmetrical and they didn't get it, you know, and it's something. And then they've gone on and done great. Right.

It's not the one lane to go. But for you, it was kind of. And certainly, like, at the time, I mean, and I'd done theater for a long time before comedy. And I really only got into comedy after college. Not that I, like, I guess, like, officially study comedy. I don't know. Yeah, it's so weird. Didn't count before, I guess, you know.

So you were in theater all the time. Then you got busted for pot, got arrested, okay? So you went to jail, your pot dealer. I went to jail. A little bit of a rebel in those days, I guess, or was everyone? I think kind of maybe that was just the thing in the year 2000. I don't know. But I was like a, I wasn't really a bad kid.

I really, like I got good grades. I liked school, but then I also like smoked cigarettes. And, you know, I was like in with the theater crowd. That's not like the cool kids at school. no not at all you know you do you do smoke a good uh cigarette just uh you don't light it right with cat is it with cath yeah yes i was a smoker for a long time so i but and that's always a thing i look at when i watch people smoke on cameras so you can tell i've always feel like the people who have never smoked always go like that's what i like their whole hand and that yeah and breathe in

All the cigarette and my fingers in my mouth like this. Yeah. So that's a very straight hand. So Kathy Ann is like a redneck quasi-alcoholic or whatever. She's just kind of lived hard. I've seen them in Montana where I'm from originally. I go there a lot. I've seen those people and she's,

that sounds, that looked like a fun character to play. It's so much fun. And I do think it's like so many of the people that I just love in real life and love to watch. And actually it was, I worked at Greenblatt for a while. Right next to the laugh factory. Right next to the laugh factory. And this is when I was smoking and I'd go outside for a cigarette every now and then.

And there was like a local lady in the neighborhood who would yell on the street a lot. And so she sort of was where it came from. And she said, and it would always be like, oh, don't make eye contact because she'll come over here. And it said like, they tried to get my brother, D.Y. And I said, it's probably your own breath. blowing back in your face. And she was just that kind of energy attitude. Wow.

But if it's together, you know, I don't make a contact. In our neighborhood. Right. That person. And that's such a specific rhythm. Yes. And I think they are everywhere.

I don't think it's like, she's got a bit of an accent, I guess, but I don't think it's like definitely a southern thing. It's like in Michigan. It's in, it's in a bar everywhere, every state. It's a bit of a tweak or twist to it.

Like, you don't know really what you. you're getting to and it's a little crazy in the eye. Yes. And again, I'd like to think that there's some teeth interaction, you know, like missing a tooth or there's a rotten tooth. Okay. How would that affect the way the voice comes out? I think that's, yeah, that's kind of like, right, she also got like a mild speech impediment too. Because there's a missing tooth and the tongue kind of wanders in there. Yeah. There's a, like, a sore back there. There's stuff in the mouth. Bitter cheek. For our theater students that listen to this podcast.

They're freaking right now. Well, just the idea of pretending, okay, his character is missing a tooth. Yeah. I have, Cessalon has beautiful teeth. I'm going to somehow make that part of the voice that the tooth is missing. Okay, that was for the theater fans. Great. Well, Dana, we did go by.

Can we get one last taste of it so people can listen to that. Yeah, well, if you think about, if you try to talk like you have no teeth, you know how to sometimes, I think it's sort of, starting from there. When we did bye-bye, she said approximately how many teeth does this do this and how big are they? Does she whiten them? Roughly how big centimeter wise. Just will help me a little bit.

We're bouncing around. I love, I love you. But we're keeping with teeth. That's good. Well, I love that you're willing to kind of explain the character rhythmically and the voice thing. It's really interesting to me. And that gem, I mean, who, Benedict Cumberbatch was American, right? Benedict Cumberbatch.

Slumberbatch. He did as like a Cumberbatch Slumber party. He should host that. Did he, you say to him, is it more fun for him to play American accent than you're taking the Gemma? I think that was, I mean, I hope that was fun for him. It sounded like it was at the time. He might have been just doing whatever that week. But I imagine it would.

Yeah, it's probably more fun, yeah. Yeah. He was cool, right, fun to work with? So much fun. I did a guest spot there and just met him. He seemed very earnest and humble and ready to work and hoping he's doing a good job. I feel like, I don't know if you got this vibe at all when you guys were on the show. Sorry, my dog.

Come on. She's making things up. She's very dramatic. I'm sorry. Focus wasn't on her. She's like. things of it. That's saying, what is this person doing talking to you on the Zoom? She's like, that's in talking to herself. I'm sitting over here. No one's paying attention. In communities

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Book your seat at westjet.com or call your travel agent. WestJet, where your story takes off. I was going to say, don't you, I feel like a lot of the English host or British hosts We're sort of so game to kind of nerd out with us. Yeah. And not that American hosts aren't, but I just felt like across the board, kind of every British host we had,

almost had like a giggly, like little kid, just really would be willing to do anything. Yeah. Yes, I find the same thing. There's something about their training, their attitude. Yeah. Yeah. There's something very potent.

And kind of like silly, goof. too, which I thought was a fun thing about Benedict. Yes. Because while he, I guess he does, it is kind of a silly name, but it's also a very buttoned-up name, I would think. Sure. When you meet the host in the Monday meeting, I think that's where you get a vibe. I mean, they are nervous for sure.

And you're nervous. I'm nervous because I'm starstruck most of the time. And you're writer, you're new on the show, whatever. You know, you're always starstruck. And they bring in some big names. So I think you get a vibe in a first month. meaning what they're going to be like. Are they going to be fun?

Some people use you pitch them something. They go, sounds great, anything. And then they're up for anything. And you go, this is going to be fun. And some go, oh, I don't know. They're just tent. You can tell they're tight. And they're like, can you do Russian accent?

Oh, I don't really do accents really. And then you're like, okay. And then everyone pitches when you walk out of there, you go. I got a feel for it. I got a feel for it. Yeah. I feel like I'm not as good at that. I feel like I didn't quite get to,

to know every host until after a table read. Because sometimes you just guess so wrong. Yeah, that's true. They can really come alive. Oh, no. Yeah. Or like you've just given them something that's so the wrong thing for them.

Were you there? Were you there when Trump was on? Because I just heard a story that Pete Davidson told. And he said, they said, Dana, do you know this? He goes, first of all, that Trump came to read through this. You can corroborate.

I may even get any wrong. Oh, that I know. And he said, like, I don't really read. I don't really, like, I sort of ad lib instead of read sketches. That was part of it. And then he said, ad lib like nobody's busy. And he said, let me, I don't have my glasses. And then Lauren said, you can use mine.

And he's like, uh, and then there was an end of a sketch maybe at Disneyland where he says, he says, see you later. And then he looks at everyone else and goes, chicken leg? No, turkey legs? Like, let's go eat turkey legs. Let me tell you, because it's one of my favorites. Oh, let's see us. Well, here's there's a couple of things that happen.

He didn't bring his reading glasses to the table read and was like, oh, I didn't know what that we were going to be reading or something like that. Yeah. It's kind of like, well, it's the table read. With script. Yeah. And so Ivanka was there and there was a sketch that Ivanka was in that was set at like medieval times. And at the end of it, he goes, told you. The grammatically was written told you, like told you so to her.

He's talking to her, period. And then it says, turkey leg, like, would you like to go get a turkey leg? That's how one would read that sentence. But Donald Trump read it as, told you turkey legs to Ivanka.

Like he was calling her turkey legs. That's pretty funny, he looked at us like, okay, weirdos. And it was like, we're not doing, you read it wrong. And then he also,

in the middle of it, got a phone call and told, took his call. So we all just waited. I've never seen anyone like do that to Lauren yet, you know? And he went, uh-huh. Oh, that's great.

Uh-huh. My book just went to number one. And we all just went, wow. Wow. Had to applaud just the moment, just the fact that you would interrupt the table read to take your very real call. My book just went to number one. and I know you've got to do some things, but I think I deserve a little bit of applause.

And then he asked to be put into the Drake, the Hotline Bling sketch, the dad. I think it was like the dad dance or something. I remember his funny little weird dance. He asked to be put in that. And then the other thing he did was they did a giving tree sketch. And Jenna always tells the story, our stage manager, because he's like, that's not a real book.

And she kept saying, what do you mean? That's a book. And he just did not believe that the giving tree, as he was in a full tree costume, and I do have a picture from my monitor, my dressing it from rehearsal of this face in this tree costume. The giving tree. It's just a rumor. Did not believe. Obviously, it was not brought up on the giving tree.

I know books. I read a lot of books. I can see books. I've heard about books. so I know when there's a book and it's not a book. Excuse me. I know a lot of books.

Excuse me. Let me finish. I know about books. Let me tell you. No one like him. Everything's been said about him, but he's a one-off. Those table reads are cool.

I mean, you can learn a lot. I remember the first Alec Baldwin. He was great. Like, I didn't know it. You don't know what you're getting into and sketch after sketch. You start to go, oh my God, these are pretty much cold reads.

Like they've never seen the sketch and they're walking in. Someone's going, hey, mine sketch is number 41 and if you could play it like quiet at the beginning but then you build and they're like right and you know they're trying to absorb it all you don't know what the fuck's going on right and they're like john goodman always learning eight songs oh yeah they're having to sing a song right the hosting is so complicated yes and i think they're mainly just kind of in shock i'd like i thought of my role is kind of an r a throughout the week where you're just sort of always being encouraging like how do you

feel great that's normal i think that's normal and by saturday you're going to be yeah it's very funny when because they're walking into your turf and they can be kind of nervous and i i with a super star you know like a big movie star and you can tell they're out of their element and you're kind of going you're doing great and you know just read it off the card just read it straight off the card right that's it like putting it in my head that they need encouragement from me i'm probably like wearing a blanket and slippers my life isn't i don't have it all together I'm like, you're doing great. I was doing a guest spot.

I think church-lated update because I'd done Fallon and then Lauren would always say, you'll be doing church lady on Saturday. Okay, I'll call my travel agent. And then it was Benedict Bumkerbavansch. I remember afterwards just at the good nights, he goes, was pretty good, okay, right? It was okay? I go, no, it was great, great. But funny, me telling you, I can't, you know, please.

I wonder if anyone's ever gone. It was pretty good. You could have done better. I wouldn't. I mean, to any host, would you ever, even if they're bombing, you're going, you're doing great. You got to keep them up beat, you know? Right. Just never go real on them.

No. So we circle back around how you, your audition. I just want to know the, so you, just to jump around a little bit. You went to Cal Arts. Cal Arts for theater. And so, so you're studying, you're getting better. you're starting to get funny and then you go to uh chicago i went yes so i stayed in l.a for like nine months seven to nine months or something uh and i was just kind of like i don't think this is

going to be the way i do this business if i'm going to do it it was just sort of i didn't really understand how any if it worked and business wise like i couldn't get an eight it was just like it felt bad as this business can feel sometimes. And so I took a class of the groundlings, though, and I really liked it. And so I was like, well, I'll move back to Chicago and rent will be a lot cheaper. And every now and then my mom can buy me groceries. And I went to Second City. I started taking class. Second City. Yeah. And what was the vibe difference when you got to Chicago? L.A., it just feels more pressure and just weirder, right? In Chicago, it was still a Midwest Yeah, my family was in Chicago.

And yeah, yeah, I do. I enjoy the Midwest. A lot more, it's a lot, a lot chunkier people who are more friendly or who are friendlier in public. I don't know. Chunk, chunky and friendly. You have a slight accent too. El L.A. a slight accent.

You like to eat, like to laugh and drink. You have to because it's so cold. You have to find ways to enjoy life while you can. But in LA, it's just. Yeah. And actually, I loved my class at the groundlings. I really had a good group. But I definitely, I was like there's just, there's so much more of that kind of, especially that comedy sketch and improv.

This is just like that's so much of what Chicago is. Yeah. And I, I took classes at I.O. eventually was doing, I did some shows at the annoyance and, you know, then we would do a couple of things. those shows were you buy, you rent out the theater and beg your friends to come for $5 tickets. You may have five audience members that night. Bring your show.

Bring your show. And when did you, you know, like how you met people either been at Second City, got on SNL or coming back to say hello or then it became sort of in your purview, as they say, SNL is a possibility. It still was not, it was like a possibility. But again, like I wouldn't be. so foolish is to say that out loud. It's just such an outlandish, you know, like, that's not going to happen to me. And I knew that they did auditions, but even you had to audition for the audition.

But, and I was like in the box office at I.O. one night when Sharna was like, you should do this. And I thought, well, I don't know if I'm ready and I hear, I heard like if you auditioned for Lauren once and he doesn't and you don't get in and he never wants to see you again or something. You know, there's all the. I've heard that. Yeah. The things that people pass around and like, you can't get pregnant in a hot tub. You can only audition once. Just the info kids pass on. You can't get pregnant in audition.

Yeah. Urban myths or whatever. Yeah. And so, but then I took a, um, a workshop, uh, that was, what was it? Characters and impressions or something. Because I didn't do a lot of impressions. And I never really thought of myself as an impression person. Um, but I got, I think I put together six, six things, you know, but I, and, and, and,

And I kept them all short. And I think that's what helped me in the end was because you would see some people. Yes. And you're like some people, this is very indulgent. And everybody's doing similar. You know, there's the old, I forget his name because I'm Sam. Malcolm. Elliot.

Who was it? You know the old guy with the mustache that everybody did. Sam Elliott. Sam Elliott. Yeah. It's like, well, eight of you are going to do Sam Elliott. So you don't need to do like a three minute monologue. Yeah.

I like when they say, like, I think this is a good trick. Like Dana, I've learned a lot about impressions from Dana. And people don't realize the longer you do it, the harder it is because you have a few hooks. Yes. And they go, oh, that sounds like them. But the longer you go, it doesn't. And when sometimes you ask people to ad lib as a character, they go, no, I want, I know that's so much harder because you want to write something that includes the hooks. Right.

And where you say, and yes, like your thing in and your. I know I sound like them here, but I can't say the word chalk. That's that word. So, so, Cecily, so you're going to audition at I.O or? At I.O. At I. at I. And to your mind, you were in, there was maybe 10 of you or whatever. And so you were strategizing knowing who was maybe going to come on before you.

So you were not redundant. And then who was there? Was it lieutenants, you know, Lauren's minions, basically? Well, I know. Was Lauren there or then? Lauren was there. I think Lindsay shook us was there. Aaron Doyle.

I think was there. Colin was there. Oh, really? So the whole canon of people who can decide whether you're going to be on Saturday. There's a big. Yeah, they were all there. But I mean, I didn't know who anyone was except Lauren, really. I get nervous.

When you just said that, I was like getting nervous going, oh, my God, walking out, going here we go. This is all that matters for everything. They'll never see you again. That's true. You think if they did not like you, then why would they see you right away again? It takes a long time. What did you do?

Did you have any methodology for dealing with that pressure? Or when you got out there, you got a laugh and felt comfortable or what happened? Yeah. I think I got laughs. So that's, I mean, really, there's really, I don't know what the strategy would even be for that. Sometimes you just have to go do it. It's like you don't have a choice. You're just trying to control your nerves and actually have fun is the goal.

And then how do you try not to try? Right. I probably looked like I was trying. But I think they forgive it. But it's also like I'm comfortable around an audience at this point. This is certain. My family was there. So I imagine if I hadn't gotten any laughs, it would have felt terrible.

But luckily, that didn't happen. It's also your home theater. It's not like at the day. on 8H, 8H is barren and terrifying. And it's a super friendly audience, right? And everybody's laughing because, you know, it's like in all of our best interests for anyone to succeed. So what was your first, ladies and gentlemen, Sessly Strong?

Do you remember your first bit or your first laugh or first character that you did? Or an impression or what did you start with? Hello. I think, well, we did this. It's hard to start sometimes. Yes, it was hard to start. I think the big. was like we did girl at a party kind of two weeks in.

It was during one of those elections. Oh, you came in with that one. So I didn't even. So another thing that you do, these long names and characters, you're talking about girl, you wish you hadn't started a conversation with at a party. It's kind of the,

which is one of your first big hits on SML. Yes, the one that's, everyone knows how to say the name. I was actually, was trying to write an update character with Colin Jost. I did do for my audition, I did a little boy that I overheard at Mother's Day restaurant in Forest Park, Illinois, who was, but it was, my, the intro was half of the. Is that the name of it? Yeah.

Yeah. It was like a chubby little boy that I overheard it. Forest Park. That was awesome. See you next Saturday. Something like that. Just that much is funny. Yeah.

You would get it. Right. Any more. You see the boy. You see the boy. Yeah, you see that little boy. Loved his pancakes. So I was trying to write something with Colin and I kept sort of being like,

and that's, you know, that's a good one because it's important for a society or something. And we were joking around like that. And I remember Jay Farrow was writing something, but you just heard him yelling the N-word in the hallway. And so I think I said, and can I say the N-word in mine? And so that was a girl at a party bit, too. She was always like a little, just assumes that she's got the right to do everything, too. And I, like, heard a story from a male friend of mine who there was like a girl to bar.

And I'd heard a couple, like a couple people in my life were telling me, you know, they'd like seen a cute girl to borrow something. And then she said something racist or offensive, just kind of out of nowhere. And it was like, what? Where did that even come from? Yeah. So wait a minute. So you actually use the real word on your audition?

Oh, no. I've never. No, no. Yeah. No, I didn't know. So that this, uh, Jay Farrow was screaming in the whole. He used the real word.

I cert. No, no. I said, can I use the N word, you know, which I think he did. I think we did put that in a, an early girl to party. Did Jay Farrell and you get the show in the same night or? No, he was, uh, I can't remember if he was a year. I think he was two years before me. Mm-hmm.

Oh, okay. So he was already in the cast when you auditioned. Yes. Okay. And he just happened to be screaming in the hallway. I thought it was from nerves that he's No, no, no. Jay was, yeah. God. Jay gives all of himself. Yes. Yeah. Did you get the show from that audition? I, well, so I, we had like speed dating the next day. They asked nine of us to go to the hotel where Lauren and his peeps were. And I, there were like two long tables. So I think I had an awkward conversation with everyone for five minutes. The only thing I remember saying was like, I love Trader Joe's, you know,

cucumbers and wine. Yeah, I don't know. And they're all just staring. Was anyone laughing in a friendly way? Were they just looking at you? I feel like they were encouraging, but that was. Sure they know you're nervous. I'm sure they know everyone that walks in that door is like saying stupid shit.

Right, right. it's impossible not to so you do the audition you do this little like meet up with them and then what happens you get a phone call yeah so then i got another phone call i think the next day or something that to fly out for a screen test and it was an all-girls screen test and 80 was in the etc show at um second city and so she got she got she got flown out from that too so 80 and i It was, what was nice was 80 and I really did every step together. So we went to that first screen test. Yeah, and I knew her.

I was a fan of hers, honestly, in Chicago. And I was actually, I think I understoodied her at that point, too, on her role on ETC. And so we had a, we did our first screen test in New York and then went home and kind of didn't think about, oh, no. Then the day I flew back and I got a call driving back from the airport. to fly out to New York again to just sort of sit in the office and talk to them. It's Lauren, pick up. Hey, Cecily, guess who, guess who? Hit me on the hip.

Can you do the person you don't want to see? They're trying to converse with you. A lady in an Uber app that doesn't have an Uber app, but says she does or something. We like the little fat boy, but. There's always a butt. Can he be fatter? Yeah. After the New York screen test, where you're starting to think,

maybe I'm going to get this? I mean, did you call your parents? Who do you call? Yeah. I think I definitely called my parents. And probably only my parents would be the one because, again, it was like, I don't, I just don't want to say too much and jinx it or, or make people think that I think I'm going to get this.

Yeah. Right. But you did check in with them just because they knew you when you were, three being funny. Yeah, they'd known me for a while. So, right. But you probably downplayed it. Like, I don't know if I'll get it, but I did this, this, and this.

And of course, they probably at that point assume you'll get it. I don't know. Maybe they did. I don't know. It's pretty far down the road. Yeah. It's such a, right. And especially to go from like, I'm understudying Second City and touring and, like, it's

just such a big jump from that to now I'm on TV. And even, you know, like living in Chicago versus New York. Well, just going in that building, the 30 Rock and seeing 8-H for the first time is hallowed ground. Right. All of it would give you a slight stomach ache or something. Diary-inducing building. Yes, and you have to kind of wait forever, you know, as there was, I don't even know how many people were in that screen tests. You can just sort of like sort of hear people in the hallway and kind of like, I don't know when it's my, I don't know when I'm up.

It's torture. You're there for like eight hours and someone just goes, now. Those were the longest days of my life. Yeah. Yeah. That's scary. There's a waiting thing, Dana and I talk about like it's waiting to see Lauren. There's some weird thing about it's always waiting and it just drives you bananas.

Yeah. And then your anxiety does kind of build up. I'm like, I hope I'm going to, can I stand by the time I'm out there? I think when Lauren gets someone like you, on the other side of it, they're thinking like you probably see this now. You've done second, say, you've done I. You've done all these things. It's sort of a safe bet at some point. Like, you're not just out of nowhere, plucked out of nowhere.

They do like to hear about you. I think they need a little buzz maybe for one season and then they hear your name again. And if they keep hearing it, they go, we got to check her out. And it's almost done deal then, you know, at the beginning. Yeah. Well, I certainly had no. I don't, I, there was never, I never thought. I thought I was safe. You know what I mean? Sure, on your end. Right, on my end. And I think like, I don't know that there was any buzz necessarily, but although I'm sure Sharnah probably said

something, but I think I was a bit out of nowhere. And so I went for two screen tests. So then we went again at the end of the summer. And Lauren told me, he said, my second one was funnier than the first. And he said, that's why he hired me. How crazy. Wow. You almost get more nervous later on. Yeah, that's weird. Yeah.

I mean, but you look at your, you prepared yourself for whatever reason you did, took all the steps so that it would be a possibility that you would get on Saturday Night Live. So let's move into now you're on Saturday Night Live. Yeah. Does anyone telling you anything? Are you sharing an office with 80 or what's going on? I actually, I shared an office with Joe Kelly, who now does Ted Lackley. Masso with Jason.

And I think he was there for Jason's last season. And he was so, he really, like, took me under his wing. And he was sort of our social coordinator, too. So we went out a lot in my first couple of years. You know, we'd go out every Wednesday. I went to Amsterdam with a bunch of people. Restaurant. Where was it?

I think I'm sure I went there. Amsterdam, the, the, the country. Europe. Yes. Oh, the real Amsterdam. The real Amsterdam. I thought it was, I thought we went to Amsterdam's, which was I thought a restaurant I went to in Amsterdam. We had our table in the back of Amsterdam.

You guys would go to Amsterdam every Wednesday night? Every Wednesday night. Every Wednesday. I'm telling the truth. You could take Paul's jet. It'll be fine. Just be back for read-through. They're wild.

You got to let them. So you get on SNL and you start traveling the world. They're wild. Yeah. Yeah, I had to. I didn't. I wasn't able to pay my health insurance. premium until January, though. So I did it. I think it was like my first tax return. That's when I got to go

to Amsterdam. Ooh. Pretty cool. I saw that you, at a certain point, you were on update. How is that, how is that true? And how does that discussion happen? And then you wanted to go back to sketches more? Yes. So it's time consuming, right? Yeah. It was. And it was. So I went on, I went on with Seth for a bit, which, and it was really easy then, because Seth, had been doing it and he had done it with Amy before. So he sort of knew how to do that duo. And then Seth left and then I knew Colin was coming in. And I think it was just especially, it was kind of like it became very clear that this was

going to take a lot of work to sort of figure out what our update would be. And that's when I kind of, it was kind of like I don't want to put, I don't want that to be my whole thing on the show to have to Like I just felt it was going to take more work than I, that would take away from getting to do sketches. And it's sort of like I really, I liked being a guest on update and felt like I had had much more success doing that than being a host. Your host is like the straight man. Yeah.

And I kind of like, I just, I was like the, it was a cool honor. It was great. And there was a great team writing jokes. It feels like a whole different world at, like the update room versus sketches. But I certainly was like, I want to be in the sketch world more. And I don't want people to not write me into sketches because of update. And knowing that it was going to need all this work was sort of we had a lot of talks about it.

And it was like I just, I would rather go back to just being in the cast then. Like I think it's, it could have been done maybe if we had, if it were just more a stat, if we had like a rhythm, already, but we just didn't. It was so new and it was, you know, when the audience, when they lose someone, it just everything takes a bit more work. So it was getting used to not having Seth. Then they're kind of like, they don't like you already because you're not Seth. And it was, I just was like, I don't want that uphill battle when it already is so tough

to sort of figure out your place at that, at that place. And we're all the better for it because your range is extraordinary. And so it seems like if update, usurped you and your, energy and time, we wouldn't have all these great characters. You're just a natural sketch player. And you're someone who you want on your team. I mean, Lorne must have loved it when he discovered you could play this, you could do this, you could do that. You know, it's great to have somebody that kind of range. Yeah, right. Right. And your sketched. Well, and I think, because, right, I don't know that, you know, now being there for a while, you sort of see how, how many different types of people

do this show and make it work. And you're always like, there's a people who are stand-up, And they're, you know, it's just like not everybody comes from like a theater. So you're only going to have, right. You're more valuable probably out there in sketches. I definitely think I was more valuable in sketches than at the desk. Because I'm also, I'm not a stand-up. And so it was, it was just wasn't as natural. But you know, it's newscastery and it's good jokes.

They have great joke writers usually in update always. Great joke writers. I think, I think, Dana, is this possible? I was only there six years. But I think I lived through doing bits with Dennis on Upd right? Kevin Nealon, Norm and Colin Quinn. Wow. Probably.

Yeah. Because it was finishing. Then Kevin had a long run. Then Norm. And he got fired. And then Colin when I left. Yeah. Wow.

Crazy. And it is hard. And Colin always says they were mad. Norm got fired and sort of took it out on Colin. Yes. Right. That would be hard to step into right after. Yeah.

Right. Because it wasn't, it's not Colin's fault. He's great. But you're just following. And they're like, wait, where's normal? and what happened. Yes. That's true.

And Colin talked about that he felt he should be sort of norm-like in a way. Yeah, of course. He's very affable and friendly, and he wishes he'd been more like that. Anyway, everybody has regrets. But you're the longest running female cast member, just a tenured, a fun stat. Although I do think if someone like officially were on the numbers, because Kate- Like number of episodes? Number of episodes.

because Kate was there like five episodes before 80 and I got there. And then I missed some because of other shows. So I felt like I was pretty darn close to 80 and Kate. Like I think we're all leaning at the tape. We'll go back and we'll call it a wash. I would call it a wash and just. Yeah, it's essentially around a decade.

Did you just rip the bandaid off and leave? You didn't make it a long goodbye, right? I think yours is sort of out of the blue. Well, it wasn't really, though. It just wasn't a thing I was like broadcasting to everyone. But when I went back that year, you know, the way I went back when talking to Lauren was like, I would like to leave this year. And I think Christmas would be a great time because it's a happier show.

And it would, you know, I'm going to be so sad to leave. So hopefully that'll soften the blow a little. Oh, no. He gets attached to his. cast members. Yes. Maybe stay till February. I think they would, yes, I'm sure he would have.

It was probably like we don't, we're not going to talk about it and broadcast it because I think there was still a lot of people holding out hope that I would not leave. Was it when you, did you go to Schmigadoon and then come back? Is that what happened? In 2020, 2020, I did Schmigadoon that fall and got back in December. And then last year I did a play. I did this one woman show in L.A., so I missed the first. The L.A. Tomlin one, right?

Yes, yes. Wow. Another long title. And it was right, exactly. I'm comfortable with. Filling those shoes. Did you hear from Lily at all? She came to opening night.

Okay, that's nurse. Which I found out that day. And that was, I think maybe that was even more nerve-wracking than having Lauren at that audition. And Lauren asked that, yeah, make sure you're there in the opening night. Lily, but don't let her know until like a couple hours before because like she works very well under pressure. Yes. But you probably scored.

I'm sure she was incredibly sweet. I would assume she was wonderful. I mean, I think it was I got to get applause for her at the curtain call, which was really, I was kind of like, can I get through this? Can I say these things without weeping? But it was very cool having her there. And then unfortunately, Jane Wagner, who wrote the show, didn't get to. the show, but we did a, I went and saw her at her house, which was really cool seeing all of

her and lilies. It was like a museum, really. So they have all their thing. In search of intelligence life. Search of sign, the search for signs of intelligent life in the universe. And yet, for short, I know people call it ISF a, J, J, JQQ F. Yeah. Just for short. I just call it. I call it the spaceship monologue. The space. Well, by the way, I saw shmang at home. I saw smagadoon. You can't not do Adam Sandler when you say that. Oh, yeah. Smagadoon.

Yes. I thought you were saying Schmigado. No, I saw smegadoon and it looks very involved. Like that is it a hard show? I think you produced maybe also, but is it hard because it's, first of all, very unique, which is so hard to do these days. And then the dancing and the singing and the jokes in the songs, all that stuff has got to be tough.

Oh, definitely. I think, but there's a lot of outside. rehearsals. There was a great, we have a great choreographer and great music team. So it was sort of, it all felt like we were,

once you were shooting, it felt very ready. Because especially that first season, we was such strict COVID rules. So we really were so limited with how much time we got with each other. So just for a second,

for our viewers. Yeah, you and Keegan, Michael Key, I love his name, star together, and then go, Go ahead. Yeah.

So we play a couple that are, they're sort of a newer couple. They've fallen, they met and have a great thing. And then they're sort of at a rut and their relationship and arguing a lot. And they, my care, Melissa, just finds a hike for them to sort of, it's like a romance hike or a love building hike. A rekindling, a rekindling hike. And they go on it and they're arguing and caught in a rainstorm and somehow they end up in this magical town. called Schmigadoon, but they find out it's a musical every day. They've gotten themselves trapped in an old-fashioned musical. They can't get out. And they can't get out until they

find true love. That's a good, really interesting setup. And it's really well done. I mean, I was watching it going, just knowing a little bit about production, being on movies and how hard everything is just when I do my basic crummy movies, to have this with like so many things happening and so many jokes written it just how it's got to be so tight everyone looks great very good job i well say the second the second season i there are more uh looks and worlds covered so i think it was somewhat we had the same amount of time but i think like 20 more pages or something so it's uh felt a bit more frantic but we got it we got it done and it's i think it's where do you do it's pretty fun. In Canada.

Oh, you do? Yeah. Shmagadoo in Canada? In Shmigadoon, Canada. I always like it in the, when you watch the first episode. I love when people are going into a surreal environment that can't be true, but it is. It's love. It's Vancouver. Yeah, and your character's kind of going, well, let's go with this.

And your boyfriend's going, this isn't happening. He's very skeptical. Right. He's not a musical person. Yeah. And then just so people know, you'll randomly say something to these people they don't even know. And then they'll have a well choreographed, brilliant Broadway song based on what you just start right. And they were such great dancers. I remember there was one, it was like eight in the morning or something. And this guy just did 16 flips in a row. It was just like, wow, what a different morning you and I have had. Yeah. You went on a tunnel of love.

And there's a guy, there's like a bad boy guy standing there. And then he sings you. This is probably early on when you don't really know that's what's going on, which is very, funny reactions. And then I guess you guys start to get used to the fact that this is where you are. Yes. Yes. And right. We stop asking what they're doing every time. You just accept it. As we figure that out. Yeah. That's on Apple TV. That's on Apple TV plus. The new season, which is Chicago, is April 5th. If you like Broadway musicals, which everybody does. And then I hopefully, I do think first season, I think a lot of people who were not do not consider themselves musical people.

We had a good amount of people. Well, I'm not a musical person. I liked it. Well, it's kind of science fiction in a way, fantasy science fiction. Hopefully there's like something for for everybody. I think having Kegan and I lets like a comedy audience. It's jokes. Yeah, there's tons of jokes.

I think that that was a show for them. Well, the songs have jokes. So it's not just watching, you know. Yeah. It's very original. Nicholas Nickleby. I would check it out. I would check it out.

you and Kagan are great. I see Kagan out a lot. I see him around in Los Angeles. Yeah. Yeah. Always good mood. You can hear him when you're out too. He's,

I feel like when he enters the room, you know he's there. There's like a big scream laugh. A lot of fun energy. Can we just touch on as we go through your life here? Some of your classic sketches like, I know that you, I just kind of personally sort of noticed.

I just want to say this is very cool. for me. Just want you to know that. We even watching you all morning and laughing out loud at your stuff. And that's why me and Dana are going back and forth before we called you. And we were like, did you just see this one? Do you see this one? We're alums and we don't want to make it too grandiose.

But it is a seminal experience for us in that place and Lauren and being on live TV with you make lifelong friendships with. So this is very enjoyable. but I just kind of thought there was so many great cast members in that decade. And then I personally sort of started to notice you and notice you doing, you know, really connecting with the audience because I think it takes a while for the audience. Oh, we like Cecilia. Yes.

Yeah. She just made me really laugh. And then it happens and builds. So I just saw that maybe at least it was for me those last two or three years, you were just at another level or some other level happened. of confidence. Yes. And Gina Perino Perro.

Yeah. Was like a, sorry, but like a heavyweight character, like a big, loud, bombastic. And that must have been fun just to play that person. That persona is so aggressive. Yeah, definitely. And I, Tucker and I, Brian Tucker wrote it with me. And he wrote it as a sketch first, just sort of a Fox News thing, but no one really knew who she was at the time,

even though we were like, she's a great character. Yeah. But the first time we did it, I don't think there was a big response. And then we tried it again on update. And it was sort of, I was excited because it was a way to do a bit of physical comedy too, because I wanted to. We, and the first sketch that we wrote, we had her in a chair with a seat belt, worried

that she was going to fly out of her chair. I was like, well, then let me fly out of the chair. That'll be our thing. Yeah. You know, she always yells, Dana, because she was yelling for a cobb salad and they didn't have a cramberries on it, one cranberry.

Right. Yes. That's her volume or something. And she never went down on volume after that. Yes. But, but. Yelling at a waiter. It was a big, powerful one.

And then I'm always interested when people can do, because I don't know if I had that gear, play, play subtle, dumb and I'm just looking at the two porn stars you did with Vanessa Bayer. Describe those two characters in the rhythm of how you're acting dumb but not dumb. I mean, how do you describe that? Yeah, well, I think my porn star was always a little bit more out of it than Vanessa's.

But it was kind of, that's how the pair worked, you know. And I think mine's just, I remember seeing, I think, I think, It was like a Tyra Banks or something early on. And she had a porn star on. I forget who it was. But she was so like, yeah, and I'm happy doing that. And it's just her, the way she was speaking was, I was like, oh, I want to do that. And I think it was also just a way to writing with Colin Jost, we like to do a lot of malapropisms.

And so it was which we do a girl at a party. And then we wound up doing in porn. You know, it's like an excuse for a lot of bad puns, too, honestly. Yeah. Right. But it's fun when you land a hard laugh with something that's so soft-spoken. I think that was like, even more than girl at a party, I think that was the most, I felt the best after that first year. You know, I think it was Jamie Fox's episode.

I think that's what it was. And it was my first year and we were the last sketch. And I think, and Lauren gave us, you know, it was that it was still more cushioned when you're in that last spot. You can kind of. Yeah. I just, the audience went so wild for it. And it was so much fun to have that reaction for the first time. At 10 to one.

Yes. Yeah. And kind of be like a little dirty. And it was just, it was really fun. Because you had a series of lines. The one I saw today was, this morning was I got banged. And then something really, you're both doing it so. obviously casual and so soft-spoken. But anyway, so I'm glad to hear that that would be something.

For me, it was doing Johnny Carson because I didn't really, I wasn't thinking about whether the audience was going to laugh because I knew what I was saying was almost too funny, at least to me, internally. So I felt like you had that connection with that character where it's just like all thrown away and really soft-spoken of it's super funny. Yes. I think that's sort of how we got away with all of it too. We just, we kept saying, like, how can we, we just wanted a framework to be able to say these awful things. And we were like, oh, they were porn stars, but they're not anymore.

And then it was like, and we had a lot of fun running gags. Like, I never got a name. It was always like, how do we do that this time? How can we skirt around me saying a name? Like, can you give me an example? Like she'd say, we're not porn stars anymore. I'm Brecky and I'd go, and this is Brecky. Or she said, I'm Brecky, and I said, and you can too.

Yeah, it's your non-sequitur, we're in a long car. Yes. I'm not always paying attention, my, that gal at every moment. They may have done drugs. They may have done drugs. Yeah. You kind of hope that they did. Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything, like packing a spare stick.

I like to be prepared. That's why I remember 9-8. 988, Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 988 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada. There was just a, I thought it was very cute when you and Kristen did. It's such a weird thing you're on a date with a 10-year-old kid.

But you guys just carry the whole thing and you're so keeping alive and funny and just sort of odd, but very likable girl. Yeah. I think I wrote it with Mike O'Brien. And it was like, we just wanted to really write the best date that someone could, you know, there's something that felt really good. And it was like, and then it just happened to be 10-year-olds, but they really felt like this is really a date that's good. I know the way you played it was that's just fun to watch it because I obviously you know you start these you don't know where it's going and if you're in comedy you don't know what it's and it's just it's fun to watch these things unfold and then you guys just seeing two pros just being very funny on their side of it like and having like Tim and Bobby yeah it was a lot of giggling yeah I'm sure that this looks like a super fun rehearsal also yeah and you and Bobby Moynihan you and he did the best by firing that must have been kind of fun because it was just so loud

and you're just, you're supposed to be getting fired, so you just deconstructed every other employee. Right, right. If they're going out, they're going out with a bang. Which, and it was, that was the first show I'd gotten a sketch on, and I got that on and girlfriends on. And it was so great because Bobby had been there for a while and sort of like, I really, like, trusted whatever.

If he's saying this is good, then I trust that it's, I was really like, I hadn't quite yelled at the table yet before. That's my first time yelling at the table. This happened to me twice, not as much as Dana, but to either write something or call write something. And when you originally get a big one on, it's so much your focus to have two on is almost throws you. Yeah.

That's too much. Yes. Yes. It was crazy that they both. I was sort of like, how does that, how will that work? Because you have to oversee him, direct it. Like, is there so much to do with. with them and go to wardrobe and costumes and set design and help with every aspect.

You're like, oh, my God, just give me one. Let me just see if I can figure one out. Right. And you're like, well, is this going to work? It's my, you know, wanting to make sure everything is like you've thought, right, you've thought through everything for that, for the first one. But then after. Was the other one, girlfriend's talk show. Sorry.

Girlfriend's talk show. With 80. Yeah. So there's your bandmate from. Is your 80. Yep. So you have a comfort zone with her. Yeah.

I really, I did a lot of two-hand. for a long time over there, which I really loved. Two-handers, meaning duos. Yeah, where, you know, me and Bobby or Vanessa and I, 80 and I, yeah, Kate and I. Those are kind of, those are fun. Wayne's World was a two-hander.

Yes. Hans and Franz, I'm going to say two-handers. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. You know, but yeah, I think it's fun. It's a very clean, simple thing. You're playing a rhythm with your other person, and it's just nice.

Also, forgetting laughs off a straight part was you and Bill Hader when he hosted and you're going to play Uno with your friends. Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, that one, we were, I wrote a lot with James Anderson and Kent Sublette. And I was like, we just have to, like what I know of Bill is like we just have to give him a big toy. So it's like give him a big motorized wheelchair. And then you climb on them. I didn't see that coming. No.

You have the courtesy. courtesy blanket. So it's not like, and she goes, sex is sexual. Right. It's not a sexual thing. It's science. And she has no sex is sexual. And it's sort of, you know, this awful trying to make your friends feel bad.

Like, you know how much I want a baby. Yeah, it was all good, yeah. Try not to laugh, of course, because he's banging everything, driving his fucking square. Right. And there's not, you know, we still only get, however, many rehearsals. And then so it is, it's so, we don't know how many of it's going to be. You don't even know he's going to hit a table or you guys are going to get your leg broken. Yeah.

And I think like the controlled chaos was sort of that became my, my favorite part of the show. You know, it's like the one, the thing that sets us apart from everything else is having it live. And not perfect. Yeah. Yeah. So and it was sort of like throw in a dog, throw in some wine that you're throwing or something. You know, just there's then you have. chaos that you're kind of like, I don't quite know what's going to happen.

So then it keeps us having fun. Yeah. They want it for sure. I had a dog with Mass and Head, one herring. Of course. Right. But that was,

I was writing. A dog won an Emmy. The note after dress is the dog is pushing a little. Could we get the dog? Could it look like not like find the lens? The dog's hosting during February sweet with Jay-Z. So, You do 10 years.

You go through all these different cast members coming and going. When you first came in, who was there and who left pretty shortly after that? Or were you coming in? We had a pretty, we had a core cast for a long time together. It came in. Yeah.

So I was when I, it was Bill and Jason and Fred's last year. Okay. When I got there. You caught them for one year. Yeah. So I got one year with them. Solid.

Yeah. Which was so. excited, you know, to have those people around when you're first there. It's really exciting. And then, and Bobby, Taryn, Jay, Vanessa, they were sort of the next, and Nassim, were all sort of the next upper classmen. And then, but 80, Kate and I and Beck and Kyle, we were sort of, we were there for a long time together. Yeah, you did have a nice long run together. Yeah. Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, Kate, of course, you.

Yeah, like a, the show keeps reinventing it. And Keenan Thompson, just the perennial cast member. It was just always. When you leave mid-season, is it a weird feeling when the shows are still on? It's definitely weird. It feels like it was much longer. It feels like much more time has passed since I've been there. But I also, I think one of, I know 80 and Kate and a couple other people I've talked to.

And even Kristen, I talked to her when she first hosted. It was kind of like you can't, I haven't been watching. I think you have to kind of walk away for a while to be able to leave. So. It's very weird to watch it after. There's people doing your job. Yes. And I think all the anxiety, I feel like, would just come back right away.

And I would, I just don't. I think it's, I'm good where I am with this distance. You did a good run. I mean, my God. Yeah. It's pretty comprehensive. Do you feel, I don't know, you probably feel so many things, but somewhere you must feel a nice level of satisfaction.

You lived your dream. Totally. And yes. And I got to leave like happy, which I know is, doesn't always happen. No, we've heard of those stories. Yeah. And I, you know, there is, I had a tough couple of years like everybody does. And so it was really nice to get to leave that way.

Yeah, going out with a bang. And now you have smegadoon. Is that for you? Shmigadoon. I think that's a great. You also may not know this. You're in a phone commercial. That's right.

Yes. You wouldn't know that. You might, I don't know if you've seen it. I don't know. You can find it on YouTube, though. Yeah. You have to go to YouTube. I'm a big fan of tech commercials and phone.

You don't, potato chips and tacos is harder, although I'm for sale at this point. I will eat. I will bite a taco. But when you're doing phone companies or that sort of Apple commercial or whatever, that's sort of nice. I mean, I think the commercials, you look great and it's just sweet and it's kind of smart. So I'm a big fan of doing commercials as soon as you come off S&L. Right as you come off. Great gig.

Yeah. It's a great gig. And then you got, I think, who is in it? Seth was in the one I saw. Seth has been, yeah, Jessica Williams just did one. So they've been, I was like, wow. Believe it or not, Seth, you were not supposed to do commercials. When you came off there in the 90s, you were not supposed to do commercials.

So I'm not envious. I don't hate the people who do them now. I live through them and I root for you guys. But yeah, do the commercials. I know. It was like a new thing that we got to do a commercial during our time on show. That was always like such a no-no, but I think in the past, however a couple of years. Yeah, I got shot down on that. I have to tell her one thing before you get your last word, Dana.

Born in Springfield, Springfield, Illinois. My daughter lives in Springfield and growing up in Springfield. So I'm saying there's hope for her to come out like Cecily because you did it and you and you liked it. You were there for a really long time. Well, I did move pretty quickly, actually. I was a year and a half when we moved to Oak Park. What was the mall like when you were there at one year old? But I'm sure it's what made me who I am. Do you go back ever or no? Do you just, that was it?

To Springfield? Yeah. No, not to Springfield. I did go back. I went back once. It's far away from Chicago. But I went, it was when Barack Obama announced Joe Biden as his running mate. it was in Springfield and a couple friends and I drove.

He did it at the J crew at the mall there? At the J crew. Yeah, I got an autograph. Brackabumum. So you have a memoir out. This will all be over soon, which I love the title. Written during the pandemic.

And that's available on wherever you can. All the book places. Book places. So I'm just so, I don't know, I'm just so thrilled that we, when they said, Cessley's in, it made me very happy. Oh, yeah. It's like a, I think it's like a right of passage to get to talk to you guys.

And you are both some of the best who have ever done it. And it's, you're doing well on the other side. Very nice. I love funny people. And we did ask Keenan about, we just as a kind of a pithy question, like, oh, who's the greatest? We all have to make a name up or whatever, you know, rank things. And he had, gave the best answer.

He just said spontaneously, the women. All the women. Because the amount of... He's a freaking doll. He is adorable. He's like, you want to adopt him. Smart guy, too. Yeah, he's great.

The amount of women and you're in that continuum between Amy and I'll forget the names, too many. Sherry O'Terry and Vanessa Bay. Maya, Molly. Yeah. Maya, Molly, Kristen. Amy, too. Right, right, right. Yeah, so many women who've done such brilliant work on that show in recent history.

But we fancy ourselves, it sounds high flute, a slight casual, funny oral history of cast members, interviewing cast members. We know where the grease pain is stored. So this has been a pleasure. David, do you have any final statement? No, I like it. You get to talk about SNL, not bore everyone. Because at certain times you just start talking about it, and you're like, all right, well, forget it. I should stop.

But it's fun to talk about it because it's on your mind. It'll be on longer than you think. You always be from Saturday Night Live. And the great thing about the way the world works now with live streaming all these venues, you're just going to work. You're going to do whatever you want to do and show business for decades now. But you'll always be from Saturday Night Live, which is a great legacy. It's right.

It could be way worse. It's not, yeah. Could be way worse. It's great to have. I mean, you, everything sort of comes from there and, you know, came from improv places. When you can do live sketch comedy and do it with joy and do it as an expert, everything else you can do. Yeah.

I feel like the greatest thing since leaving has been like seeing that people maybe see me now the way I saw Amy and Tina and Maya and Kristen walking in. And that was, I think, like, that's just a great thing to have. in my pocket for a bad day. Like, I'm amongst those names and that's so cool. You are a thousand percent amongst, and the, everyone loves it at a certain age, one of Lauren isms, you know, who that was 14 at the time, but you've got your, your cast, your primary cast, and your people, and those fans are so connected you forever, which is

very sweet, you know, they're 14 now, but you'll run into it later. And they'll be so, so it's such an honor to be on that show. and to be humble about it and just be grateful. We're on the wall. We get to do this. Yeah. Yeah. We got to do a fun job for a long time.

Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, we're going to get started in a minute. We're just going to take a break. But we like to do pre-interviews. I think we got a good show here. We do.

We know what we're going to talk about now. Thank you very much. I'd like to say we're going to see you around campus in show business and for sure at the 50th. Yes. Right. You know, that'll be exciting. I hope I get to do something with you. I know.

I love that. We'll put you in Wayne's world. We're going to start thinking about it. Yes, please. That's one of the first movies I think I, like, had memory. Like, that's probably I have the most memorized of all movies. Oh, I like to play. I'm sorry.

Of course. And I think I did like, you bought me a gun rack. What am I going to do with a gun? I don't even own an ag gun. Ag gun. All of it. Great lines. Great movies.

Yeah. Surreal. But anyway, best of luck to you. I'm going to be watching your show with my sister who's visiting tonight. Schmigadoon. And the new one is April 5th.

And it comes out April 5th for the next season. Yes. All right. Hey, guys, if you're loving this podcast, which you are, be sure to click follow on your favorite podcast app. Give us review.

five-star rating, and maybe even share an episode that you've loved with a friend. If you're watching this episode on YouTube, please subscribe. We're on video now. Fly on the Wall is presented by Odyssey, and executive produced by Danny Carvey and David Spade, Heather Santoro and Greg Holtzman,

Maddie Sprung Kaiser, and Leah Reese Dennis of Odyssey. Our senior producer is Greg Holtzman, and the show is produced and edited by Phil Sweet Tech. Booking by Cultivated Entertainment. Special thanks to Patrick Edwin Cox, Mora Curran, Melissa Wester, Hillary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Colin Gaynor, Sean Cherry, Kurt Courtney, and Lauren Vieira. Reach out with us any questions to be asked and answered on the show. You can email us at fly on the wall at odyssey.com.

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