It’s somehow been over 12 years since Andy Samberg was a regular on Saturday Night Live, and while he’s popped up a couple of times since then, it’s been a real treat to see him on the season currently airing on the 2024 TV schedule. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star was cast in a key political role, portraying Kamala Harris’ husband in sketches leading up to the presidential election. Returning for cameos makes for a much more “mellow” experience than being a cast member, Samberg said, but one recent sketch caused all of those stressful feelings to rush back.
SNL is known for its presidential impressions, so with a historic election upon us, it was a no-brainer that the sketch comedy found comedians to represent the biggest players. Lorne Michaels took a big risk in hiring several non-cast members for those roles, and — after second gentleman Doug Emhoff said he hoped someone would portray him — Andy Samberg made a celebrated return. On a recent episode of The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, he got real about what it’s been like to get back in the swing of things, saying:
It’s been fun, I gotta say. It’s been really fun going back. But again, also inheriting — re-inheriting — the stress of it and being like, ‘Oh, right, this is intense.'
Andy Samberg has opened up since his exit about the toll SNL’s schedule takes on its cast members, but it seems his cold opens with Maya Rudolph — another former cast member, who came back to reprise her role as Kamala Harris — have been more relaxed since he's not under that same pressure week after week. However, one bit with Saturday Night Live Season 50 host Michael Keaton really made Samberg feel that anxiety again. He continued:
It’s a little more mellow — me and Maya have been talking about it — it’s a little bit more mellow because we know why we’re there specifically. But, you know, that last show, I was like, ‘If this Beetlejuice thing doesn’t work, I’m just going to be here and not do anything.’ And that puts you right back in the feeling of being a cast member — of, like, you’re always at risk.
Being hired to play a specific role is one thing, but apparently it was another for Andy Samberg to be thrown into another random character. On October 19, rather than appearing in a political sketch, Samberg joined cast member Mikey Day in full Beetlejuice dress as part of Michael Keaton’s monologue, which you can see below:
Everything went over just fine for the comedian’s latest appearance, but it seems after what Andy Samberg has been through in the past — “I hadn't slept in seven years,” he said about his exit from the show — I don’t think it takes much for some of that stress to creep back in. Hopefully he’s able to embrace the fun of it, should his appearances continue post-election.
Tune in to see what’s in store for the rest of Saturday Night Live’s historic 50th season, with new shows airing live at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturdays on NBC and streaming with a Peacock subscription.