It’s no secret that SNL can be a stressful gig. An American institution, the late-night sketch comedy show has been making audiences laugh for almost fifty years, and although weekly cast members always have their work cut out for them — the celebrities that end up hosting seem to have just as much of a challenge.
During today’s episode of Hot Ones, actress and comedian Melissa McCarthy detailed one of her scariest moments working on the show. All while trying to survive the wings of death, of course.
As a member of the SNL Five-timers club, the exclusive list of folks who have hosted the show (you guessed it) five or more times, McCarthy was is no stranger to the stage at Studio 8H. Still, it seems that resurrecting one of the show’s most iconic characters was a bit too much for her in the moment. Although, how could it not be?
“I think the craziest thing I did, on the 40th Anniversary, I was coming onto the news — and it was with Tina Fey, and I think Jane Curtin had come back, and Amy (Poehler) was on it. I was doing Chris Farley’s ‘down by the river’ guy.”
Matt Foley is in the running for most iconic SNL characters of all time, with Chris Farley’s original introduction of the character being a sketched burned into our collective conscious.
“I was fully dressed as Chris. I got so nervous. I can’t do what he did, and I didn’t want to make fun of it. I didn’t want to do a bad job. The sweet stage manager came up and he grabbed my legs, and he goes ‘Honey, are you okay?’ I’ve never had this happen, but my knees were buckling.”
Bringing Foley back from his van down by the river decades after he first crashed onto the scene was definitely a risk, but a risk that ended up paying off. Melissa McCarthy absolutely crushed it in Farley’s place, and almost certainly made the late comedian proud, all things considered.
“Then I was just like steam train, and though I can’t let him (Chris Farley) down. Then I did it, and I truly was like ‘I don’t know when I get on the other side of the door if my legs are going to work. I don’t know where I am in the galaxy.’ I truly felt out of body.”
If you want to take a look at the sketch in question, then check out McCarthy in the big man’s jacket here — I promise it wont disappoint. Just make sure to lay off the doobie smokin’, unless you want to be livin’ in a van down by the river.