Comedian Andy Samberg explained his reasons for quitting the sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” 12 years ago, citing issues with his physical and mental health.
The 45-year-old “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor discussed what happened during an interview on Peacock’s “Hart to Heart.”
“For me, it was like, I can’t actually endure it anymore. But I didn’t want to leave,” Samberg told host Kevin Hart. “Physically and emotionally, like I was falling apart in my life.”
The comedian appeared on seven seasons of “SNL” between 2005 and 2012, participating in popular skits including “D*** in a Box” and “Natalie’s Rap.”
“Physically, it was taking a heavy toll on me and I got to a place where I was like I hadn’t slept in seven years basically,” Samberg told Hart, per Variety.
“We were writing stuff for the live show Tuesday night all night, the table read Wednesday, then being told now come up with a digital short so write all Thursday, all Thursday night, don’t sleep, get up, shoot Friday, edit all night Friday night and into Saturday, so it’s basically like four days a week you’re not sleeping, for seven years,” he continued. “So I just kinda fell apart physically.”
The comedian went on to say being a cast member on “SNL” had similarities to being a professional athlete. “It’s this high pressure thing,” Samberg said. “Your adrenaline goes through the roof. You know, there’s parallels. You have to perform under pressure in front of people.”
He admitted to being nervous about leaving despite having so many challenges with the work. “I had talked to [fellow ‘SNL’ star Amy] Poehler and other people that had already gone. I was like, once I go, when I have an idea, I can’t just do it,” he said. “The craziest thing about working there is once you get going, if you’re just in the shower and you have an idea that s— can be on television in three days, which is the most intoxicating feeling.”
Samberg said it was even more of a challenge when the “SNL” producers didn’t want him to leave.
“They told me straight up, ‘We prefer you would stay,’ and I was like, oh, that makes it harder,” he said. “But I just was like, I think to get back to a feeling of like mental and physical health, I have to do it. So I did it and it was a very difficult choice.”
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[[{“value”:”
Comedian Andy Samberg explained his reasons for quitting the sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” 12 years ago, citing issues with his physical and mental health.
The 45-year-old “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor discussed what happened during an interview on Peacock’s “Hart to Heart.”
“For me, it was like, I can’t actually endure it anymore. But I didn’t want to leave,” Samberg told host Kevin Hart. “Physically and emotionally, like I was falling apart in my life.”
The comedian appeared on seven seasons of “SNL” between 2005 and 2012, participating in popular skits including “D*** in a Box” and “Natalie’s Rap.”
“Physically, it was taking a heavy toll on me and I got to a place where I was like I hadn’t slept in seven years basically,” Samberg told Hart, per Variety.
“We were writing stuff for the live show Tuesday night all night, the table read Wednesday, then being told now come up with a digital short so write all Thursday, all Thursday night, don’t sleep, get up, shoot Friday, edit all night Friday night and into Saturday, so it’s basically like four days a week you’re not sleeping, for seven years,” he continued. “So I just kinda fell apart physically.”
The comedian went on to say being a cast member on “SNL” had similarities to being a professional athlete. “It’s this high pressure thing,” Samberg said. “Your adrenaline goes through the roof. You know, there’s parallels. You have to perform under pressure in front of people.”
He admitted to being nervous about leaving despite having so many challenges with the work. “I had talked to [fellow ‘SNL’ star Amy] Poehler and other people that had already gone. I was like, once I go, when I have an idea, I can’t just do it,” he said. “The craziest thing about working there is once you get going, if you’re just in the shower and you have an idea that s— can be on television in three days, which is the most intoxicating feeling.”
Samberg said it was even more of a challenge when the “SNL” producers didn’t want him to leave.
“They told me straight up, ‘We prefer you would stay,’ and I was like, oh, that makes it harder,” he said. “But I just was like, I think to get back to a feeling of like mental and physical health, I have to do it. So I did it and it was a very difficult choice.”
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