Saturday Night Live (or SNL) has been in the world ever since 1975. From legendary snippets to comedy sketches, SNL has helped several iconic comedians like Conan O’Brien and Billy Crystal shape their careers.
Although both people worked at different times in SNL, that did not mean their time on the live show was good. Sitting down for a recent chat, both comedians revealed that they had their fair share of stories from the show. Billy Crystal, however, had it worse.
Billy Crystal And The 1st Episode of Saturday Night Live
It was 11 October 1975 when Saturday Night Live premiered. The show featured George Carlin as the host of that night. However, it was called NBC’s Saturday Night due to copyright reasons.
When comedian Billy Crystal appeared for an interview with Conan O’Brien, the two talked about their careers and comedy. Starting with how Crystal was hired for SNL in the beginning, O’Brien talked about the early days of the show.
During their interview, Conan O’Brien asked Billy Crystal about how he was supposed to appear in the very first episode of Saturday Night Live back in 1975. However, things changed suddenly and Crystal’s segment was cut from the show.
Oh, boy. And now Conan, I have to relive it because of Jason Reitman’s wonderful film [called Saturday Night]. It was particularly heartbreaking at the time because I was 25 and I was part of the planning of the show.
Well, the night that Saturday Night went on air was filled with atrocities and rampant chaos that did not stop. Jason Reitman’s recently released film Saturday Night follows the tale of what happened 90 minutes before they were going on air for the first time on live television.
There have been several talks about the iconic show and some controversies as well. Conan O’Brien, who was also briefly a part of it, had his fair share of regrets. Although it wasn’t as bad as Billy Crystal, Brien revealed that he simply worked too hard.
Conan O’Brien Also Has Regrets From Saturday Night Live
Being a part of the iconic show, O’Brien had his fair share of time to shine in the spotlight. However, alongside making people laugh, O’Brien revealed that he took the job very seriously… a bit too seriously.
Making people laugh is one of the toughest things out there (just ask Arthur Fleck). However, there are some comedians like O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, and more, who gave it their all and found worldwide fame.
Well, in his podcast titled Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, the stand-up comedian revealed that he only has one regret from working on Saturday Night Live. The comedian regretted that he worked too hard and forgot to enjoy the journey.
I regret being so intense about that job. Yeah. I was way too intense, and I think I robbed myself of some fun that I could have had. I did have a lot of fun, but I think I could have had more fun.
He further continued,
I burnt out. I burnt out. And [Lorne Michaels] could not have been nicer. This was a couple years before he contacted me about the late night show. But I was burnt out and I was like, ‘I’ve got to go,’ and that’s when I went to ‘The Simpsons.’
Well, it seems that the comedian ended up where he was supposed to end up all along. Conan O’Brien hosts a podcast wherein several celebrities and stand-up comedians join him for an interview and a chat.
On the professional side of things, there is news that O’Brien is attached to an upcoming Netflix documentary titled Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley.
The film is allegedly slated for a release date of 13 November 2024 on Netflix in the U.S.
