Andy Samberg likely has many memorable experiences from his time on Saturday Night Live, and while most of those are probably pretty funny, he recently shared one that was so good he described it as one of the "high points" of his life. Samberg, who appeared alongside former castmate Seth Meyers at a recent event for the Writer's Guild Foundation in Los Angeles, talked about the time the two convinced Nicolas Cage to appear alongside Samberg for the Weekend Update segment "Get in the Cage with Nicolas Cage." Samberg, who noted Cage was a good sport about the parody. He said about the wild day on set:
It was not even remotely like Nic Cage. It was just a lunatic person that we called Nic Cage. To his enormous credit, he recognized that and thought that was funny and came on SNL and we did it as twin Nic Cages... We had to go into his dressing room, with the script. There was no sense that he had seen it. We definitely had sent it. He definitely had not looked at it. But we had included in the scripts him explaining that this was not a good impression of him. We were admitting that to him and also allowing him to say on air that it was unfair.
Nicolas Cage apparently had full faith in Saturday Night Live not making a fool of him, as Andy Samberg stated it did not appear he had read the script when he appeared on set that day for rehearsals. Luckily, Cage's instincts were right as Samberg told the audience at the event (via Indiewire) the skit had plenty of nods to the fact that his impression of Cage was not entirely accurate. Samberg said Cage approved the script after running through it in pre-show, which made he and Meyers so happy Samberg said there was even skipping involved. He noted:
He was very quiet, but ready to act. Nic Cage is still, for my money, one of the most interesting people in the world to watch. Genuinely, I was enraptured. Then it finished and he was like, 'OK.' We walked out and skipped down the hallway, we were so excited.
Nicolas Cage agreeing to do the bit was definitely exciting for Andy Samberg and Seth Meyers, but perhaps not quite as exciting as when the three actually performed the segment on Saturday Night Live. Meyers said that while Cage wasn't the character the sketches the show wrote about him made him out to be, the actor brought out some of that crazy energy right at the end of the segment. The moment rattled Meyers live, as Samberg recalled just how magical that moment was as Cage slapped the table and delivered his line in an intense manner:
Meyers: Then, on air, at the end he slapped the table. You can hear me go 'Guh!'Samberg: He leaned in so hard. And the last line from him was 'We're gonna have a three-way with the Declaration of Independence!' Flames shot out of his head. It was so fucking good!
Unfortunately, that great live moment isn't on Saturday Night Live's version of the sketch on YouTube, which is from the show's dress-rehearsals. Of course, the skit is still pretty good, and Cage talking about a ménage à trois with the Declaration of Independence in an even-keeled tone is just as funny:
Andy Samberg and Seth Meyers definitely had an interesting time when they were working in Studio 8H. Samberg has previously told plenty of stories about his work on Saturday Night Live and how it was a different kind of experience, including telling Conan that he was leaving work at 5 a.m. one morning and offered to put fellow writer Rob Klein up on his couch to give him more time to sleep after he left his keys at 30 Rock. Right when that plan was cemented, Seth Meyers revealed a dude came out from under a stairwell to offer them a condom, and nothing they could say could convince him a sexual encounter was not about to happen. Strange encounters occur when you work into the wee hours of the morning.
Seth Meyers also has memorable stories from his time on the show, and he previously revealed Amy Poehler rapping on the "Weekend Update" desk while Meyers and Sarah Palin were also sitting there. It's a story to rival the Nic Cage one, and he noted to Baltimore Sun that it is the thing he remembers the most.
That is the most memorable moment of all my time at the show. I should stress that Amy wrote that rap on her own. And just the fact that here's this nine-month-pregnant woman performing -- and she wasn't pretend rapping, she was rapping. It was rap without artifice.
Although neither man is on the series any longer, Andy Samberg has returned to Saturday Night Live to host once in 2014. He's also returning to NBC next TV season, as his comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine has found a new home there. Seth Meyers left the series in 2014 but has stayed on at 30 Rock and is currently the host of the network's late late night series Late Night with Seth Meyers. Saturday Night Live is still a favorite topic of Meyers' and a lot of times if he has guests on who have worked on SNL or have been connected in some way, cool related stories will come out.
As for the show, right now Saturday Night Live is in the offseason, but the show has already been renewed for Season 44, and Leslie Jones is already talking about some changes she hopes come to the show next fall. We'll keep you updated on the cast next season and more, and for now reruns can still be enjoyed on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET. For a look at what new shows are headed to television over the next couple months, visit our summer premiere guide.
