Saturday Night Live is best known for the whole being live element, but the sneaky truth is there are typically a few sketches each week that are not filmed live. Typically referred to as pretapes, they’re recorded earlier in the week, maybe because they need to be shot on location or because they require effects that are complicated or risky to pull off live or they're a commercial parody. In practicality, that means the actors can do multiple takes, but that’s, of course, only if the host agrees to do multiple takes. Enter Robert De Niro.
The nine time Academy Award nominee has hosted three times and made ten additional cameos. During one of those appearances, he shot a pretape for a sketch called Pranksters, and Seth Meyers told Amy Poehler the hilarious behind the scenes story during a recent episode of her podcast Good Hang. The sketch involved De Niro pranking her neighbor to death with a chainsaw because he borrowed his tools. During the first go, he was sprayed with a ton of fake blood. Afterwards, the director wanted him to go take a shower and try it again. De Niro was let’s say less excited about that option.
Here’s how Meyers put it when he retold the story…
We filmed the first take and Robert De Niro got covered in whatever pudding type substance was supposed to be blood. They just sprayed him with it. I remember Jim (Signorelli) was like, ‘Alright. Let’s clean him up and take it from the top.’ De Niro just looked at me and said, ‘Did we get it?’ I said, ‘Yeah. Yeah. We got it.’ He goes, ‘OK. Goodbye.’
Everyone working on SNL speaks about Jim Signorelli, who directed many of SNL’s pretapes for decades, with such reverence, but it’s hilarious to think about De Niro wanting no part of getting sprayed with that fake blood again and just ignoring him. Honestly, I get it though. It’s one thing to redo a line read to try and make it funnier. It’s another thing to wash off, change and reshoot a ridiculous cut-to shot that’s going to be funny enough regardless.
You can check out the sketch in question below…
I can’t imagine reshooting that scene would have made any difference to the finished product. Besides, I think De Niro deserves some level of credit for agreeing to do that. There are horror stories out there about SNL hosts who say no to most of the pitches. De Niro said yes to this and was willing to get covered in bloody pudding again if the OG shot didn’t come out.
Regardless, SNL is finally about to return, and I cannot wait. The sketch comedy staple finally solidified its cast for the upcoming season and dropped its exciting list of initial hosts. Season 52 will officially hit the TV schedule next Saturday, where it may or may not contain a pretape shot once or many more times, depending on what Jalen Brunson agreed to.
