If you’re a fan of Saturday Night Live, chances are you’ve heard one of the cast members share horror stories about trying to get on the show. But, I had no idea it was this intense. Chris Rock just brought up one “test” used on him while he was trying to get on the show, and it sounds rough.
Rock was in the cast of Saturday Night Live for three seasons from 1990 to 1993 alongside the likes of Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Rob Schneider and David Spade. Like his co-stars, he had to be battle-tested even before being hired for the gig, and there was one particular hurdle that was meant to test those who specifically couldn't manage long hours. Here’s what Rock recalled:
Yeah, it’s just a test. There’s like, a little ritual at SNL when you go to meet for the job and sometimes they make you wait for like five hours to — and it’s a test. And yeah, I remember I met — I probably sat in the lobby four or five hours. And then I had to walk in there, act like, ‘Hey, that’s fine.’ Not complain or anything. And [be like], ‘Yes, I’ll do whatever you need me to do.
Imagine having to wait for a highly-anticipated job interview like SNL, and then being iced out in the lobby for hours on purpose to make sure you can do the job. That sounds wild, but that's what Rock, who last hosted the show back in 2024, recalled while talking to Entertainment Weekly. As he added:
I’ve heard stories of people leaving. None of them ever got the job, and none of them ever got a career. I know every one of them. I know a few of them.
I can't help but ponder the identities of those hopefuls who chose to leave. Personally, I can imagine that if a person doesn't know they're being tested, they're likely just stressed out and anxiety-ridden while waiting for the big meeting. Of course, SNL is famously a very high-stress job, so I guess the patience test is a big part of the audition, too.
Chris Rock isn’t the only Saturday Night Live cast member to have reported back on this “ritual.” Former cast members also recalled similar stories while talking to GQ before. Alex Moffat, who had a handful of famous Weekend Update appearances among other sketches during his time at SNL, said he had to wait for “four hours in some random dressing room” prior to his audition. He thinks it’s done “to separate the wheat from the chaff.”
Tim Meadows, who was on SNL a whopping ten years, said when he was waiting for his first meeting with series creator Lorne Michaels, he was waiting “like, 10 hours” before talking to the executive for just a “few minutes”. During his meeting, Michaels also brought in some of the cast to talk about an upcoming show while he was sitting there in his office. Clearly, they were all ready for the job, given they sat through the test and made it through!
What I'm wondering now, though, is whether this test will remain intact now that Chris Rock and others have spilled the beans about it. Still, even if it doesn't, I could easily see Michaels and co. coming up with another sharp way to test prospective cast members.
Saturday Night Live is set to return to the 2026 TV schedule for its 52nd season tonight, September 26 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and the episode will also be streamable with a Peacock subscription. New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson is hosting, and Katseye will serve as the musical guest. And there are plenty of other great upcoming SNL hosts this season that viewers certainly won't want to miss.
