David Schwimmer said Monday he got a hostile reception from “Saturday Night Live” writers when he appeared on the comedy show decades ago ― and for a long time, he didn’t know why. (Watch the video below.)
It was October 1995. Fame was blooming for Schwimmer and his castmates, but it was Schwimmer who became the first to host the comedy sketch series. He shot an episode of “Friends” in Los Angeles on Tuesday night ― as they did back in the day ― and arrived in New York on Thursday ready to prepare for the live “SNL” show.
“When I walked into the writer’s room, the entire writing staff looked at me as if I had just slept with their mom or something,” he told host Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show.” “They were not happy to see me, and I had no idea.”
The actor said he got through the short week and live broadcast while “traumatized.”
“It wasn’t until years later that I was talking to somebody else who hosted the show and they said no, you’re supposed to show up on a Monday,” he said. “No one told me.”
Schwimmer said he would “try not to blame all my reps” for the “one big mistake.”
The “Goosebumps: The Vanishing” actor fast-forwarded to present day, saying he’d received an email inviting him to the 50th anniversary special of “SNL” in February.
“It’s been 30 years, and I’m thinking maybe they forgot that they don’t like me, or it’s just some intern that’s tasked with emailing everyone who’s ever hosted. But I don’t know what to do,” Schwimmer confessed.
After some back and forth, it appears the actor might attend with Northwestern University pal Colbert, who briefly worked as a freelance “SNL” writer, as his plus-one.
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Another happy ending in show business.
Fast-forward to 2:30 to hear Schwimmer recall his awkward “SNL” moment:
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