How Kristen Wiig's 'SNL' breakdown led to one of her most iconic sketches
“Saturday Night Live” wasn’t all fun and games for Emmy-nominee Kristen Wiig.
During her third season on the NBC sketch comedy show, the “Bridesmaids” star had a “breakdown” after realizing she was out of ideas, she told Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers on their “Las Culturistas” podcast.
“I auditioned twice, and I remember when they had me come back for the second one, I was like ‘I did everything.’ I literally did every character that I have,” she told her fellow ‘SNL’ alum. “And three seasons in having a like, breakdown, being like, ‘I’ve done every voice. I have nothing.’”
Wiig was in good company, as Yang experienced a similar feeling early on in his “SNL" tenure. “I've certainly had that thing. I think my second season, I was like, ‘I did everything from my audition,’” the host shared.
Wiig shared that her period of struggle led her to approach comedy differently. While she initially developed characters by finding their voice first, she eventually realized she had other options. “You find other ways to find characters. It became not just vocal, it became like, physical,” she said.
Starting with a physical trait ultimately led to one of Wiig’s most iconic characters on the show. Standing a certain way prompted the idea for a character who continuously tells her fellow party guests, “Don’t make me sing.”
Wiig spent seven seasons on “SNL,” during which time she received four Emmy nods. Since leaving the show, she’s hosted five times and earned another four Emmy nominations.
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