Andy Samberg, in a recent interview with Kevin Hart, revealed that he left Saturday Night Live (SNL) because he had fallen apart physically. He was a cast member of NBC’s iconic sketch comedy series for seven years between 2005 and 2012. During this period, he and his fellow members of the comedy music group The Lonely Island developed several memorable skits and played a pivotal role in popularizing digital shorts on the show.
Now, around 12 years after his exit, Samberg spoke about how the show’s schedule negatively impacted him.
Andy Samberg reveals SNL’s ‘heavy toll’ on his life
In a candid conversation with Hart, Andy Samberg reflected on the “heavy toll” his work took on his life. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star also explained the amount of pressure he was under at the time to meet deadlines.
“Physically, it was taking a heavy toll on me and I got to a place where I was like I hadn’t slept in seven years basically,” Samberg told Hart. “We were writing stuff for the live show Tuesday night all night, the table read Wednesday, then being told now come up with a digital short so write all Thursday, all Thursday night, don’t sleep, get up, shoot Friday, edit all night…and into Saturday. So, it’s basically like four days a week you’re not sleeping, for seven years. So I just kinda fell apart physically,” he added. (via New York Post)
According to Samberg, things became worse after Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone — his friends and co-writers — left SNL in 2010 after their contracts expired.
“I was basically left in charge of making the shorts, which I never pretended like I could do without them,” Samberg said, adding, “We made stuff I’m really proud of in those last two years, but there’s something about the songs that I can only do with Akiva and Jorm. It’s just how it is.”
Ultimately, Samberg sought advice from the show’s former cast members, including Amy Poehler, and left SNL after Season 37. He further said the decision to quit the show was “very difficult.”
