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Season 50 of the coveted Saturday Night Live concluded on May 17 with episode 21. The Golden Jubilee season featured a lineup of its most famous veterans, in-trend artists, and acclaimed actors. Comedian Dave Chappelle was among them. The veteran SNL star hosted episode 11, which aired on January 18.
In a recent interview with Mo Amer for Variety's Actors on Actors, Chappelle opened up about his Saturday Night Live experience and also shared how he prepared for it. The interview was published on June 4 on Variety's official YouTube channel.
"The first one especially was winging it. But I've been doing it long enough that you're never really winging it," Dave shared.
He also revealed the details of how he prepared for the night. He said that while he always winged it, he had to follow some standard practices when it came to performing on live television.
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He also stated why the experience was a "little terrifying" for him and shared thoughts about his hardest monologue ever. He added that, to a stand-up comedian, performing the SNL monologue was like a "gift."
What Dave Chappelle said about preparing for his Saturday Night Live monologue
The Saturday Night Live veteran, Dave Chappelle, had been on the show three times before his season 50 SNL gig. So, he had a solid understanding of the demands of a live show and knew how to prepare each time. Revealing how he readied his monologue for the night he was hosting, Dave said,
"Even if I don't have jokes, I got experience enough. But on live television, it's dangerous. "
He said this, referring to why he didn't wing the monologue. He stated that he had to follow all the standard practices to ensure a smooth delivery of the monologue. He then referred to veteran Saturday Night Live star Lorne Michaels and added that he never knew what Dave was going to say. That was because he never did his actual monologue in the rehearsal.
He explained that part of why it was "terrifying" could be because he never rehearsed his monologue and kind of even winged it, but it is also a testament to his experience with comedy and the trust that people like Lorne Michaels put in him to execute his part without obstacles.
Dave further shared that he would spend his rehearsal time checking the sound and familiarizing himself with the space. He called the experience of hosting it "exhilarating" and scary.
"It's so much pressure on live television," Dave added.
He also stated that he liked doing the monologue because he saw it as a "gift" a stand-up comedian could get to do what he did on live television, through a platform as prestigious as Saturday Night Live.
The comedian also talked about what he felt after his Saturday Night Live performances, saying that one never did as good as they were expecting to do, but it was never too bad either. Sharing about his hardest monologue, Dave said it was the one when Biden got elected.
"I had a set for if Trump won, and I had a set for if Biden won," he added.
For further updates on Saturday Night Live, fans of the show can follow its official Instagram page, @nbcsnl. And for updates on Dave Chappelle, fans can follow his official Instagram page, @davechappelle.
