‘Should We Be Concerned?:’ Jim Gaffigan Reflects On Being Nervous Before Debuting As Tim Walz On SNL

As an ardent admirer of Jim Gaffigan, I must admit his recent interview on Late Night With Seth Meyers was nothing short of captivating. The comedian’s candid narration of his apprehensions prior to appearing on Saturday Night Live (SNL) was both amusing and relatable.


No matter how seasoned an artist is, appearing on live television, especially on Saturday Night Live, can make them nervous. The same happened with Jim Gaffigan, who recalled being nervous before making his debut and portraying Tim Walz on the comedy sketch show.

During his guest spot on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the comedian and actor talked about this topic. Before the November election, Gaffigan filmed several skits portraying Walz. However, just before making his first appearance, he admitted that he was anxious about how it would turn out since at that time, he hadn’t yet seen a script.

The comedian told the host that he was contracted for five but only ended up doing one table read because the script was not completed. He admitted to not knowing how the last-minute show would be. He recalled calling them the day prior to filming and asking, “Hey, uh, is there a script or something? Should we be concerned? Did you guys forget?’ And I love to improvise, but I’m not a huge fan of cold reading,” joking that he maybe did not know how to read.

Regarding this, Meyers, a former SNL alum, stated that there isn’t much time, particularly for political sketches, to practice or become accustomed to the script. When discussing Wally Feresten, the cue card supervisor at SNL, they would simply instruct them to read whatever he was holding up.

Gaffigan performed numerous skits featuring Walz, yet continued to feel anxious despite this. The comedian confided to the host that he has spent 35 years on stand-up comedy and encountered countless awkward scenarios, but none of it could truly prepare him for live TV broadcasts.

He commented, “Leaving and shaking hands with Lorne Michaels feels similar to encountering Thomas Jefferson, and then you’re expected to perform a skit. It’s quite surreal.

In simpler terms, the actor from The Jim Gaffigan Show went on to acknowledge that the show is quite popular and widely watched. He added, “You can find bits of it everywhere, and if it’s about politics, you’ll catch it on Sunday news shows. What I didn’t know was that within a day, people all over the world have likely seen the opening scene if it’s a current, relevant one.

The comedian pointed out that opinions about the same skit varied greatly across different social media platforms. He explained that while some users might criticize the skit on one site, others would praise it on a separate platform.

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2024-11-27 08:52