"Teeth bonding is hard — any idiot can do this job," jokes Robert Smigel (back row, second from right) of ditching a career in dentistry for a writing gig on SNL in the 1980s. He was photographed with (from left) Marika Sawyer, Steve Higgins, Tim Herlihy, Alex Baze, Seth Meyers and Jorma Taccone on Jan. 13 in the SNL writers room at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
“I began producing ‘Weekend Update’ segments for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler," Grandy tells The Hollywood Reporter. "I cared a lot about getting in really good jokes.”
"When Seth Meyers called to say I'd been hired, my mom told the waitress, 'That's how Conan O'Brien started,'" says Mulaney.
“When I first met with Lorne about writing, I wore my hair in ponytails like Gilda Radner," Silverman tells THR. "I kept that hairstyle for 20 years.”
“I loved writing ‘Beauty and the Beast’ for Demi Moore and Jon Lovitz," Daniels tells THR. "All he did was whine and complain.”
“I was lucky to get a few sketches on. Larry David didn’t get anything on the whole time he was a writer," says Leifer. "I think I did pretty well!”
“I was in my first sketch, ‘Bake Sale.’ I didn’t know I mouthed all the actors’ words as they talked," says Caponera. "It was embarrassing.”
“Rosie [Shuster] and I wrote together a lot, mostly in self-defense,” Beatts tells THR. “We were the only women writers on the show.”
“I remember Greg and Conan and I very often laughing our asses off till 2 a.m. then feeling sad because we had no ideas," recalls Odenkirk.
“I was an intern, then receptionist, then Steve Higgins’ assistant," says Pomerantz. "My first joke was for ‘Update,’ about Britney Spears.”
"My first week was about getting Andy Samberg on the air," says Schaffer. "We shared an apartment and wrote at 4 a.m."
“I was an NBC tour guide. I handed Dennis Miller jokes," recalls Koren. "I answered phones then got hired to write. It all took three years.”
“Lorne told us to pitch some ideas to [host] George Steinbrenner after he’d passed on them," says O'Brien. "He said, ‘This is bullshit!’”
“I wrote a message to the Unabomber for my buddy David Spade: ‘You’re coming off gay. Lose those aviator sunglasses,’” says Fink.
“I dated Lorne at 14, and we later married [they split in ’80]," Shuster tells THR. "My dad was in comedy, so SNL was very organic.”
“My first sketch was Ben Affleck as a bad wedding DJ based on a bar mitzvah I went to with [now-husband] Akiva," recalls Cackowski.
Twenty L.A.-based SNL writers gathered together to commemorate the show's 40th anniversary.
“I did a sketch where Will Ferrell is born as a grown man. It didn’t go," says Murray. "Tina suggested I resubmit. Charlie Sheen nailed it.”
“I got on-air my first show: Maya Rudolph playing Donatella Versace," Spivey tells THR. "It was like Jesus giving me my 30th birthday present.”
“First joke: The U.S. Crack Association suggests spending 100 percent of your salary on crack," says Sebastiano.
“My first ‘Update’ joke was about Rush Hour: ‘A mix of Asian and black hasn’t made this much money since Tiger Woods,’” says Shannon.
“I first auditioned to act on SNL but didn’t make the cut," Smoove tells THR. "A few weeks later, Lorne asked if I wanted to come back as a writer.”
