Why David Schwimmer is still traumatized by his 1995 ‘SNL’ hosting gig
David Schwimmer
Dia Dipasupil/Getty ImagesDavid Schwimmer has reflected on his unpleasant experience as a guest host Saturday evening live.
During a interview of Stephen Colbert on The late show On Monday, Jan. 13, Schwimmer, 58, recalled the time he was preparing for the 1995 performance amid the height of the crisis. Friendssuccess. (Schwimmer played the role of Ross Geller in the comedy series, which launched in 1994.)
Schwimmer, who went to college with Colbert, 60, and studied alongside the TV host as a theater student, said he made “one big mistake” first. Friends cast member to be invited to host SNL at the time.
“It was a huge honor…I couldn’t be more excited,” Schwimmer explained. “Friends Back then, shooting was on Tuesday nights and we would sometimes be shooting until one in the morning, so I flew from LA to New York on Wednesday to get there. I really didn’t get around to it SNL until Thursday, two days before the Saturday show.”
Schwimmer, who currently stars in the Hulu/Disney+ series Goosebumps: the disappearancecontinued, “When I walked into the writers’ room, the entire writing staff looked at me like I had just slept with their mom or something. They weren’t happy to see me and I had no idea [why].”
The actor told how he then “somehow got through” the next two days, despite being “a bit traumatized” by the reception from his colleagues.
When asked by Colbert how the hosting gig went, Schwimmer noted, “I honestly can’t remember how it went.”
Schwimmer added that the writers’ mysterious response materialized “years later.” He explained how he “spoke to someone else who hosted the show and they said, no, no, no, you should appear on Monday.”
“No one told me and for years I had no idea why,” he added.
Despite never clearing up the confusion, Schwimmer said he was recently invited to the show’s 50th anniversary event, which will take place next month.
The cast of Goosebumps: The Vanishing will take every opportunity to praise David Schwimmer for being an exceptional costar both on and off screen. During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Ana Ortiz, Elijah M. Cooper, Galilea La Salvia, Francesca Noel, Stony Blyden, Sam McCarthy and Jayden Bartels opened up about sharing the screen with Schwimmer, […]
“It’s been thirty years and I’m thinking: maybe they’ve forgotten that they don’t like me? Or it’s just an intern who’s tasked with emailing everyone who’s ever hosted, but I don’t know what to do,” Schwimmer said.
Colbert then urged his friend to go to the event, telling Schwimmer that he had worked there for a while and had not received his own invitation.
“Yeah, but I don’t want to be like Charlie Brown with football, you know, you show up all fired up again and no, we don’t want you here,” Schwimmer said. “Would you like to be my plus one?” (SNL will celebrate its 50th milestone on February 16 with a three-hour live primetime special featuring five decades of popular cast members and favorite guest hosts.)
A visibly amused Colbert then accepted Schwimmer’s invitation and confirmed it on his desk with a firm handshake.
