Saturday Night Live: Cecily Strong finally gets her Emmy nomination

Cecily Strong received a well-deserved and long overdue Emmy nomination

In a year in which so much has gone wrong, something finally went right when the 2020 Emmy nominations were revealed. Cecily Strong was nominated for her outstanding work on another season of Saturday Night Live.

Strong was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She’s nominated alongside fellow Saturday Night Live cast member Kate McKinnon who picked up her seventh consecutive nomination. Other nominees in the category include D’Arcy Carden for The Good Place, Annie Murphy for Schitt’s Creek, and Betty Gilpin for GLOW.

It was at this time last year that we were complaining that the Emmys had snubbed Strong yet again. It was a relief to see some justice served this year and for Strong to receive the recognition she deserves.

This is Strong’s first nomination. The competition in 2020 is no joke but Strong’s production can hold its own against anyone else in comedy.

Cecily Strong is Saturday Night Live’s most versatile cast member right now

Kate McKinnon is arguably the face of Saturday Night Live. She absolutely deserves a seventh Emmy nomination and nobody will be shocked if she wins. Yet if someone from SNL walks away with the Best Supporting Actress award, it should be Cecily Strong.

Season 45 proved once again that there is nothing on the sketch show that Strong cannot do. Political impressions, original characters, and the straight woman are all areas in which Strong excels. No matter her role in a given sketch, Strong demonstrates the ability to elevate it.

Millions of viewers turn to Saturday Night Live for political humor. Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump, Kate McKinnon as Elizabeth Warren, and a handful of people as Joe Biden have helped make a number of cold opens go viral. Cecily Strong has been in the mix as well, playing First Lady Melania Trump, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, and Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro.

Original, recurring characters have long been the backbone of Saturday Night Live. Admittedly, it has been a while since a character had the mass appeal and popularity of say, Chris Farley’s Matt Foley or Bill Hader’s Stefon. But for consistent viewers of SNL, Cecily Strong has brought to life some of the best in recent memory.

In a recent Late Night interview, Seth Meyers and Colin Jost praised Strong for her performance as The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation with at a Party on “Weekend Update.” Meyers compared Strong’s first outing as the character to a pitcher throwing a perfect game his first time on the mound. Considering that’s where she started, Strong has only become better in her performances.

A character who looks the complete opposite of The Girl, but who is no less concerned with current events, is Cathy Ann. As Michael Che’s neighbor, Strong has another must-watch “Weekend Update” character that proves the comedian can do anything and do it extremely well.

If absurd humor is your thing then Cecily Strong can do that, too. The tail-end of Saturday Night Live episodes is typically when the more off-beat, experimental sketches show up. For a certain population of SNL fans, this is when you can find real comedy gold.

And while the timeslot is usually filled with a Kyle Mooney/Beck Bennett sketch (assuming it’s not cut for time), Strong has also been known to shine in these sketches. In season 45, look no further than “Marrying Ketchups.”

What else do you want in an Emmy-nominated Saturday Night Live cast member? Playing it straight and letting someone else get the laughs? Cecily Strong does that. What about someone who can sing? Cecily Strong does that, too.

It has taken too long for Strong’s work on SNL to be recognized by the Emmy Awards. “Better late than never” certainly applies in this situation. But fans, co-stars, and comedians have known for a long time that Strong is the show’s most versatile performer and among the best cast members in recent history.

Comments from Strong and the way in which season 45 ended have suggested to some that she could walk away from Saturday Night Live. Winning an Emmy would be the perfect way to end her run on top. But for fans, the best way would be with one more season back at Studio 8H. Stay tuned.

What do you think of Cecily Strong’s Emmy nomination? What was your favorite sketch from her in season 45? Let us know in the comment section and keep checking Last Night On for more on Saturday Night Live and the rest of late night television.