Just making it to a Saturday Night Live audition is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So it's not surprising to hear how so many performers felt nervous or battling terrible anxiety before taking the stage in front of Lorne Michaels and the SNL decision-makers. But one former cast member recalls being "cocky as f***" during her audition.
Saturday Night Live auditions are typically five minutes long (unless your Kenan Thompson). Performers are expected to do a mix of original characters, impressions, and stand-up material in order to impress Michaels and the producers.
Leslie Jones walked into Studio 8H full of confidence, and it's likely what helped her land a spot first as a writer and then as a cast member.
"I was cocky as f***," Jones said during a panel discussion for People. "I was like 'yeah, move to the front, ya'll in the back, move to the front, I don't perform like that," she recalled.
"And they moved to the f***ing front because that's what the f*** I said," she added. "And then when I was finished, I was like 'my name is Leslie Jones. Peace."
Jones also reminded everyone that she didn't get the job based on that audition. Saturday Night Live ultimately added Sashee Zamata to the cast instead of Jones. But, the stand-up comedian was given a spot in the writers' room and eventually worked her way on to the cast.
Seth Meyers also joined the panel. He mentioned the well-known fact that SNL auditions are typically quiet with no laughter coming from Lorne Michaels or the producers. However, Meyers said he was their for Jones' audition and things were much different as the comedian earned laughs from those watching.
An ex-Saturday Night Live star got Leslie Jones her audition
Leslie Jones probably wasn't all that bothered by not getting the Saturday Night Live cast job right off the bat. According to Jones, her plan was never to accept the job in the first place.
During a 2020 interview with Howard Stern, Jones claimed she wanted to just be seen in front of the SNL brass and maybe get a connection out of it.
Former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Rock put things in motion for Jones to audition for SNL. He saw her perform at the Comedy Store and reached out to Lorne Michaels.
Jones wasn't thrilled with Rock at first. She freely admitted she's not a sketch comedy writer, nor is that her preferred style of performance. But it all worked out as Jones' career went to a new level during her time on Saturday Night Live.