Getting a spot in the Saturday Night Live cast is a major accomplishment and one that doesn't come easy. Keeping that job poses a whole new set of challenges. Jay Pharoah felt that pressure until one sketch finally hit for him.
Pharoah joined Saturday Night Live in 2010 as a featured player. The comedian has all the tools necessary to be an SNL star thanks to his celebrity impressions, musical talents, and ability to go broad.
But by 2013, Pharoah felt he still needed to prove himself as more than just a celebrity impressionist. As good as his parodies of Barack Obama or Denzel Washington were, the SNL cast member wanted to show he had more to offer.
Inspiration came via the viral song "What Does the Fox Say?" Pharaoh and friend Jarrod Tanner came up with a parody version all about an annoying girlfriend.
Pharoah took the song to SNL and pitched to host Kerry Washington. "It was fun pitching it to Kerry Washington because it was a clear-cut idea," Pharoah told The Ringer. "She’s very smart. She saw the comedy in it, and she knew how to play it. It was an instant, 'Oh, that’s going to be fun.' But she also helped me in the [writers’] room."
The song became an instant hit with the audience when it premiered on November 2, 2013. Pharoah calls it a pivotal moment in his Saturday Night Live career.
"When it played, I remember hearing the reaction and I just got so excited," Pharoah recalled. "I said, 'I’m going to keep my job this year.'" Even better, it got a seal of approval from Lorne Michaels. The SNL boss is notorious for his notes, and compliments can be few and far between. But a nod from Michaels was enough to put Pharoah at ease regarding his SNL future.
Pharoah left SNL in 2016 and has been working consistently since then. If you ask him, part of his post-SNL success is due to the "My Girl" sketch. He told The Ringer he's got work through Kerry Washington, who still gets compliments on the sketch herself.