Jimmy Fallon has some advice for comedians hoping to land a spot on the upcoming Saturday Night Live UK. But it’s advice that doesn’t exactly line up with what one of the show’s more recent stars has said about her own experience.
Speaking to Deadline, Fallon urged British comics to think of SNL not as a career launchpad, but as a dream job in itself.
“If you get lucky and get cast, I would just focus on the show,” he said. “Don’t think about the next move, or if you are going to be a movie star from this. Don’t treat it as a launching pad, treat it as the end game. This is the prize: Saturday Night Live UK. If you concentrate and make that show the best, and be the best performer on that show, other things will come, but that’s a different conversation.”
The sentiment fits Fallon’s image as the grateful former cast member turned Tonight Show host. Since leaving SNL in 2004, the comedian has stayed connected to the show and Lorne Michaels. But it stands in sharp contrast to what recent SNL alum Ego Nwodim said about her own ambitions.
“There’s so much I want to do, and SNL is always meant to be a stepping stone,” Nwodim said at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City. “There’s so many ideas that I need to have time to create. I’m looking forward to doing that. So directing, more writing in a different capacity. Very excited. It’s an exciting thing.”
While Nwodim's comments are specific to her experience and career goals, they do reflect a broader truth about Saturday Night Live. The show isn’t a destination, it’s a launchpad for many performers. From Eddie Murphy to Tina Fey to Bill Hader, some of the show’s biggest names have used it as a springboard to film, television, and beyond. Yes, there are a handful of names who went on to bigger and better things despite forgettable SNL years (Robert Downey, Jr., Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tim Robinson). But more often than not, making a splash in Studio 8H is what launches performers into the next level.
So while Fallon’s “treat it as the prize” advice may sound like solid advice from someone who genuinely loves the show, it's also easy for him to say now. His career flourished precisely because he made his mark on SNL and moved on to a bigger late-night TV platform.
At the same time, Fallon’s point isn’t without merit. For every SNL cast member who became a Hollywood A-lister, there are others who faded from the spotlight after their run ended. Many were breakout stars on the show but never landed another major role in TV or film. In that sense, treating SNL as the “endgame” may actually be the better approach, especially for those with the opportunity to become the first cast members on the UK version of Saturday Night Live.
Ultimately, both perspectives reflect the nature of Saturday Night Live. For some, it’s the pinnacle of comedy achievement; for others, it’s just the beginning. Whether SNL UK will inspire its cast to stay loyal or look for their next big break remains to be seen.