Long before Seth Meyers became a late-night TV mainstay, he was a struggling new cast member trying to survive at Saturday Night Live. In a recent interview, Meyers looked back on that uncertain time and revealed the two people who helped steer his early career in the right direction.
Seth Meyers might be known today for his sharp wit and smooth delivery, but his early days at SNL were anything but polished. Things didn't exactly click as Meyers tried to find his footing as a performer in a cast that featured established veterans like Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tracy Morgan, and Chris Kattan.
During an appearance on Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast, Meyers credited two people with keeping him afloat during his early SNL days: Poehler and producer Michael Shoemaker.
"I mean, like, to be honest, like one of the things that I feel most grateful for is ... I know to this day like I don't make it on that show without you guys," Meyers told Poehler. "And I think that I was very lucky that Lorne [Michaels] saw me through your eyes and [Shoemaker]'s eyes."
Within five years of joining Saturday Night Live, Meyers was co-anchoring "Weekend Update" with Poehler and held the head writer role. The pair had an undeniable chemistry, no doubt boosted by the confidence Poehler had in Meyers from the onset.
Michael Shoemaker spent more than 20 years working at SNL. By the time Poehler and Meyers showed up in 2001, Shoemaker was already a co-producer. Poehler credited Shoemaker with showing her and the other new cast members the ropes.
Clearly, Meyers made a strong impression on Shoemaker. The duo currently collaborate on Late Night with Seth Meyers where Shoemaker serves as a writer and producer.
It's hard to believe not everyone saw Seth Meyers' brilliance given where he is today. But the late-night TV star admitted he didn't have things figured out way back when. Lucky for him, Amy Poehler and Michael Shoemaker could see far into his late-night future.