Simply making an attempt to place myself within the footwear of an SNL host proper earlier than their monologue scares me. So, I can’t think about what it’s like to really stroll via that Studio 8H door. Nonetheless, Dave Chappelle simply made it a bit simpler to image as he defined why it’s at all times “a bit of terrifying.” And I must say, after studying how he prepares for that second, I completely get why.
Earlier on the 2025 TV schedule, Dave Chappelle was one among SNL’s Season 50 hosts, which marked his fourth time doing the gig. So, at this level, he is aware of what to anticipate. Nonetheless, whereas chatting with Mo Amer throughout Variety’s Actors on Actors, he bought actual about what it’s like to organize for the job after which stroll onto the stage. He began by explaining that reside tv is a unique kind of beast for a stand-up, saying:
The first one particularly was winging it. However I’ve been doing it lengthy sufficient that you simply’re by no means actually winging it. Even when I don’t have jokes, I bought expertise sufficient. However on reside tv, it’s harmful. You bought to navigate requirements and practices and all the remainder of it. However to Lorne Michaels’ credit score, he by no means is aware of what I’m going to say. As a practice, I by no means do my precise monologue in rehearsal.
Properly, listening to that he’s type of “winging it” and he received’t do his monologue in rehearsal partially explains why it’s “a bit of terrifying.” Nonetheless, it additionally speaks to the belief Lorne Michaels has in Chappelle to ship when he walks via that door to kick off the present.
After explaining that he’ll merely use his rehearsal time to verify the sound and get used to the house, the stand-up went on to debate why internet hosting SNL is each “exhilarating” and a bit scary. Noting the strain and limits that include reside TV, he stated:
It’s a lot strain on reside tv. The pleasure of doing that present for me is the monologue. What a present for a stand-up to have the ability to do what he does on reside tv on such a revered platform like SNL is. It’s at all times exhilarating. It’s a bit of terrifying, however just a bit.
Now, contemplating Chappelle’s stand-up specials (you’ll be able to watch them with a Netflix subscription) virtually at all times trigger debate amongst viewers, I assumed he picked his jokes fastidiously for SNL. So, I was shocked to be taught that he doesn’t rehearse it in entrance of others earlier than the taping. Nonetheless, as he stated, he’s been doing this job lengthy sufficient that his “expertise” has ready him for these moments.
General, he reiterated that whereas it’s a kind of terrifying expertise, it by no means goes as dangerous or pretty much as good as he thinks it is going to:
You by no means do pretty much as good as you assume you’re going to do, nevertheless it’s by no means that dangerous.
He’s proper, I discover that when a stand-up hosts SNL, their monologue is sort of at all times one of many strongest factors of the episode, as a result of it’s the time the place they’re really of their aspect. Nonetheless, despite the fact that they’re doing what they’re nice at, they nonetheless must face new challenges.
For instance, when Chappelle hosted proper after the 2020 election, he needed to put together two units as a result of the race wasn’t known as on election day. He stated:
The hardest one was perhaps the one when Biden bought elected, as a result of we didn’t know he was going to be president till Saturday morning. So I had a set for if Trump received, and I had a set for if Biden received.
Yeah, that sounds scary too! Nonetheless, it went nicely, and clearly SNL thought so too, as a result of the comic has returned to host the present 4 instances between 2016 and 2025.
General, I completely get why Dave Chappelle stated doing SNL is at all times kind of scary. Listening to about how he preps and the circumstances he’s hosted underneath, it makes excellent sense. Now, I’ll 100% be interested by all of this as I re-watch the present with my Peacock subscription and anticipate Season 51.
