Jim BelushI SNL 50

Variety

Famous hosts, musical guests and “Saturday Night Live” alumni turned out in full force for Sunday’s “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” tribute.

Transcript

00:00What is it like to be back, and do you experience the sort of stress pangs that other cast members get when they return to 8-H?

00:13How did you know about that stress?

00:15A lot of people talk about it.

00:17Because...

00:21Saturday Night Live was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

00:24Including divorce.

00:27Uh...

00:29That stress pang would just come right up.

00:33But as soon as the theme...

00:35They're live in New York Saturday night, and the horns started blowing...

00:41Just putting you in your body, that theme was so beautiful.

00:44So beautiful to be part of that show.

00:47Who have you run into tonight or over the past weekend?

00:50I've run into everybody.

00:52I've seen everybody.

00:53Marty Short.

00:55There's Marty right there!

00:57Crazy.

00:58I mean, everybody.

01:00Will Ferrell's right there.

01:02Robert De Niro.

01:04Come on, this is the ball.

01:06What about any of the young guys who are currently on the cast?

01:08Do you give them any advice?

01:12They don't need my advice.

01:14They're all doing a fine job.

01:17I read recently that you had talked about how the current cast, they break more than you guys did.

01:23We didn't break.

01:25Do you think that Lorne used to run a tighter ship back then?

01:28Or things have just changed?

01:29I think things have just changed.

01:31You know, there's a spirit of...

01:34We're having fun.

01:36That is, you know...

01:38Creates a nice feeling of joy with the audience.

01:41It's just different.

01:42I came from like...

01:44A very tough second city training.

01:47And so did the original cast.

01:49Where it was just...

01:51Not done.

01:53Is there a sketch from your time on the show that didn't make it to air that you're still mad about?

01:58All of them.

02:00One in particular?

02:03Nah, you forget those.

02:06Was there like a...

02:08A note?

02:09Or any sort of advice that you learned while on the show that you've taken throughout the rest of your career?

02:13Yes, Bob Tischler.

02:16You know, when I was there, it was...

02:19There was pressure to come up with catchphrases.

02:21Because catchphrases would make you famous overnight.

02:26And Bob Tischler said,

02:28You're so concerned and putting all your attention on coming up with a catchphrase and being famous.

02:35He goes, just stop it.

02:37Concentrate on the work.

02:40And everything will fall.

02:43And he was right.

02:44And that was a big change.

02:46What did you think of the SNL movie? Did you see it?

02:48I haven't seen it.

02:50Is that on purpose? Or you just haven't gotten around to it?

02:53I haven't watched a lot of movies.

02:54And I'm a member of the Academy.

02:56And I should be watching some movies.

02:58What do you like this year?

03:00Movie-wise?

03:02I like this movie Jude Law did.

03:06The Operator?

03:08The Order.

03:10I like the movie that Jude Law did, The Order.

03:12That was good.

03:14He was fantastic in it.

03:16Well, my last question is just what are you looking forward to tonight?

03:19And can we expect you to pop up in anything?

03:24Let me leave you with this.

03:26There's an old saying that goes like this.

03:29When you drink the water, remember the men and women who dug the well.

03:37I drink a lot of water since I've been on Saturday Night Live.

03:40And the men and women who dug the well,

03:42Lorne Michaels, Dick Ebersole, John Belushi, Danny Ackroyd, Gilda Radner,

03:48Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Lorraine Newman, Garrett Morris,

03:53they dug the well for the rest of us.

03:56And tonight is really about honoring those well diggers.

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