It was a long time ago that Saturday Night Live became a television institution. With SNL now in its 51st season on the 2026 TV schedule, the number of cast members who’ve become major stars is very well-known, with dozens of additional performers making their names by starring on the series. However, David Spade has an idea about why some who are new to SNL can struggle at the start, including what he did backstage so that he’d be cast in sketches.
What David Spade Said About Why Some SNL Newbies Struggle At First
Many comedians and comedically-inclined actors would kill to become a part of the Saturday Night Live cast, as not only does it give them a very visible way to show off their talents, but it’s been known to launch many careers into the stratosphere (even if some take a while to really get to lift-off, like that of Julia Louis-Dreyfus). We’ve heard more and more, though, that it’s really not an easy gig, with newer cast members sometimes having a hard time just being featured in sketches on a regular basis.
During a recent conversation with current cast member Marcello Hernández on the Fly on the Wall podcast he hosts with fellow former SNL superstar Dana Carvey, David Spade revealed his thoughts on why some newbies at Studio 8H can have a hard time when they first arrive. After Hernández explained how he landed a spotlight sketch for only his second episode on the series, Spade added that the writers don’t always know how to utilize new talent:
Everyone’s sort of a blank slate [to the writers] until [you star in a funny sketch]. And you go, ‘Why don’t they write for me?’ I used to say that, and they don’t know what you’re even funny about, so if you give them some hook or angle – even around the office a little bit – sometimes they bite on something and go, ‘What is that? Maybe we could play with that.’ But, if they know what you did in your [stand up] act or saw your audition, that’s perfect.
Hernández, who went viral for his first appearance as Domingo on the show, explained that the stars aligned for him when someone reminded SNL mastermind Lorne Michaels that he was a baseball fan. This led to the creator/producer asking the young star to come up with something based on his fandom, and his idea eventually aired as part of Hernández’s second episode, which he previously hadn’t been scheduled to perform on. And, just take a look at how well it went:
The Shrek 5 star (who got some great advice from Chris Rock before filming his first Netflix special) is now known as one of the more recognizable members of the cast who’s relied on weekly to deliver laughs, and he’s beginning to take on more roles outside of the series, as well. Basically, while he kinda lucked into Spade’s advice, making sure that the writers know what you’re funny at certainly does seem to help those new to the comedy make their presence and talents known, which is one way the series continues to mint new mega stars.
