Learning the origin stories about Saturday Night Live's biggest icons always brings me immense joy. Case in point, Jason Sudeikis just shared an amazing tale about the wild SNL sketch that ultimately got him promoted from writer to full-time cast member.
Sudeikis joined SNL as a writer in 2003 and was on the writing staff until 2005. He officially became part of the cast toward the end of Season 30 in 2005, and stayed on it for eight years. It’s hard to imagine SNL without him in the cast. So, what was the driving force that bumped him up from writer to performer? The actor shared on the Today Show that a sketch he had written for Tom Brady in Season 30 sealed the deal:
When I was doing that part, that was just me making a bold choice as a writer. I co-wrote that sketch with a few folks, including our buddy, Joe Kelly, who’s one of the co-creators of Ted Lasso. At some point during the meeting on Friday, the conversation amongst the producers was like, ‘That should be a cast member in there.’ And hypocritically or actually, Tina [Fey] was like, ‘Well, who else is gonna get those laughs?’ And then, Lorne [Michaels] was like, ‘You know, it’s a good point. Let’s just keep him in.’ And I stayed in.
The sketch in question happened during Brady’s one and only time hosting SNL in April 2005. It was called “Behind the Music: The Super Bowl Shuffle,” and it saw various Chicago Bears players, portrayed by Brady and other cast members, recalling “The Super Bowl Shuffle” phenomenon.
Sudeikis was playing Kevin Butler and dancing around in the sketch, and I’m not surprised that he got the most laughs because it is pretty hilarious. In fact, the Ted Lasso star did so well in the sketch that by the time Saturday Night Live returned from its brief hiatus, he had a new job:
Then we had two weeks off, and the Saturday before we came back to work, Lorne was like, ‘We want to put you in the cast.’ I was like, ‘Oh, dang!’
A handful of writers on SNL have been bumped up to the cast, so it’s not at all surprising that the same thing happened with Sudeikis after this sketch aired. It’s just crazy to think that in the two weeks that SNL was on break after this moment, the comedian’s life changed, and this update led to a job that he ended up holding for close to a decade.
When it comes to what wound up being a long tenure on SNL, the We're the Millers star has opened up about what working with Tina Fey and co. taught him, admitting he was just trying to keep up after getting the job he never thought he’d get. And the one important lesson he learned was to pay attention to the people who carve the path slightly ahead of you, which is certainly inspiring.
Knowing Jason Sudeikis’ SNL origins makes me want him to return to Studio 8H now. While the series is on break for a little bit longer, now that Ted Lasso’s highly-anticipated fourth season has officially premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, perhaps he could do some promo for it when SNL returns. He’s only hosted once since leaving the cast, and that was in 2021. So another hosting gig is definitely needed.
However, while we wait for that, fans can go back and see the Season 30 sketch that made Sudeikis an SNL star with a Peacock subscription.
