Tom Brady joked that he needed “two shots of tequila” before hosting Saturday Night Live back in 2005.
The 45-year-old football star reflected on his experience on the comedy show in Monday’s episode of his podcast Let’s Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jim Gray, alongside longtime SNL cast member, Kenan Thompson.
During the conversation, Brady recalled how exciting it was to be on the program and shared an experience he had with the program’s creator, Lorne Michaels.
“I remember when we did Saturday Night Live together and we did all the skits on that pre-show, the live one before the live [show]”, he said. And then afterward we went up to Lorne’s office.”
Brady then compared Michaels to Bill Belichick, who previously coached the quarterback on the New England Patriots. He also described how Michaels was quite relaxed at the time despite making edits minutes before the show.
“You know, [Michaels] was eating his popcorn or whatever the hell he was eating and he was like, ‘No, scratch that,’ and ‘Not that, and not that.’ And I’m sitting there like, man, we go on in 10 minutes!” he continued.
Brady proceeded to joke about how he wasn’t nearly as calm as Michaels, adding: “I need tequila, I gotta get down, I gotta get changed. I need two shots of tequila before I go on. Like, let’s get this thing going, you know?”
Despite how nervous he was, Brady praised Michaels for being “so poised” and the rest of the cast for staying so “relaxed”.
“[Michaels was] like, ‘You know man, we’ll get it right,’” he continued. “And everyone else was so relaxed, which helped me relax, too.”
He applauded Michaels leadership skills, adding: “It’s amazing how it all comes together when you have that leader like that and that preparation. It’s pretty amazing because it makes everyone else feel at ease too.”
Thompson agreed with the sentiment, noting that “preparation” has been “key” for him throughout his comedy career.
Elsewhere in the episode, Thompson asked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers player if he gets nervous during a big game. In response, the football player explained why he doesn’t “really have any nerves” on the field.
“I think when you’re in the moment, you always know when you’re in the moment, you’re not nervous because you know what’s coming,” he said. “And I think as long as you prepare and you’re ready to go, you know what to expect and second nature takes over and then you just make it happen.”
He also noted how this mentality could help people who work in the entertainment industry.
“I never feel like the moment’s too big,” Brady added. “And I feel like that’s a good quality to have for people who are in entertainment and you’re making things happen live. You don’t get any do overs.”
