Julia Louis-Dreyfus Recalls 'Excruciating' FirstSNLRehearsal in Front of '20 Very Cynical, Unfriendly' Cast Members

Mar. 15, 2025

Julia Louis-Dreyfus.Photo:Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Julia Louis-Dreyfusis reliving a mortifying moment onSaturday Night Live.On a recent episode of Lemonada Media’sWiser Than Mepodcast, the comedian, 63, looked back on the early days of her career and one embarrassing memory she had on the long-running sketch comedy show.“When I was just getting started, I was part of the Practical Theater company in Chicago," she began. “The producers ofSNLcame to see the show and they loved it, and they hired all of us to come to New York and be a part ofSNL.“Julia Louis-Dreyfus on ‘Saturday Night Live’.Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via GettyShe and three other “complete and total unknowns” had to perform the first act of the show in theSaturday Night Liveoffice “under fluorescent lights in the middle of the day in front of 20 very cynical, unfriendly SNL cast members and writers,” the actress recalled.Louis-Dreyfus claimed that the group “already hated us because a bunch of their best friends had just been fired to make room for us.““We never had a chance. Sketches that had killed in Chicago died a terrible, terrible death that day. It was excruciating,” she admitted. “I think that humiliation influenced our wholeSNLexperience for the next couple of years, to tell you the truth.“She added, “I’ve learned a lot since that cringey day in a carpeted office on the 17th floor of 30 Rock.”Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall on ‘Saturday Night Live’.RM Lewis Jr./NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via GettyLouis-Dreyfus joined the sketch series in 1982 at 21 years old, making her the youngest female cast member at the time. The cast includedBilly Crystal,Eddie Murphy,Martin Shortand Christopher Guest, plus her future husbandBrad Hall.This isn’t the first time the actress has opened up about the challenges she faced on the show.In 2019, theVeepstar admitted her three year run “was a pretty brutal time but a very informative time”” while sitting down withStephen Colbertfor Montclair Film’s annual “Evening with Stephen Colbert.”“There were plenty of people on the show who were incredibly funny,” she told Colbert. “But I was unbelievably naive and I didn’t really understand how the dynamics of the place worked.”“It was very sexist, very sexist,” she continued. “People were doing crazy drugs at the time. I was oblivious. I just thought, ‘Oh wow. He’s got a lot of energy.'”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Louis-Dreyfus said she learned an important lesson on the show that she carries with her to this day.“I learned I wasn’t going to do anymore of this show business crap unless it was fun,” she said. “I don’t have to walk and crawl through this kind of nasty glass if it’s not ultimately going to be fulfilling, and so that’s how I sort of moved forward from that moment. I sort of applied the fun-meter to every job since, and that has been very helpful.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfusis reliving a mortifying moment onSaturday Night Live.

On a recent episode of Lemonada Media’sWiser Than Mepodcast, the comedian, 63, looked back on the early days of her career and one embarrassing memory she had on the long-running sketch comedy show.

“When I was just getting started, I was part of the Practical Theater company in Chicago,” she began. “The producers ofSNLcame to see the show and they loved it, and they hired all of us to come to New York and be a part ofSNL.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on ‘Saturday Night Live’.Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

She and three other “complete and total unknowns” had to perform the first act of the show in theSaturday Night Liveoffice “under fluorescent lights in the middle of the day in front of 20 very cynical, unfriendly SNL cast members and writers,” the actress recalled.

Louis-Dreyfus claimed that the group “already hated us because a bunch of their best friends had just been fired to make room for us.”

“We never had a chance. Sketches that had killed in Chicago died a terrible, terrible death that day. It was excruciating,” she admitted. “I think that humiliation influenced our wholeSNLexperience for the next couple of years, to tell you the truth.”

She added, “I’ve learned a lot since that cringey day in a carpeted office on the 17th floor of 30 Rock.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall on ‘Saturday Night Live’.RM Lewis Jr./NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Louis-Dreyfus joined the sketch series in 1982 at 21 years old, making her the youngest female cast member at the time. The cast includedBilly Crystal,Eddie Murphy,Martin Shortand Christopher Guest, plus her future husbandBrad Hall.

This isn’t the first time the actress has opened up about the challenges she faced on the show.

In 2019, theVeepstar admitted her three year run “was a pretty brutal time but a very informative time”” while sitting down withStephen Colbertfor Montclair Film’s annual “Evening with Stephen Colbert.”

“There were plenty of people on the show who were incredibly funny,” she told Colbert. “But I was unbelievably naive and I didn’t really understand how the dynamics of the place worked.”

“It was very sexist, very sexist,” she continued. “People were doing crazy drugs at the time. I was oblivious. I just thought, ‘Oh wow. He’s got a lot of energy.'”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Louis-Dreyfus said she learned an important lesson on the show that she carries with her to this day.

“I learned I wasn’t going to do anymore of this show business crap unless it was fun,” she said. “I don’t have to walk and crawl through this kind of nasty glass if it’s not ultimately going to be fulfilling, and so that’s how I sort of moved forward from that moment. I sort of applied the fun-meter to every job since, and that has been very helpful.”

source: people.com