Why Martin Short Once Tried to QUIT ‘SNL’

Transcript

00:00I'm so happy I've been interviewing you because I saw your live one-man show in Vegas many years ago, yeah, and it was so good

00:06Oh, thanks. Thank you getting the opportunity

00:09But tonight is about SNL. SNL. Yeah

00:1250 years of making people laugh. What makes this show have the staying power to be on TV so long?

00:18Well, I think the concept is great. You know, I mean just the idea of live television sketches and

00:24And and it keeps it's like Second City in Chicago, you know

00:28It just there's always a new cast. There's always a new show and

00:33It's unforgiving the mistakes and it's thrilling the successes and it's just the format's wonderful. I have to tell you I

00:42Interviewed a couple of the cast members throughout the week and every single one of them told me you are their favorite host of all time

00:49Well, thank you. See that's money. Well spent

00:53So what is the secret you got to tell us what's the secret to nailing this gig?

00:59Strong prescription you need to be a have a strong prescription. I don't know. Listen, it's kind of a combination of

01:07Being scared and being fearless

01:10You know

01:11Fearless part is the hard one

01:15Yeah

01:16You were a part of season 10 you were part of a pretty legendary cast British Billy Crystal

01:22Christopher Guest Rich Hall Julia Louis Dreyfus Jim Belushi

01:26Yeah, and the one season that there was no Lauren, no, no, there were five seasons with no more. Yeah

01:33That season was no Lauren

01:35Dick Ebersole. So what do you remember about that season and that time? I

01:39Remember her during the for show going in trying to quit

01:42Because I thought yeah, I did. I

01:46Just thought it was like final exams every week and I only had a year contract

01:50so I was treating it like specials and I went in and tried to quit and Dick Ebersole said

01:56Well, you're under contract, you know, but he did say wisely if you make it to Christmas and still want to leave

02:02We'll let you leave because he knew by Christmas. I'd figure it out

02:05Amazing. I

02:08Had no choice

02:10It's under contract

02:12You're also in the five-timers club you hosted

02:14So everybody wants to know if this club like I think people think there's like some kind of secret meetings with this club

02:21Oh, you don't even get to keep the jacket, are you kidding me? No, there's no secret meetings

02:28Everyone knows each other kind of yeah, there's like a text chain or something famous. I'm famous. Let's be friends that thing

02:36So you guys really do that? No, absolutely. We're that shallow a

02:42Little birdie told me you're gonna be in this show tonight. Can you give us a tease? No, I

02:46Can't it's live from New York. It's Saturday night