Martin Brief on Thursday revealed that he practically give up “Saturday Night Live” when he was a forged member on the present throughout its 1984-85 season.
“I was terrified, every show,” mentioned the “Only Murders in the Building” star in an interview with Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show.”
“I treated it like a special.”
Brief — who was a part of a Season 10 forged that included Billy Crystal, Christopher Visitor, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Harry Shearer — mentioned it was a “very weird year” on the NBC comedy sketch present as exits from the likes of Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo prompted fears that “SNL” can be cancelled.
He added that “SNL” co-creator Dick Ebersol, who was the present’s government producer on the time, referred to as it the “George Steinbrenner year” as he introduced on an all-star forged of comedians.
Brief, a Canadian-born comic who had a one-year contract on the present, mentioned he tried to give up 4 exhibits into the season.
“Being, you know, Canadian and savvy, I said to Dick Ebersol… ‘You know, I haven’t cashed any checks yet,’” recalled Brief.
The actor instructed an identical anecdote in 2014, revealing that he had sublet an condominium full of “thousands” of cockroaches in Manhattan throughout that season, whereas his spouse and child daughter remained in Toronto, assuming he wouldn’t be on the town lengthy.
Brief instructed Fallon that Ebersol reminded him that he had a contract so each “SNL” and the comic would “look bad” if he exited the present.
Ebersol promised the comic that he’d be let loose of his contract if he stayed till Christmas.
“Because he later told me if I made it to Christmas, I would have figured out how to do the show but it was always nerve-racking to me,” he added.
Brief, who was recognized for the characters Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimley throughout his stint as an “SNL” forged member, stayed till the season finale in April 1985.
He’s set to return to Studio 8H as host of this weekend’s episode.
Brief final served because the present’s co-host alongside fellow “Only Murders in the Building” star Steve Martin again in 2022.
Brief mentioned his co-star will not be going to look on “SNL” this weekend.
“He’s way into Christmas. Oh no, no, he loves — he’s already hung his compression stockings with care by the chimney,” he quipped.
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