James Marsden Misses Out on “Saturday Night Live” Gig After Failed Audition
Although James Marsden was able to land a guest role on NBC’s “30 Rock,” his dreams of becoming a regular at the studio were dashed after a disastrous audition for “Saturday Night Live.”
The actor, known for his role in “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” revealed on a recent episode of “Live with Kelly and Mark” that his audition for the iconic sketch comedy show did not go as planned. Marsden explained that he and a friend were asked to create an interesting character during the audition process, leading them to perform a chicken sketch that ultimately fell flat with the talent scouts.
Reflecting on the experience, Marsden admitted that the chicken bit was a “bad choice” and expressed his desire to one day host “SNL” instead. He shared a conversation he had with his “30 Rock” co-star Tina Fey, a former “SNL” cast member, about his dream of joining the show as a regular cast member.
“I did ’30 Rock’ for a bit with Tina Fey,” Marsden said. “And I said, ‘You know, my dream was always to be on SNL.’ And she goes, ‘Oh, well, you’ll host at some point.’ And I go, ‘No, as a regular. I wanna be the guys!’ She was like, ‘Well, you probably can if you want to.’ But yeah, I just love doing impressions and different characters.”
As “Saturday Night Live” celebrates its 50th season on air, Marsden’s missed opportunity serves as a reminder of the competitive nature of the entertainment industry. This Saturday, Martin Short, a former “SNL” cast member, will host the show with musical guest Hozier.
