Fred Armisen has opened up about his early days in the entertainment business and the relationship he ultimately built Saturday evening live.
Armisen appeared on the Hang well podcast, where he sat down with host Amy Poehler to discuss his career and how SNL played a key role in his career success.
Expressing his thoughts, he said, “The relationship I had with SNL was that I watched it all the time. But I really connected with the B-52s. [post-punk band] and Devo and Talking Heads.”
“And I don’t say it in a way that says, ‘Hey, I just like the bands alone.’ I say that something like Lorne [Michaels, the show’s creator and producer] communicated with me,” the 59-year-old American comedian and actor joked.
Armisen revealed that Saturday Night Live’s musical guests were the ones who made him feel valued and heard in a way that can’t be described. In particular, the confidence they gave him helped immensely in improving his comedy.
“These bands he played on, I felt like I understood something about the show. And then, like Mr. Bill and the skits, but also the bands there. I thought, ‘That should be fun,'” said the Wednesday the star joked.
It is pertinent to mention that Fred Armisen joined Saturday evening live in 2002, appearing on the show for eleven seasons.
