Why Amy Poehler's SNL Audition Was Unlike Any Other

"Saturday Night Live" is now in its 50th year of existence, which means the sketch comedy show will spend much of 2025 warmly celebrating its own broadcast legacy. Some of this is earned. Producer Lorne Michaels was in the right place at the right time to pull together an epochal collection of comedic talent in 1975, and it's astonishing to consider that the show has remained relevant through 10 U.S. presidencies and god knows how many shifts in the popular culture. Though many people still watch the show live, viewers who've other plans on Saturday night can wait until Sunday to read episode recaps at any number of websites (none better than Ethan Anderton's at /Film) and/or watch individual skits on YouTube. "SNL" isn't going anywhere — though, as a fan who's lived through its lowest lows (seasons 6 and 11 in particular), I feel like it's never been more mechanical than it is now.

Regardless of how you feel about the current state of "SNL," it certainly hasn't lost its knack for identifying ready-to-pop comedy talent. One of the secrets to this continuing success is its audition process, which, once you're on the precipice of getting cast, comes down to a five-minute display of improv skills. Everyone has to go through it, even if they're a little more ready for prime time than others. And then there's Amy Poehler. Though she did submit to a five-minute audition, it was atypical for a couple of reasons.

In the new Peacock behind-the-scenes series "SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night," Amy Poehler revealed that her audition was "unique." Anyone who was hitting up New York City's Luna Lounge or the Wednesday night showcase "Stella" at The Fez (hosted by The State's Michael Showalter, David Wain, and Michael Ian Black) in 1996 and 1997 knew Poehler as one of the Upright Citizen Brigade's fab four. All she did was destroy. The casting director for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" wisely brought her on the show to play the recurring sketch character of Andy Richter's little sister — which, given that the series was produced by Lorne Michaels, put her on the fastest of fast tracks to "SNL."

In "SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night," director Beth McCarthy Miller recalls Poehler's audition being a "formality." She was all but cast. All they wanted to see was Poehler being herself. So she prepared a "Weekend Update" opinion piece about Shaquille O'Neal being too big to play pro basketball. Poehler delivered, but, when she watches her audition on the documentary, you can see her trying to mentally extinguish the clip from existence. "Did you ever make a video for someone for their birthday and you send the wrong one," asks Poehler. "That's what that audition feels like, like a draft of an audition. Like what I would tape to get ready for an audition."

We don't get to see the whole audition, so I can't judge it as a piece of comedy. I did, however, get to see Poehler at Stella more than once, and I'm shocked it took four years for "SNL" to wise up and get her on the show.