After starring in a string of successful ’80s comedies like National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Weird Science (1985), Anthony Michael Hall joined the Saturday Night Live cast during its 11th season.
In a recent interview on actor Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, Inside of You, Hall got candid about being an SNL castmate from 1985 to 1986. He said that the experience was “kind of scary” and “wild.” In addition, he said he was welcomed by his fellow SNL Season 11 castmates, who included Robert Downey Jr., Jon Lovitz, Damon Wayans, and Joan Cusack, “to a degree.”
“It’s theater, rock and roll, stand-up. It’s very competitive, too,” explained the actor, who was just 17 when he joined the NBC sketch comedy series.
He then noted that being an SNL castmate is “a lot of work.”
“I have great respect just for anyone who’s been a part of the show, man. Because it’s such a week. You come in on a Monday, and it’s just everyone’s writing till Wednesday. Then you turn into sketches, then there’s a read-through. And then you’re doing 12, 14-hour days of rehearsal,” said the actor, now 58.
Hall, who shared he was a fan of SNL throughout his childhood, clarified that being a part of the sketch comedy show was “a great experience.” He also noted that the show’s creator and executive producer, Lorne Michaels, had invited him to be on the Season 11 cast.
“I’m not even out of high school, and all of a sudden I got the call from Lorne. It was a great honor, you know. It was great despite the work behind it,” said Hall.
The actor also noted that he was invited to attend the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special in 2025. He suggested that the event allowed him to view his SNL experience in a better light, as he had previously been hard on himself for his performances on the sketch comedy show.
“I think for years what I did is I kind of beat myself up about like I wasn’t really great on that show. I didn’t have any standout sketches or any of that s–t. And it was a great opportunity just to kind of let all that go and I didn’t expect it,” said Hall.