Chris Redd recalls on-set Kanye West rant, hints at reasons for leaving SNL
"I’m not going to sit here and be like [it was my dream]," Chris Redd said of his 5-season run on Saturday Night Live
Aux News Chris Redd
When the great Saturday Night Live exodus of 2022 came for Studio 8H, Repertory Player and Eric Adams impersonator Chris Redd was one of the last cast members to announce his departure—a surprise at the time, especially since the comedian seemed to be “just hitting his stride” on the show.
This is, at least, according to The Daily Beast’s Matt Wilstein, who recently interviewed Redd for the podcast “The Last Laugh,” leading the comedian to open up about his departure for the first time.
“It was either going to be after this season or [before] this season,” he said. “There’s a lot of things I just want to do and have some of my life back… So I thought that it was better for my growth to do that. These projects will reveal themselves soon and I think it’ll make a lot more sense to a lot of people why I left. But that’s all I’ll say for now.”
While we may not have total clarity on the end of his tenure just yet, Redd did give further insight into his actual experience on the show. When asked about a bit from his new HBO Max special Why Am I Like This? where he refers to SNL as a “white person’s dream,” Redd responded, “It is dream work and I did have a lot of fun. But nah, man, I’m not going to sit here and be like [it was my dream]—because I feel like it takes away from the people who were really dreaming about this when they were kids, you know what I’m saying?… If I had never got it, I wouldn’t be down about that.”
He also shared that his biggest “challenge” was “trying to get your voice in there as much as possible and write something that’s as close to what you would naturally do outside of the show.” He loved working on his special because, among other things, “no one can cut me out of this shit. Ain’t no ‘cut for time’ here, baby!”
What about his famous Kanye West impression—one which he would absolutely be reprising right now for too many reasons to name if he was still in the cast? “I mean, it’s safe to assume my man don’t like that impression,” Redd said. “But, you know, I don’t like what he be saying all the time. So I think we’re even there.”
One of those times was in 2018, when West started in on a pro-Trump rant after his musical performance (the rant never made it to air). During the dress rehearsal, the comedian said, “I was listening to his words, and I was like, bro, he’s about to pull some bullshit. And I’m not about to be on stage for that. I’m not going to entertain this.”
What’s next for Redd? Besides promoting his new special, he’s also interested in writing a sitcom, entering the “horror-comedy space,” writing comedy music, and of course, releasing another special. Basically, while we may have seen the last of Redd on Saturday night, we definitely haven’t seen the last of him anywhere else.
Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? is now available to stream on HBO Max.
38 Comments
The disintegration of the United States isn’t entertainment. Good on Chris for recognizing that.
Sure.
I thought it was because he started going out with Kenan’s ex-wife.
As an exotic pet with a documented history of hurtful comments towards hamsters, I know I have a lot of work to do on myself. A vital part of that work is countering rumors with education and empathy.
That would’ve made a third season of Kenan awkward.
A general question: Is SNL producing more successful alums these days than in the past? It seems like every era would produce two or three mega comedy icons or so for the longest time, and maybe a few extra David Spades here and there for good measure. But now it seems like there are fewer icons and a whole lot more comedians finding medium success especially networking with each other.I think the last genuine comedy legends to come off the show were Ferrell and Fey. The generation that came after them, like Hader, Samberg and Wiig, have all been quite successful, but don’t have the same star power. And now it seems that most people on the show, like Redd, can do the show for a few years and then basically create their own comfortable life doing what they want to do. Even Pete Davidson, probably the biggest star of the show in the last ten years, can’t or won’t just slouch his way into being the next Sandler, but he’s doing fine anyway.
I think it’s the easier path to name recognition nowadays. Previously getting on SNL was about the only way for a comedian to get national recognition. Stand-up sets, comedy albums, the occasional commercial with some but parts in TV and film wasn’t going to do it. But now that same recognition can be had with a strong social media presence or some viral YouTube videos. SNL needs comedians but comedians don’t need SNL like they used to. And if it doesn’t become a place comedians want to be rather than need to be it’ll fade away.
I think we have to realize that there really isn’t star power anymore like there used to be. There are famous actors and musicians, but there is so much choice and fragmentation that no one has that overall power like they used to just 25 years ago.
This, and also there’s not really, like, big blockbuster comedies anymore. That genre has basically gone away. There would be no avenue for SNL to parlay itself into big time stardom. Best case scenario you get to be the star of a different TV show. Which is good, but feels more like a lateral move compared to the stardom that people like Murray, Murphy, and Ferrell received.
Well, Molly Shannon kind of supports that from the previous crowd…even Chris Kattan (yuck) got film roles…and then the SNL support crew hires each other (Tim Meadows and Chris Parnell…and then eventually Parnell gets Rick and Morty)…if they’re somebody who does their own stuff they usually get the chance to. And then look at Nasim Pedrad getting to do Chad at least for a season, Taran Killam got to direct a terrible movie, Sasheer Zameta cast in Agatha Coven of Chaos…Jenny Slate flourishing more than if she’d stayed on the show. There are a lot of outlets these days, and very few of them disappear without a trace if they were anybody on the show. Not exactly the same story for the people who never pop at all…and I don’t recall their names.
Danitra Vance?
Clearly from VERY far before the era we are talking about
It’s all one era to me!
Back then there were not all of these different platforms and 500 scripted series a year…being able to carve your own path these days makes more sense and it’s nice that most SNL alums go on to do things that are either self-written or with interesting directors…they rarely just become the best friend on a sitcom (or if they do that sitcom is Mullaney…poor Nasim Pedrad but that’s better than According to Jim…or it’s Chris Redd on Kenan which is basically in-house SNL). However, the OP’s point stands: none of these people are Eddie Murphy or Adam Sandler level movie stars, or even Will Ferrell movie stars. Let’s just put it this way: there hasn’t been anybody on the show for over a decade where there could conceivably be a poster for a movie that is just a picture of them, the name of the movie, and their name. EDDIE MURPHY: NORBIT: picture of Eddie Murphy as Norbit. And I’m not counting Pete Davidson and The King of Staten Island for this because that was one specific vehicle. It seemed like it could be Kate McKinnon, but her talent hasn’t fully translated…partly because in movies you mainly have to be yourself so impressions aren’t a lot of help (unless you’re Eddie Murphy). Of the current cast the person I think has the best chance is Chloe Fineman, because she’s super talented and super hot, but she also runs into the same issue as Kate: when she isn’t doing a character or an impression she isn’t quite as arresting. She’s in both Babylon and Coppola’s Megalopolis, so who knows.
The short answer is yes, but also- there are SO many more pathways to medium-level post-SNL success now. There’s so much demand for content, just being on SNL for a couple of years will at least give you a couple shots at your own show/specials.
There are many more opportunities now than there were 20 years ago for an SNL alum to have a standup special get picked up somewhere, have a sitcom air on a streaming service, or just generally get around in their friends’ projects. At the same time, there are many fewer opportunities now than there were 20 years ago for an SNL alum to have a true breakout hit that makes them a household name. Big budget studio comedies are a thing of the past, as are (for the most part) network sitcoms that pull 15-20 million viewers per episode.
Owing to all of the streaming channels (so much more programming than maybe even 10 years ago), there’s more medium-level work to be had for medium-level talent?
I think more accurately less top-level work for top-level talent. They don’t really make the kind of comic vehicles for ex-SNL stars like they used to. I think that’s a big reason a lot of cast members seem content to stay on forever these days.
Medium talent? You mean, like, Chevy Chase?
Are ANY comic actors big anymore? There really aren’t as many purely comedic vehicles anymore. Given those constraints, Jason Sudeikis, Pete Davison and Kate McKinnon are doing as well as you could expect. If the genre isn’t dying, it’s definitely shrinking
The genre is fading away. Looking back, it seems like most comedies share some traditional styles and forms. I think it would be exciting to see some radical experimentation, although I don’t know what that would look like.
I mean, Sudeikis has been in a couple of $100-million grossing comedies (Horrible Bosses, We’re the Millers), has multiple Emmys, etc. I think he’s as close to a superstar comedian as we’re going to get in 2022.
The only live action-comedy to gross more than $15 million this year was Dog, and that seems like more of a hybrid genre/questionable classification thing. I’m not sure it’s SNL so much as there just aren’t as many comedy superstars right now. The last really buzzy original comedy was, what? Booksmart? Crazy Rich Asians? Bridesmaids? So somewhere between three and eleven years ago. The days when a Bill Murray or Eddie Murphy would open a movie at #1 almost single-handedly are long gone, SNL alum or not.
Adam Samberg is a pretty big star. Id put him on the same level as Ferrell and Fay.
He was great on Hoboken 99.
Would you count Kristen Wiig? Bridesmaids was pretty big. There’s also Seth Meyers, who hosts Conan’s old show. Samberg had Brooklyn 99 and Rescue Rangers. I think Bridesmaids was sort of an anomaly. How often do you even see big budget comedies these days? Apatow stuff sort of ruled the box office while the Hader/Wiig/Samberg guys should have been making big movies.I can’t remember who said it, but around the time of Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon, NBC started to realize that they were letting their assets go. They were letting SNL stars have movie careers that didn’t necessarily make money for NBC/Universal. So with Tina Fey they let her make her own sitcom on NBC. They offered Jimmy Fallon Late Nite.I think SNL cast members are starting to realize that their career doesn’t have to be huge movies like alums in the 80’s. They can do smaller, weirder stuff like Documentary Now or Barry.
Wiig’s Bridesmaids was one of the biggest box-offices successes for an R-rated comedy and, after that, she was free to write her own ticket. But, she’s clearly been more interested in pursuing what she find artistically gratifying rather than just cranking out blockbusters. I think we see that with Hader as well, given Documentary Now and Barry’s huge, runaway success. I think a lot of these comedians don’t want to be Will Ferrell, trying to get another Anchorman or Elf every year.
lorne seems a lot more willing to executive produce shows with alumni these days, and i think he can largely just rubber stamp and get them going.i mean, if you look at what his name’s been attached to in the last few years it’s basically every comedy show – bust down, the other two, ap bio, saturday morning all star hits, shrill, that damn michael che, documentary now, los espsookys, detroiters, etc etc.
Kristen Wiig has done very well for herself. I don’t know that “star power” is something that can really be measured, but she’s had some major success. Same for Hader and Samberg. I think they’re all doing about equal to Fey and Ferrell. Then you have Fallon and Meyers doing the late-night thing, which historically has been considered “legendary,” whatever that means nowadays. Also Jason Sudeikis. Isn’t Ted Lasso like one of the most beloved shows of all time or something?
Shredded wigs can be used as bedding in a pinch, but I far prefer aspen wood shavings.
Wiig was so good in Hateship Loveship, a wonderful little film. It’s the first time I’d ever seem her so I thought she was a dramatic actor!
I always keeps a few extra David Spades on hand for emergencies.
Likely the reason for this seeming so is because it’s also a lot easier for the comics to make their own material and put it out there, than there was in the past.
Redd has such a welcoming face/smile.
I really enjoyed him.
I love Kenan. But Redd was the best part of Kenan. He showed some range in a part that showed some depth. Wish good things for him.
Man, I’m not a huge fan of South Park, but they really nailed Kanye with their gay fish episode. Dude is utterly humorless.