From 2005 to 2012, Comedian Andy Samberg worked as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. His schedule was so demanding that he couldn’t ‘endure it’ any longer and eventually quit SNL after seven years.
Recently, during his appearance on Kevin Hart’s chat show, Hart to Heart,‘ Andy Samberg said of his SNL career, “Physically, it was taking a heavy toll on me and I got to a place where I was like I hadn’t slept in seven years basically.”
Having been in such a stressful situation, Andy Samberg struggled with sleep deprivation, and that must have affected his physical appearance. In 2015, one Twitter user even had tweeted, writing, “Did Andy Samberg lose weight or is it just his hair?????”
Former ‘SNL’ star Andy Samberg admits he ‘hadn’t slept in seven years’ before leaving show https://t.co/0P83qvKGDf
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 12, 2024
Well, apparently, Andy has always been consistent with his weight. He has never been either too thin or too fat. Working all day and night for four days in a week in SNL obviously led him to extreme exhaustion, but he always seemed quite fit outside.
SNL was Andy Samberg’s career breakthrough, yet he left it to prioritize his health
Andy Samberg began his comedy career in 2001, forming the comedy troupe The Lonely Island alongside Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. Four years later, SNL hired them as writers.
While the other two, Akiva and Jorma only worked as writer, SNL selected Andy as a featured player as well, which eventually garnered him a name and fame.
Since Andy had to manage a double duty as a cast member and a writer in SNL, he started having difficulties in managing time for himself that took toll on him physically and mentally.
Though SNL’s routine was intense, it was creatively satisfying which was why Andy adhered to it for so long. But, his internal strength had a limited time frame which made him realization that he can’t endure it anymore and he left the show in 2012.
Nevertheless, SNL provided him a platform to flaunt his acting skills, opening a bigger opportunity for Andy Sandberg to have a successful and long-lasting career in Hollywood.
Post SNL, he starred in the NBC sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor-TV series.
Moreover, he also did a voice-over for the animated franchises Hotel Transylvania and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. He tried out a rom-com with Palm Springs, which broke Sundance Film Festival records.
SNL indeed became his career breakthrough, but leaving it prioritizing his health turned out to be the best decision he ever made.
Additional Information
- David J Samberg, popularly known as Andy Samberg, was born on August 18, 1978, in Berkeley, California, United States.
- He starred in films like Hot Rod, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, That’s My Boy, Celeste, and Jesse Forever, and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.
- His portrayal of Jake Peralta in Brooklyn Nine-Nine earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in 2014.
