After 50 years of pushing the boundaries of network television, Saturday Night Live has birthed countless talents across multiple generations.
Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Michael Hall recently looked back on their brief run on the NBC sketch comedy show during the infamous Season 11, which ran from 1985 to 1986 and served as creator Lorne Michaels‘ attempt to refresh the show after Eddie Murphy‘s exit.
“I’m proud to be a part of it. It was like an out-of-body experience,” said Hall on the Peacock docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, recalling “just being shocked” at being the show’s youngest cast member at 17 after SNL “meant so much to me as a kid growing up in New York.”
Downey Jr. recounted his best friend and Weird Science co-star bringing him the opportunity. “Michael Hall said to me, I’m gonna go do SNL. I’m gonna get you an audition and I bet you’re gonna get yourself on the show too,” he said.
Hall joked he’s “still waiting for that bastard to repay a favor, 40 years later. Come on Iron Man, you got it in ya.”
‘Saturday Night Live’ Season 11 cast members Nora Dunn, Danitra Vance, Randy Quaid, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Michael Hall, Terry Sweeney, Joan Cusack and Jon Lovitz (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
The Oscar-winning MCU star added, “I learned so much in that year about what I wasn’t. But there’s not a more exciting 90 minutes you could have, whether you are any good or not.”
Although Season 11 of SNL also featured such comedy legends as Damon Wayans, Joan Cusack, Randy Quaid, Jon Lovitz, Al Franken and Nora Dunn, it’s largely considered one of the worst seasons, forcing Michaels to get rid of many of the cast ahead of Season 12.
“I wanted to go younger. I perhaps went too young, but I wanted to go younger,” said Michaels, adding: “The Baby Boomer generation had dominated the show for 10 years, so I decided to clean house.”
Hall acknowledged, “When I look back I have some memories of it being difficult, I think, for a lot of the writers to figure out how to write for this kid. I think it was a big challenge.”
With all four episodes of SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night now available to stream on Peacock, SNL50: The Anniversary Special will air Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8pm ET on NBC and Peacock.
