Michaela Watkins talks about her SNL exit

Why take our word for it when you can hear it straight from Michaela Watkins...



On Friday, Ms. Watkins spoke to us about her departure from the show.

Q.How did you find out you had been let go from the show?

A.I got a call Friday night, last week. I guess I should have known. My contract was up — it expired on July 15, which is normally when people are renewed. Mine wasn’t renewed, but I was not definitively let go. And I think that it was anybody’s ball game whether I was going to or not, it was just — I was told, that doesn’t mean anything, this happens all the time.

Q.You’re heading back to Los Angeles right away?

A.L.A. is sort of like, All right, let’s go! They don’t wait for anything. I’m like, But can’t I sit here and feel sorry for myself for a second? They’re like, no, you have a meeting. Let’s go, get back.

Q.I’ve heard that “SNL” can be a Darwinian environment for new cast members. Do you have any sense why it didn’t work out for you?

A.If it is Darwinian, I don’t know if that would hold. I’ve been watching that show forever, and I know, to get stuff on as a featured player, people aren’t used to you yet, your face, your voice. They’re still figuring out whether they like you or not. But I felt like [“SNL” head writer] Seth [Meyers] and Lorne [Michaels] and the guests and the cast were really amenable to letting me try new stuff. The writers really trusted me, and I was surprised — I know how hard it is the first season, but it felt like a fit for me.

Q.Will your Arianna Huffington impression live on?

A.I loved doing her and I don’t know what the legalities are around that. I’m not sure if “SNL” owns Arianna Huffington from now on. And now Arianna Huffington has to go through them as well.

Q.I’m pretty sure she’s a public figure.

A.I don’t know. I think I created her. She’ll thank me, you’ll see. I did have the opportunity to meet her recently, and that was so exciting for me. She was incredibly nice and really just generous with her time. Maybe it’s better that I’m off the show because it would be hard to imitate her now. You have to send people up, and now that I know her personally and like her a lot, it would be difficult. I don’t know if I’ll get sued. Probably not. It’s like, “No, take your Arianna Huffington and get out of here.”

From:
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/exit-offsets-entrances-at-saturday-night-live/?hp

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I don't think SNL owns most of the characters and bits. A lot of people who came from SNL have continued to use their bits. And can you really own an impression? Not likely.

This isn't devastating news for Andy fans, as Andy didn't really gel with Michaela. There was no bad blood or anything between them, but they weren't as kindred spirits as Andy and Kristen are (Extreme Activities, D*** In A Box), Andy and Amy (Young Chuck Norris, Ariel & Efrim, Palin Rap) were together, Andy and Maya (Ariel & Efrim, D*** In A Box), and now Andy and Abby (Like a Boss) as well (in each of those cases those performers wanted to "get in Andy's shorts" and get Andy involved in their skits and bits). It just didn't happen between Andy and Michaela or between Andy and Casey (Casey was in Space Olympics and Rasta Man, but nothing super memorable).

So maybe that's another word of advice that we can pass on to Abby and the two new ladies. The Digital Shorts are the heart of SNL right now, so all the ladies (and the dudes) should be trying to get in Andy's shorts (the digital ones). For some reason, the dudes all have always seemed to get that, and they're usually much more involved in Andy's shorts than the ladies.

Enjoy!