Ask AS Blog - Are Andy Samberg & Joanna Newsom still together?

Are Andy Samberg & Joanna Newsom still together?

Yes, likely. But we don't have current proof. And that's the way we (and they) like it. Let me explain...

Our last Joanna siting was on Oct 23rd.

Here is the Joanna tag that you can follow: http://andysamberg.blogspot.com/search/label/Joanna%20Newsom

So we post any new blogs about Joanna to that tag. So you can subscribe to it (via email or RSS) to get notifications when Joanna is next sited with Andy Samberg.



Here is the last siting (Mark Twain award) on October 23rd, 2011: http://andysamberg.blogspot.com/2011/10/andy-samberg-with-joanna-newsom-at-will.html

So the answer is that Andy and Joanna are likely still together. They live a fairly discreet life without being in the public (and we don't press them). Every few months (and sometimes only a few times a year) they appear in public together. The last time was in October. Let's assume they're still together for awhile. They're like rare Pokemon. You have to catch them when they're out in the wild (AKA publically attending parties or events together).

Enjoy!

- TAE

Q & A: How much does Andy Samberg get paid on SNL?

UPDATED: Originally posted on 6/1/10. We added the guesstimate for his annual income from SNL.
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Well, let's say that he's making a lot less than the $70,000 he's been getting paid to do college performances and interviews and less than what they're probably paying him (per day) for hosting Shark Week.

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According to the Jay Mohr book "Gasping for Airtime," former SNL cast member Jay Mohr said that his starting salary on SNL was $5,500 per week, plus $1,500 per week for a writing credit. The next year's salary was $6,500 per week (or $8000 with the writing credit) up to $12,500 per week for a fifth year tenured performer.

As of 2001, Will Ferrell held the record for the highest salary for an SNL cast member at $350,000 for the year, or $17,500 an episode.

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Given that it's 2010 and not 1995 (Jay Mohr) or 2001 (Will Ferrell), the average is probably higher and closer to $7 or $8,000 now.

Seeing how Andy's been on for 5 years, and the 5th year salary in 1995 was $12,500 per episode, my guess is that Andy's getting about $16 or $17,000 per episode. At the end of season 37, Andy's original contract will be up, and he could negotiate to raise his salary significantly.

Based on the guess that he's making about $16K per episode, and Season 36 of SNL had 22 episodes, Andy's probably making somewhere around $352K per year on SNL (pre tax). That's pretty good (of course), but compare that to getting $70K per night in doing a show, and there's not much to compare.

Plus the writing credit might be up to $2 or $3,000 per episode now (but Andy's not a writer; he hasn't cared enough about that).



The reason why we only have old data is that it usually takes a ridiculously high negotiation to get it leaked to the press (like Will Ferrell's) or a star to be a little frustrated (Jay Mohr) and willing to divulge the secrets. (That said, Jay Mohr is on good terms with Lorne now, and I think Lorne was actually in the right at the time... Jay wasn't that big of an asset to the show; his comedy has gone on to mature more over time.)

- TAE

Why doesn't The Lonely Island do a summer tour?

Answer: Because they're so busy!



At first thought it might make sense for The Lonely Island to go on a tour for the summer, since they're on a break from SNL. But Andy Samberg's just starting to get regular supporting roles in movies (What's Your Number, Friends with Benefits, and The Hand Job), and he's got his first starring role coming up in an Adam Sandler film (I Hate You, Dad), so you know it's going to be a hit!

Akiva's been talking about directing another film. What I would love to see is if The Lonely Island had a TV show or a feature film they were cooking up on their own.

Enjoy!

Ask ASB: Why doesn't Andy Samberg seriously answer interview questions?

Why doesn't Andy Samberg seriously answer interview questions?



Andy usually tries to answer jokingly.

Sometimes he'll answer honestly (he does this on talk shows). But usually he tries to think of a way to answer with a joke (or a story that might be funny).

There are several reasons for this, but I think the first is expectations.

It's strange. People expect him to give great or interesting answers. And they expect him to be hilarious all the time. So he (like many comedians) has found that if he turns it on and answers with jokes, then that meets expectations well. But if he gets vulnerable and honest (as some comedians have) then he gets judged more, and he becomes the "unfunny comedian."

So it's almost like a defensive mechanism that comedians use. I even saw Aubrey Plaza go through this. For her first 6 months to a year once she was "discovered," she answered interview questions honestly and transparently. But then she started sounding a little uninteresting or whiny, some media folks pointed to it, and it probably frustrated her a little. Then she started showing up at interviews as her April character, being stone cold, emotionless, and saying silly and crazy things.

Essentially, Andy landed at the same place (trying to make people laugh in interviews), but it was natural for him to get there (he was always there).

Other more traditional actors "talk their craft" more, almost like politicians do, where their guard is bringing it back to their work as actors and actresses (because they're not expected to be funny). It's really quite interesting.

Andy tries to make the person asking the questions laugh. It's like a game he plays with himself, whether or not he can get them on the first question or how long it takes for him to get them.

In one interview, his interviewer asked her first question, "What's your favorite color?" Andy thought hard for a second or two, and then he said, "Blend." She laughed hysterically and Andy said, "Got you! Nailed you on the first question!"

It really is a game for him.

- TAE

Ask AS: How long do cast members stay Featured Players?

The normal route is to be a featured player for two years. Cast members to pull off this trick (to go to repertory player after only one year as a featured player) were Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig (in 2006), Will Forte (2003), Amy Poehler (2002), Tina Fey (2001), Chris Parnell, Jimmy Fallon, and Horatio Sanz (1999), Chris Kattan (1996), Molly Shannon (1995), Norm MacDonald (1994), Chris Farley, Julia Sweeney, and Chris Rock (1991), Mike Meyers (1989), Kevin Nealon (1987).



Those unlucky enough to go three years as a featured player (I'm listing their year they graduated to repertory player) include Jay Mohr (1996; Jay was actually kept on the show as a featured player a third year, but he quit when learning that he wasn't graduating to repertory player), Tim Meadows, David Spade, and Adam Sandler (1993; it was a big year with lots of players, so that's why).

Cast members to have no years as a featured player (went right to repertory player) include Ana Gasteyer and Tracy Morgan (1996), Darrell Hammond, Cheri Oteri, Jim Breuer, and Will Ferrell (1995), Mark McKinney (he was in Kids in the Hall; 1994), Chris Elliott and Janeane Garofalo (1994), Michael McKean (1993), Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, and Phil Hartman (1986), Nora Dunn, Jon Lovitz, and Dennis Miller (1985). (I won't go earlier than 1985 because that's when featured players were more likely just writers that Lorne put on camera a lot, and they were never meant to become repertory players.)

Enjoy!

Who is Dana Carvey, and why is he hosting SNL?

We were asked that question. So here's the answer...



Are you serious? Really? Dana Carvey saved SNL. I'm serious. It was on the brink of being canceled in 1985. Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller got it just enough of an audience to have one final season after their failure season in 85. And that's the season (1986-1987) when they brought on Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman. Phil and Lovitz were good, but Dana's Church Lady (on the very first episode of the season) immediately made him into the "next Eddie Murphy" and brought SNL back on America's map.

His characters include Grumpy Old Man (inspired a series of movies), Garth, Ching Change, Hans (and Franz), Church Lady, and Lyle the effiminate heterosexual (hilarious).

His George Bush Sr. was the first legendary presidential impersonation that all of them have been trying to achieve the status of. On SNL he did over 50 impressions, also including his impossible-to-beat Johnny Carson and Jimmy Stuart.

Dana Carvey won an Emmy on SNL and was nominated an additional 4 times (only Lorne has that beat, and nobody has been nominated that often for acing on SNL). He was also nominated for another Emmy on another show, totaling 6 Emmy nominations with one win.

And all that to say, when he was on SNL, the man was a legend. However, he left SNL and everything fell apart for him.

He was such a legend that he left SNL to create his own variety show and to star in his first movie, Clean Slate. The movie was funny, but didn't do well (it did inspire Momento though). Basically, it wasn't shocking enough. And his show was hilarious, but it also wasn't enough (a half hour variety show in prime time on a major network is a huge challenge and almost impossible to get to work).

So he did everything right on SNL and nothing right after that. He found his niche on SNL (crazy characters) but he didn't have the ability to turn those characters into longer stories the way Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell have. In fact, he was Adam Sandler's hero, which is why Adam cast him in Little Nicky, produced Master of Disguises (a flop), and has now cast him in Jack and Jill.

Which is why Dana Carvey is on. He's in a large role in an Adam Sandler film later this year, Jack and Jill. Basically Dana's trying again. I got to give him props for that, because he was the king of SNL back in his day and brought it back into popularity. So the potential for him to find another niche still exists.

He's a legend.

I think Dana was more important to the show than both Eddie Murphy and Will Ferrell. However, they were far more successful when they left (even Jon Lovitz was, and he hasn't been all that successful). Plus guys like Rob Schneider, David Spade, Kevin Nealon, Chris Kattan, Tracy Morgan, and Phil Hartman didn't do as well on the show, but they all had better careers in TV and film than Dana did once they left the show.

- TAE

Q&A: Why isn't Nasim Pedrad a regular cast member yet?

It's pretty rare when a cast member becomes regular after only one season. Abby and Bobby took two seasons, and Nasim is about in their caliber. The last ones to get bumped up after only one season were Andy, Kristen, and Bill Hader. You can probably see why. Bill was all over the place, Kristen rocked the impressions and characters, and Andy's digital shorts put YouTube and NBC videos on the map.

In other words, Nasim will likely be promoted next season. She definitely deserves it.

Enjoy!

- TAE

Ask ASB: When did Hot Rod come out?

This might be a lame question to some people, but somebody asked it, and we probably have some newer Andy fans who don't know this. So it's time for...

Ask Andy Samberg Blog: When did Hot Rod come out?



August 3, 2007, but Will Ferrell first brought it to Lorne and Andy immediately after Lazy Sunday blasted off (Lazy Sunday was released in December 2005).

Rewind. First, Pam Brady wrote it with Will Ferrell in mind. (Pam Brady wrote on South Park, Just Shoot Me, and Team America: World Police.)

Here's Pam:



She pitched it to Will, who loved it, but it wasn't a high priority on his acting table (he was going for bigger budgets and bigger bangs), so he decided to produce it instead (this is quite normal where actors decline to act in a film, but they end up producing it instead).

So when Lazy Sunday blew up (and pretty much put YouTube and, thus, NBC Videos, on the map), Will Ferrell thought of Andy, and so Will approached Lorne to see what Lorne thought. Lorne agreed that the boy should get a break. So Andy Samberg was attached to it in early 2006.

At first they thought that the writer (Pam Brady of South Park) might direct it. But Andy immediately pitched Akiva to direct and so the producers (including Will Ferrell, Lorne Michaels, and Seth Meyers) let the Lonely Island boys run with it. It took them a year and a half to make it and release it.

And because Lazy Sunday got them the film, they had to find a bit role for Chris Parnell (even though he was let go from SNL a second time by that point).

And here are two bonus questions and answers about Hot Rod...

What song plays during the riot scene?
"You're The Voice" by John Farnham.

Does Rod kill Frank at the end?
No, he uses the Tai-Chi move he learned from Denise to make Frank instantly crap his pants.

To which 80s movies does Hot Rod pay homage? (from Anony)
The punch-dancing scene is a nod to Footloose, and the scene where the old man oils up Rod is a nod to Roadhouse.

Enjoy!

- TAE

Ask ASB: Was Jay Pharoah's principal a character or impression?

Happy New Year! Slow Andy news lately, so we'll hit up some SNL news (since Andy's on SNL) whilst we wait for Andy news. Send us any Andy news via comments if you find any! Time for another episode of...

Ask Andy Samberg Blog!

We received a question about whether or not Jay Pharoah's principal, "Daniel Frye", is a character or impression. This is debatable. But I say character. More after this article bit...

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"Saturday Night Live" earned a few extra laughs in Hampton Roads this weekend when featured player Jay Pharoah, a 2005 graduate of Indian River High School, paid tribute to his former principal.

In a sketch about a high school's "holiday jam," Pharoah played Principal Daniel Frye. Despite the change in first name, there's no doubt about the source of Pharoah's inspiration.


Jimmy Frye, principal of Indian River High School


Jay Pharoah as Principal 'Daniel Frye' on SNL

"Mr. Frye is my first character on SNL and I asked him about it before I did it, he approved with a smile," Pharoah wrote on the website.

You can read the rest and more of our thoughts over on our new Jay Pharoah news site here:

http://jaypharoah.blogspot.com/2010/12/jay-pharoah-pays-tribute-to-his-indian.html

===============================

So the reasons why we think this is a character are (1) He changed the name. (2) Jay, Jimmy Frye, and those involved all refer to Daniel Frye as a character. (3) It's normal for SNLers to base characters on actual people. That's where they get their inspiration.

Also, this isn't the first time Jay did this impression/charcter. After graduating from Indian River, Jay actually returned back to his high school at age 19 to do his standup routine. He did impressions of Principal Frye and several teachers (along with various celebs).

To see Jay's first time he performed this impression/character, go to this page on our Jay Pharoah news site:

http://jaypharoah.blogspot.com/2010/12/jay-pharoah-performs-at-his-indian.html

Enjoy!

Question: Why didn't they have an SNL Weekend Update Thursdays this year?

Because the ratings weren't all that great last year. Two years ago, they were taking turns parodying Sarah Palin, Obama, Hilary Clinton, and they brought on Will Ferrell as George Bush. It was literally a gauntlet of political satire. Check it out:



They just didn't have the ammo last year or this year. Maybe next election year. =^)

What do you think they could do to pull off good ratings on another SNL Weekend Update Thursdays season?

- TAE

Q & A: How long has Seth Meyers been the Weekend Update Anchor?

So this question comes from an Anony...

How long has Seth Meyers been the Weekend Update Anchor?

We just so happen to know the answer (and way too much more)!!!



He's starting his 5th season (so he's only had 4 seasons), but this will be only his 2nd full season as the sole anchor (a little longer than that, cuz Amy Poehler left mid season).

Amy Poehler was co-anchor for 5 seasons. Horatio Sanz co-anchored with Amy after Tina and before Seth for 1 season (05-06). Tina Fey was co-anchor for 6 seasons. Jimmy Fallon was co-anchor for 4 seasons. Colin Quinn was the sole anchor for 3 seasons (those were terrible). Norm MacDonald was the sole anchor for 4 seasons. Kevin Nealon for 3 years. Dennis Miller for 6 years (85-91). Christopher Guest for 1 year (84-85). Brad Hall was 2 years (82-84). Mary Gross and Brian Doyle-Murray co-anchored for 1 year (81-82). Jane Curtain mostly co-anchored for 4 years (76-80). Bill Murray co-anchored for 2 years (78-80). Dan Aykroyd co-anchored for 1 year (77-78). Chevy Chase anchored for 2 years (75-76).

Jane Curtain is a complicated story. She took over for Chevy Chase when he left in 76. Then in the next season (77-78), she co-anchored with Dan Aykroyd. Then they switched from Dan to Bill Murray and Jane co-anchored with Bill. So Jane has 4 years in her, but 1 wasn't a full year and 3 were as the co-anchor.

Kevin Nealon did the Subliminal News (check it out if you haven't).



So the answer to who anchored the longest (including as co-anchor):
1. Dennis Miller (6 seasons)
1. Tina Fey (6 seasons)
2. Amy Poehler (5 seasons)
3. Jane Curtain (4 seasons)
3. Norm MacDonald (4 seasons)
3. Jimmy Fallon (4 seasons)
3. Seth Meyers (4 seasons)
4. Kevin Nealon (3 seasons)
4. Colin Quinn (3 seasons)
5. Chevy Chase (2 seasons)
5. Bill Murray (2 seasons)
5. Brad Hall (2 seasons)
6. Dan Aykroyd (1 season)
6. Mary Gross (1 season)
6. Brian Doyle-Murray (1 season)
6. Christopher Guest (1 season)
6. Horatio Sanz (1 season)



Seth needs two more seasons (including this coming one) to tie with Dennis and Tina; 3 to win. Both Dennis and Tina were co-anchors in their first season, so each was only on SNL for 6 seasons. (So Seth and most of the others have the disadvantage that their first year on SNL was not as an anchor.)

Tina Fey was the only featured player to start as an anchor. (But she was the head writer at that point, so obviously Lorne was willing to take a chance with her.)



The only family members to both be anchors were Billy Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray (brothers). There have been other relatives as players, but not anchors... Belushis, Murrays, Aykroyds, Sweeneys, and Elliotts. They were all siblings except for Chris and Abby Elliott (father/daughter).

It's interesting that a lot of people thought that having Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon co-anchor was a new idea, but that first started in 1977 (3rd season) with Jane Curtain and Dan Aykroyd and continued with Jane and Bill Murray.



So if we were going to rank them for how long they anchored only as sole anchors (not co-anchors), then we have:
1. Dennis Miller (6 seasons)
2. Norm MacDonald (4 seasons)
3. Kevin Nealon (3 seasons)
3. Colin Quinn (3 seasons)
4. Chevy Chase (2 seasons)
4. Brad Hall (2 seasons)
5. Jane Curtain (1 season)
5. Seth Meyers (1 season)
5. Christopher Guest (1 season)

So if we're going by that scale, Seth doesn't have a chance. There's no way he's got 5 more years in him. =^)

- TAE

Q & A: Why does SNL wait so long between new episodes?

So why does SNL wait so long between new episodes?



They have gaps because the cost per episode is too high. Lorne was told to cut costs (fire people) or cut episodes. He chose to cut episodes.

For example, on SNL there are currently (as of last season) 8 men and 4 women, totaling 12 cast members (although Seth is only in the Update segments). Like this...

Fred Armisen
Will Forte
Bill Hader
Seth Meyers - Update Anchor
Andy Samberg
Jason Sudeikis
Kenan Thompson
Kristen Wiig

Abby Elliott - Featured Player
Bobby Moynihan - Featured Player
Nasim Pedrad - Featured Player
Jenny Slate - Featured Player


This setup is very different than when the show started, because Lorne recognized (over time) that he needed lots of people in order to have an organic cast where anybody could leave one season and he could fill in the gaps with the large cast and find new players organically.

He learned this because the original season of players was 6 men and 3 women, totaling 9 people:

Dan Aykroyd
John Belushi
Chevy Chase
George Coe
Jane Curtin
Garrett Morris
Laraine Newman
Michael O'Donoghue
Gilda Radner

In the second season, Lorne cut some of the fat and was left with 4 men and 3 women (Bill Murray was hired to replace Chevy Chase), totaling just 7 people:

Dan Aykroyd
John Belushi
Jane Curtin
Garrett Morris
Bill Murray - First episode: 01.15.1977
Laraine Newman
Gilda Radner

That was working well, but then Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi left the show after the 1978-1979 season, leaving Lorne to frantically feature the writers to fill the gaps. However, the next season the rest of the original cast was also ready to leave, and Lorne wasn't very prepared for that. The producers and executives lost faith in Lorne (without the original cast + Murray, the show had no fan base), and they replaced Lorne and the full cast.

Needless to say, the producers came to their senses after a 5 years of trying to chase the dream that SNL was originally, before they brought Lorne back and tried again.

When Lorne came back in 1985, SNL was being carried by a few cast members who were on their way out (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jim Belushi, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Martin Short) and a few cast members who had just left (Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, and Harry Shearer), and so Lorne had a new cast and a new strategy. He hired the funniest comedians he could find (Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller), and he hired comedians who were already proven and in films (Joan Cusack, Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr, and Randy Quaid).

Reunited with his writers, this gave Lorne a season to build up the new comedians and add more the next year in 1986 (Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, and Kevin Nealon). That gave Lorne a solid cast that he could build on in 1989 (Mike Meyers and Ben Stiller), 1990 (Farley, Sandler, Spade, Schneider, Chris Rock), 1993 (Norm MacDonald, Jay Mohr, Sarah Silverman), and so on.

And so Lorne found a stronger strategy in building up a larger cast so that he wasn't betting as big on players that didn't work out and so that he could lose a few players when they wanted to leave and then still keep the ball rolling on the show.

So he realized the larger staff keeps the show moving forward. However, it also means that the show gets too expensive, which is why they don't have as many episodes as we'd like them to.

It's debatable whether or not the show is as funny as it once was, and to be honest, my favorite time was when Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, and Chris Kattan were on. However, I definitely prefer the current cast over when Dratch, Fallon, Sanz, Rudolph, and Parnell were running the show. I remember watching the great cast led by Will Ferrell and then they kept adding these players who weren't funny and I was like, "What are they doing? They're killing the show!" Well the show survived, and each of them had a moment or two where they were hilarious, and they kept it alive for current players like Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and Andy Samberg to take over.

I have faith in newcomers Abby Elliott, Bobby Moynihan, Nasim Pedrad, and Jenny Slate (although Jenny still has more to prove). I don't think the current cast is anxious to leave, mostly because they have nowhere to go. Kristen Wiig has lined up the critical starring role (in her upcoming Bridesmaid film, produced by Judd Apatow), and it looks like Andy's got an upcoming shot with The F-Word movie. Plus Andy has a potential career with The Lonely Island either in making more music, their own TV show, or their own movie.

Will Forte is making a critical attempt at leading a film with MacGruber (since The Brothers Solomon didn't work). Bill Hader has had a lot of success, but he still needs to line up a starring role. Armisen, Thompson, and Sudeikis are probably going to retire from SNL to do voices and supporting roles for the rest of their careers (but I think Sudeikis might be landing a lead role in The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, and he seems to be having success in supporting roles like Hader; he's just a few years behind Hader).

- TAE

Ask Andy Samberg Blog - Did Andy and Justin sing **** in a Box live?

This question comes from an Anony...

Did Andy and Justin sing **** in a Box live?

Actually the question was more like...

any information on that?

But essentially it's the same question.

Yes, Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake performed **** in a Box live at Madison Square Garden.

Anony even did us a favor and found the best recording of that song/concert that we've seen so far:



It's probably because this recording came from Justin Timberlake's site, so they have multiple camera angles.

We've posted about this concert several times; so if you've been with us for a few years, you already know about this. But I think it's worth another watch to check out this version.

I'm not sure who's idea this was. It could have been Justin's idea, excited that their song was such a hit. He had a concert coming up (January 07), and he wanted to add it in as a special performance.

Or it could have come from one of the Lonely Island dudes. Justin usually loves TLI's ideas, so I could have seen him going for it.

There were rumors that Jorma and Chester were also up on the stage, but I didn't see them in this video.

We also can hear that Andy didn't quite have his singing voice down. He is able to produce his voice (meaning work on it in a studio until it sounds right), but he's not on key here. That said, this was also in 07, and he didn't really even try singing until 2006 (most of their songs before that were rap). So his live singing voice might be even "better" now.

Enjoy!

Q & A: Why isn't Andy Samberg in lots of skits?

Ask Andy Samberg blog...

Question: Why isn't Andy Samberg in lots of skits?



Answer: It actually makes sense why he isn't in lots of skits. Andy doesn't write skits for himself, he doesn't work with the other writers to make skits for him, and he doesn't even ask to be used in skits. He used to try to be involved a lot more, for the first few years. Now he just relies on the digital shorts.

He isn't really motivated to be in more than one skit a week, since he's paid per episode, not per skit (and being in more skits just knocks other people out). So he was paid the same for being in the one skit this week, Bidet, as he's paid for episodes where he's in 6 or 7 skits.

So he just appears in skits when it makes sense. He's certainly not trying to "skate by" or "be a slacker." But if the hosts and writers aren't requesting him, then pushing himself in just pushes other people out. I think Jorma realized this as well, which is why Jorma eventually gave up trying to be on camera a lot.

Andy Samberg as the Swedish Chef:



Also, because Andy never really pushed through very many characters or impressions (other than the Swedish Chef, which got 3 sequels), Blizzard Man (which got 2 sequels and one non-SNL appearance), and Cathy (which got 2 sequels), he isn't in the writers' minds (because they don't see the range of characters that he can do, at least not in comparison to the other players).

Andy Samberg as Diablo Cody:



So it also seems that he is occasionally tapped by the writers to do impressions that make sense (I'm not sure how many of these Andy thought of himself, but a lot of these were likely given to him by the writers): Rahm Emanuel, Zac Efron, Sanjaya, Nicholas Cage, Kevin Federline, Dustin Diamond, Jack Johnson, Diablo Cody, Billy Bob Thornton, etc. It's also likely that some of these came because writers wrote parts for these impressions, and then Andy was like, "I might be able to do that. I'm going to go practice my impression." And then he comes back and "auditions" for the role.

Andy Samberg as Dustin Diamond:



Sometimes there are hosts who are very comfortable with Andy, and he ends up in lots of skits that week.

Follow up question: If Andy isn't motivated, why doesn't he just leave SNL?

Well, it isn't that he isn't motivated to be on SNL. It's more that he isn't motivated to kick the other players to the curb and take over SNL. It's just a perspective shift. Why work hard to be the star and push other people out of the limelight who maybe are better at characters and impressions?

Flags of the World:



Andy certainly embraces characters and impressions whenever he thinks of them or the writers think of them. And lately he's been owning more SNL Digital Shorts (doing both the acting and the music more than he used to). For example, he recorded his own voice for The Tizzle Wizzle Show and Flags of the World.

Also, this year he's been concentrating on doing more original characters in the digital shorts, such as On the Ground, Shy Ronnie, and Bootie Call.

So he's certainly motivated to continue "what works" for him on SNL.

Also, it seems that Andy's contract will be up next year, his sixth season. So that year may be his last. (You can always tell how many seasons Andy Samberg has been on by how many Laser Cats there are.) So if the question is, "Why doesn't Andy just leave?"... then that's also a contributing factor. He wants to honor his contract.

Also, what is he going to do once he leaves? I don't think he currently has an answer to that question. We have ideas for him, but Jorma and Akiva are directing movies (so a TLI show might not fly), and he hasn't been able to break into the movie business (yet). Compare that to Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, who are sought-after supporting actors.

- TAE

Q & A: How to contact Andy Samberg

An Anony was asking how to contact Andy Samberg. So here you go...



It's the same process as requesting an autograph. You've got to use snail mail. You could probably get Joni to read something via Twitter or The Lonely Island blog, and then ask him to send it on to the dudes, but your best bet is to send snail mail.

WHERE TO SEND IT

During the SNL season (September - May):

Andy Samberg
c/o “Saturday Night Live”
NBC Studios
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
USA

During the non-SNL season (June - August):

Andy Samberg
c/o Mosaic Media Group
9200 West Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069
USA


NOTE: You can send it to his agency any time of the year, but the SNL address seems to have a faster turn-around time (which still might be several months).

If you want an autograph, read here for details about that:

http://andysamberg.blogspot.com/2009/07/faq-how-to-get-andy-sambergs-autograph.html


If you want to send it to all of The Lonely Island, use the same addresses. I would probably address it to Akiva if you're sending it to SNL and want any/all of The Lonely Island to read it.

Also, Ryan had the most success with Akiva being the most responsive of the three:

http://thelonelyislandfan.com/2009/05/19/akiva-schaffer-the-lonely-island-autograph-success/

Enjoy!

AASB: What cast member will leave next?

Ask Andy Samberg Blog: What cast member will leave next?

Andy, Kenan, Bill, and Jason were all in their 20s when they were hired. Abby (22), Jenny, and Nasim are all still in their 20s. So as SNL cycles out the older cast members, they'll probably keep brining in younger talent, just like they have been.



So the only difference from what SNL has already been doing (to get young blood on the show) is to cycle out cast members sooner, rather than waiting. The oldest cast members are Fred Armisen (43), Will Forte (39), Seth Meyers (36), and Kristen Wiig (36).



Will Will Forte or Fred Armisen leave next?



Fred and Will have been on for 8 seasons, Seth has been on for 9 (but he's only behind the WU desk), and Kenan has been on for 7. They've been on the longest. So probably Fred, Will, or Seth should go soon. Lorne hasn't let them go because they're so versatile and Seth's good at the WU desk (and the head writer). However, none of them are breakout stars (Fred and Will mostly just do impressions). Fred's Obama impression is the only thing that's keeping him on (and I don't find it entertaining). (That said, I think Fred has some hilarious imrpessions, and his Nicholas Fehn character is amazing.)

So Fred or Will would probably go next. I'd also be fine with seeing Kenan go (though I do love his new "What Up With That" sketches). Maybe Seth will pull a Tina or Amy and arrange a show to exit off to. Seth has been a WU anchor for 4 years. The longest anchors were Tina Fey (6 years) and Dennis Miller (6). So maybe Seth has another 2 years in him.

- TAE

AASB: Is the Twitter account TheAndySamberg legit?

Ask Andy Samberg Blog: Is the Twitter account TheAndySamberg legit?

Here it is:

www.twitter.com/theandysamberg

No. It's not for real. The only real one is "andysamberg" which merely links you to "thelonelyisland." Andy texts his friends, but he does not participate in online social websites.

How do I know this is true? Actually, I don't. I'm guessing that it's not. Here are the reasons:

1. Andy doesn't go on social websites. TheLonelyIsland blog (Joni) already told us that.

2. These aren't the kind of things Andy would say. For example, Andy's favorite SNL digital short is Roy Rules (because it's about his brother in law) and not Chronicles of Narnia.

3. Andy wouldn't quote his own works. When you make stuff, you kind of get sick of it or don't find it funny.

4. It's not a verfied account.

5. If this was Andy, it would have more followers. For example the Twitter account "andysamberg" is Andy, and all it is is a link to "TheLonelyIsland" Twitter account. And that Andy account has 1,500 followers (and only the one tweet).

6. Andy's friends would follow him. Seth meyers, SNL, and The Lonely Island (and many others) aren't following that Twitter page. (But they are following all the other legitimate SNL tweeterers.

7. He never posts pictures or announces something coming up (that's not already all over the Web).



So there you go. Not Andy. I could be proven wrong, but I doubt it.

Enjoy!

Q&A: Why is SNL featuring so many young and attractive hosts?

Ask Andy Samberg Blog: Why is SNL featuring so many young and attractive hosts?



One factor to consider is the actor. In some of the cases, the actor/celebrity is actively pursuing SNL, or SNL knows they have a strong and easy relationship with an actor (so it would be easier to call up Steve Martin than it would be to call up a new celebrity).

I don't think SNL turns many celebrities down. I think they're used to getting turned down by celebrities.

For example, when Andy did an impression of Mark Wahlberg, Mark was first indignant in his interviews, saying that SNL has asked him to come on several times before. He also said that he didn't find it funny (or offensive) and he's always trying to get people to do impressions of him.



I think he suddenly realized that it made him popular again, so either he called SNL or SNL called him. Then his interviews were different where he wasn't indignant... he was mad at Andy Samberg. So he changed his answers after he set up the fake fight with Andy on SNL. He went from hating it (and acting indignantly) to loving it as a press opportunity (and being fake-angry at Andy).

Anyway, SNL probably contacts actors (like Wahlberg) and gets denied all the time (or told "I'm too busy" or "maybe later"), so when an actor or celebrity pursues them, then they either say, "We'll schedule you" or "Sorry, what about a cameo instead?" (Which is why they end up with lots of cameos; plus I think they pursue the celebrities for some cameos.)

For example, Paul Rudd and Anne Hathaway both cameo'd in a horrible skit at the end of last season (and both were hosts before that). So they probably were in town and asked or were close enough to the producers that someone knew they were in town and asked.

So let's look at these three: Franco, Lively, and Lautner.



James Franco was already on last season. He probably asked to come back. Then they said, "How about a cameo in 'What Up With That?'" Boom - he did a no-talking cameo.

Then he was probably still talking to them and asking to host again. He did decently enough as a host and in his cameo and is still popular enough where they said yes.

Now, Lautner just had his girlfriend (Taylor Swift) on as a host, and SNL was probably trying to get Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart (due to the New Moon popularity). So Lautner was the third on that list. Either they called him, or he was already talking to him (because of Taylor) and they said okay.

Third is Lively. My guess is they called her for the cameo last season in Franco's episode. She enjoyed it and wanted to host.

So, the bottom line is that I don't think they're really being all that strategic and going "only for the younger crowd" or "going for pretty faces who can't act." I think they're being organic and going with the relationships that they manage to establish... same as always.

It's just a coincidence that we've had newer, younger celebs this season (like Meagan Fox, Taylor Swift, January Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Blake Lively, Taylor Lautner, and James Franco).

First, they aren't all THAT young (January and Franco are 31; JGL is 28).



Second, every young celebrity is justifiable; each one has an illustrious career.
Megan Fox was on TV for years (Ocean Ave, Hope & Faith), in the 2 hit Transformers films (which are actually going up in success), she's headlining films now, and she's going to be in Jonah Hex (I predict a hit), Fathom, and Transformers 3.

Ryan Reynolds was on TV for years (including 3 years of 2 Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place), and he's been in Van Wilder, In-Laws, Blade Trinity, Amityville Horror, Waiting, Just Friends, Smokin Aces, Definitely Maybe, Adventureland, Wolverine, The Proposal, and he's coming up in Green Lantern and Deadpool. (He amazes me that he's had 2 Marvel super hero movies and he's got 1 Marvel and 1 DC one coming, and he's hunting for more.)

Taylor Swift was on CSI, is coming up in Valentine's Day, has won 3 Country Music Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 5 CMT Awards, a VMA, and was nominated for a Grammy. Plus she proved herself by already being a musical guest on SNL and appearing in a sketch.

January Jones is on a show that's been winning Emmies for years. And she's the third person from Mad Men to appear on SNL.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was on 3rd Rock from the Sun for 5 years, was on TV for years before that, 10 Things I Hate About You, Halloween H2O, Angels in the Outfield, Treasure Planet, GI Joe, a ton of dramas, and he's got Elektra Luxx and more dramas coming up.

Blake Lively is on a show that's been popular for several seasons now, and she's been getting into more movies lately. She was in the Sisters of the Traveling Pants and a new smaller film, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.

Taylor Lautner was Sharkboy, in Cheaper by the Dozen 2, now two Twilight films, and he's got a third Twilight film (Eclipse) and Valentine's Day coming.
James Franco has been in comedies (Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Never Been Kissed), TV (James Dean, Freaks and Geeks), action (Spider-Man 1-3, Flyboys), and dramas (Annapolis, Milk, Tristan and Isolde). He's also in Date Night (the upcoming Tina Fey and Steve Carell comedy).



Third, SNL has always featured younger/attractive celebrities as hosts. Sure, we've got a few more than usual this year, but it's nothing new.

So far, for 2009-10, we've had Megan Fox, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Swift, January Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and coming up are Blake Lively, Taylor Lautner, and James Franco.

2008-09 included Michael Phelps, James Franco, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway (all in a row), and then later... Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, and Justin Timberlake.



2007-08 included Seth Rogen, Ellen Page, Amy Adams, Jonah Hill, Ashton Kutcher, and Shia LaBeouf.

2006-07 included Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Ludacris, Justin Timberlake, Jake Gyllenhall, Shia LaBeouf, Scarlett Johansson, and Zach Braff.
2005-06 included Jon Heder, Dane Cook, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, & Lindsay Lohan.

2004-05 included Ben Affleck, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Topher Grace, Paris Hilton, Ashton Kutcher, Johnny Knoxville, and Lindsay Lohan.

You also start to see the pattern where hosts will want to host two years in a row (like James Franco; because maybe they still had ideas they wanted to do or weren't burnt out by it yet).



Fourth, SNL hasn't exclusively done younger, newer celebrities this season. Drew Barrymore hosted, and she's the female celeb who has appeared on SNL more than any other (they even showed a photo of when she first hosted in 1982). Gerard Butler falls into the category of dramatic actor who they used (and they had a lot of fun with his Scotish background).

- TAE

AASB: Does Lorne Michaels know what he's doing? (Saturday Night Live)

Ask Andy Samberg Blog: Is Lorne getting tired? Is he going to retire?

I think if he is planning on retiring, he should be preparing somebody younger to pick it up. My recommendation is Seth Meyers or Bobby Moynihan.



Bobby is driving some of the writing right now, and I think that's only going to increase in the future. Bobby is a huge student of SNL, and he has the tenacity and focus to keep the show true to Lorne's intentions. Lorne just has to mentor him or Seth (or another younger guy) as a producer.

I think Lorne still has some kick in him, though. He's still making bold moves for the good of the show, like laying off cast members who aren't contributing enough, including Michaela and Casey.

Why I think bumping Michaela was a good move...



She was on for one full season. I really liked her blogger bit. But it was one amusing character that wasn't super popular. What else did she do? She's best known for Hoda, but that skit was really all about Kathy Lee.

Basically, Michaela was good at doing characters that Kristen Wiig could do if Kristen wasn't already in the skit. Lorne needed a better balance for the show. That's what he told Michaela, and I agree with that. He also told Michaela that she's talented and could do her own show. I agree with that too.

Contrast Michaela with Abby, who made a big splash with her Angelina Jolie appearances, where she completely outdid Kristen's Madonna when they went toe to toe. Since then, Abby has continued to bring out great impersonations (but she needs to work on doing characters). Her Sarah Mclachlan (with the dog songs) was hilarious. She can also do an amazing Kirsten Dunst. I don't think she's busted that out yet.



Also contrast Michaela to Nasim Pedrad, who busted out a perfect Kim Kardashian, some strange girlfriend character in that Taylor Swift skit, Mrs. Mahmoud, and her Japanese translator in the last episode was amazing. Lorne needed fresh women. He got that in Abby and Nasim. Jenny might not make it though, unless she does something drastic (in a good way).



So, no. Lorne knows what he's doing. He can't please everybody, and he needs to get the players to team up more and try out more characters. The players have mad skills, and Andy Samberg brought something new to the table. Pretty soon, this seasoned cast of men will start dropping out the way Fey, Hammond, Dratch, Maya, and Amy have. And then he'll also have more room to try out new men. It's not perfect, but it's never been perfect, and he's working on getting the right women right now.

So right now Lorne's concentrating on getting the mix of women right. Then some of his guys will leave, and he'll have to bring on some new guys and try to get that mix right. It's what he does every year, and he's been doing it for over 30 years. It's a difficult task, and even when SNL was at it's best, I still remember there only being a few funny skits in many shows and that many shows dragged on and never connected.



Lorne has a lot of talented people on right now, and Andy Samberg has taken SNL to the Internet. I think Lorne's doing pretty well.

- TAE

Ask ASB - Why is Space Chimps getting a sequel?

Been awhile since we've had another episode of...

Ask Andy Samberg Blog

Why is Space Chimps getting a sequel?



Space Chimps did $30,105,968 domestically.

That's pretty bad when compared to Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks, who typically get well over $100 million domestically (really depends on the films).

Now Space Chimps cost $37 million to make. So by our normal standards, that's a flop. But that budget is actually super cheap, considering that the big boys spend over $100 million on an animated film. If you keep your costs down, then you don't need as big of a profit to have a "success."

So the first saving grace was that Space Chimps made $34,682,011 in foreign markets, totaling $64,787,979.

That said, not all that goes to the studio (a lot of it goes to the theaters). However, adding DVD sales on top of that, then "Space Chimps" definitely made a healthy profit for the studio.

Plus if they had a sweet script for the sequel, a promise that they can make the effects look better, and point that Andy Samberg is even more popular now than before... then I think they could sell the idea to the studio executives.

================

I think the aliens stuff from the first film was a little too "home video worthy" for a theatrical release, so I hope they have a better script and better alien effects if they venture back out to an alien planet. (Obviously Zartog is back, but he could be invading Earth.)

I think they knew that the alien stuff was the weakness, because it didn't show up in the trailer at all. Just going by the trailer, you actually didn't know that 80% of the movie was on an alien planet.

So I hope they make the script and alien stuff a little more movie-worthy. As for me, I loved the movie, and I thought the actors really did a great job!

Enjoy!