The Empire Hustle

We Love Auditions and Old School SNL!

You know we love posting audition tapes, so here are a few more!  Honestly, nothing helps motiviate and inspire confidence in a budding actor (or a writer or even director too) than knowing that famous people once struggled….just like us!  And believe it or not, ALL famous actors once had to audition.  Hell, some still do.  And it’s just as nerve racking and embarasing as it is for the rest of us, every single time.

Check out a few audition tapes from some famous “SNL” stars.  It’s interesting to see it from the point of view of the casting directors….they saw something in these stars and as we know, they all became some of the “SNL” greats.

John Belushi

Dana Carvey

Phil Hartman

What Happened to Saturday Nights?

Post by Kelsey Rude

When I was little, staying up Saturday nights was a big deal. I remember trying to stay up till 11:30, but on most occasions, being that it was way past my bedtime, I was never able to. That’s where I used to thank god for Comedy Central, which during my summer vacations, would replay old episodes of “Saturday Night Live.” I never really grasped how important “Saturday Night Live” was culturally when I was a little kid, but as I got older I began to understand it really was a cultural phenomenon. It was always timely, intelligent and of course funny – and we’d all laugh along with it because we GOT it. The humor commented on real things in our own lives. Watching repeats nowadays is still like a window into our childhoods – the pop culture references, the politics – all reminding us of different periods in our own lives. Even my parents still remember watching that very first episode in 1975 like it was yesterday. It gave everyone a reason to stay up Saturday nights. Everyone wanted to be a “Not Ready for Primetime Player.”

Now-a-days we don’t so much laugh with “Saturday Night Live” as we laugh AT it. And not in a good way. Since I grew up on “SNL,” I still set up my DVR to record every new episode. However, when I play it back I find myself fast forwarding through most of the episode. I’m not sure why I still watch it – maybe it’s the hope that someday it will get better – but I never miss a single one. And every time I watch one, I always wonder – “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?”

1. Bad Casting: Don’t tell me comedians aren’t as funny as they used to be. That’s bullshit. I have met many of funny people in my life, my friends and I included, who can bring more intelligent humor to that show. So then why the hell do they hire people like Kenan Thompson? When you’re used to watching a show with talents such as John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, Mike Meyers, etc., it makes you really wonder what comedy troops the casting directors are actually checking out when they’re looking for new cast members. And does anyone else remember when Robert Downey Jr. was a cast member? Yes, an OSCAR winner.

2. Seth Meyers is the head writer: THE HEAD WRITER. It shocks me. I have nothing against the guy; he got a few jokes in here and there when he was a cast member, but HEAD WRITER? When the head writer who preceded him was Tina Fey, I find it hard to believe the so-so “Weekend Update” anchor is really worthy of writing the show. And let’s face it, the sketches just aren’t funny. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of all the fart, burp and gay jokes. The only segments I ever look forward to on that show now are Andy Sandberg’s “Digital Shorts.” Seriously, can we give that guy an Emmy? And can I just…hang out with him like ALL the time?

Continued Below….

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