Sherman Admits She Struggles with Inside-Out Acting Approach at SNL
"Ashley Padilla started 2 years ago, and I'm like, oh my God, like, character. And like, everyone, every character she has is like an internal world. And like, the jokes come kind of easy to her because she has like inside— she like knows what the character wants, and there's like, there's a motivation there. And I feel like I've been doing it all wrong for like 6 fucking years because I'm like, what if the wig is weird?"
About this episode
Amy Poehler hosts SNL cast member Sarah Sherman for a wide-ranging conversation covering Sherman's unconventional path to mainstream comedy success. Sherman, who just completed her fifth season on SNL and released an HBO special titled Sarah Squirm: Live and in the Flesh, discusses her roots in Chicago's DIY performance art scene, her early failures auditioning for SNL at age 22, and how Lorne Michaels personally vetoed her stage name Sarah Squirm when she was hired. The episode reveals Sherman's creative process working from the outside in through costumes and prosthetics rather than character motivation, a method she now questions after five seasons. Poehler, drawing on her own SNL experience, probes Sherman's relationship with confidence, failure, and her unique aesthetic that blends body horror with comedy. Sherman credits her supportive parents for giving her the foundation to take creative risks and discusses working with makeup legend Louis Zakarian on elaborate transformations. She opens up about recurring stress dreams involving missing writing deadlines and disappointing authority figures. The conversation also touches on Sherman's collaboration with John Waters for her special, her love of Real Housewives and soap operas, and her early comedy shows in basements with names like Hell Trap Nightmare featuring extreme performance art. Poehler and Sherman share a mutual appreciation for using comedy to pressure societal norms around femininity and disgust while maintaining warmth and accessibility.
Key takeaways
- Sherman revealed Lorne Michaels personally called after hiring her to veto her stage name Sarah Squirm, saying it was too distracting.
- After five SNL seasons, Sherman confesses she works outside-in through costumes rather than character motivation, calling it a mistake.
- Sherman bombed her first SNL audition at age 22 after Chicago improv director Sharna Halpern pushed her to try out.
- Michaels told Sherman he could tell she was loved as a child from her performances, which she credits as the source of her confidence.
- Sherman recruited John Waters for her HBO special by mailing him a letter decorated with intestines and drawings.
- Sherman does Jungian psychoanalysis multiple times weekly lying on a couch and recently startled her male analyst by acknowledging his presence.
- Poehler argues Sherman fears success at traditional acting more than failure and possesses innate confidence distinguishing top SNL performers.