Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon admitted their appearances on “Saturday Night Live UK” were a bit surreal, given the notable similarities between the OG NBC sketch show and the new British iteration.
During Fey’s appearance on “The Tonight Show” on Monday, in which she promoted her Netflix comedy “The Four Seasons,” Fallon asked his fellow “SNL” alum if she found being on the UK version of the show to be the “oddest” experience.
“Like, it was so weird,” she said. “It’s like one of those dreams where you go into [a room and] you’re like, ‘Is this a room in my house I didn’t know was here?’ ‘Cause, it looked like ‘SNL,’ but a little different, and everyone was, like, kind of the same jobs.”
Fey, who hosted the inaugural episode of the British “SNL,” explained that she was asked to participate since “no British people [would] do it,” adding, “Because they weren’t sure it was going to work over there.”
She added: “And then once we did that first show, and everyone saw that that cast is hilarious, now they have no trouble booking hosts.”
However, Fey did share that it was “crazy to be back in an ‘SNL’ environment,” sharing, “I’d be doing sketches, and to be in that ‘SNL’ environment and to be, like, in a costume or whatever, in my mind, I’m 35. So I’d be rehearsing the sketch, and I’d turn around and see a glimpse of myself and be like, ‘Oh, Jesus Christ!’ It was like a real jump scare.”
Fallon, who also made an appearance on the show, co-signed Fey’s stance, stating, “Because you kind of know who everyone is [for] the American version, like, ‘Oh, that’s Donna. She does wardrobe,’ but it’s not. Her name’s not Donna. And I go, ‘That’s Louie, but it’s not Louie.’ And everyone has British accents.”
As Fallon went on, he revealed that “SNL UK” even had their own Will Ferrell. Though, instead of a comedian, the man was a film unit director and spelled his named “Will Farrell.”
“Dude, they’ve tripped me out,” he recalled. “He goes, ‘I’m your director. My name is Will Farrell.’ I go, ‘Yeah, right.’”
Nonetheless, being on “SNL UK” made Fallon nostalgic for his time on “Weekend Update” with Fey, reminiscing on their joke writing collaboration and how the “SNL UK” team had “that energy,” as well.
“I did a bit where I had to pop up behind the desk, and I was so nervous,” Fallon said. “I didn’t want to mess up their thing, so I went out way too early. I was under the desk for like five minutes, and I was, like, in between these two chairs under the ‘Update’ desk, and I’m like, ‘I’m here way too early.’ But they were so nice, and it was so fun.”
Watch Fey and Fallon’s full conversation above.
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.
