Episode Overview

Podcast: Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
Episode: Beck Bennett on Booking SNL and Embodying Putin
Date: August 21, 2025

This episode features former SNL cast member Beck Bennett, who joins Dana Carvey and David Spade for a lively, irreverent, and inside look at booking Saturday Night Live, embodying Vladimir Putin on-screen, and his recent experience playing Steve Lombard in James Gunn’s Superman. They discuss the audition gauntlet, improv roots, surviving showbiz premieres, the unique stress of SNL, and creating iconic characters like “Baby Boss” and Putin. The conversation blends humor, behind-the-scenes stories, and honest reflection on the enduring impact of SNL.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Beck's Superman Experience

• Playing Steve Lombard: Beck elaborates on playing the Daily Planet sports reporter, a classic adversary to Clark Kent, in the new Superman film.
  • “He’s sports writer at the Daily Planet and sort of a, an office adversary for Clark Kent... he kind of thinks he's friends with Superman, you know, and he's like, they're buds.” (Beck, 08:33)
• Audition & Set Stories: Joining a massive movie set was daunting, but SNL prepared him for it.
  • “Honestly, looking back at everything... with the experience of Superman, nothing really compares to SNL. It's SNL's more intimidating for sure.” (Beck, 14:04)
  • “[James Gunn] was creating a fun atmosphere... towards the end, there's a scene where... he let me scream in the back of that tea craft for a while. One of the lines in the movie was improvised.” (Beck, 11:12)
    • Improvised line: “I just scream, ‘Why don't I have a seat?’” (Beck, 11:34)
• Premiere Anxiety: Hollywood glam and red carpets feel awkward, even to seasoned performers.
  • “Premieres exist to make you feel bad about yourself... I'll go...take some photos. I'm like, oh, God.” (Beck, 31:19)
• Team Talk & Red Carpet Style: The ritual and oddity of needing a ‘team’ for public appearances.
  • “Team is the funniest new term that everyone says... We talked to Beck's team. I'm like, let’s see a picture of that team.” (Dana, 32:11)

2. SNL: Booking, Surviving, and Sketch Creation

• Path to SNL: Beck traces his journey from college improv group Good Neighbor to national commercials to the SNL stage.
  • “They saw us doing [sketches]... The Lonely Island was really sweet and they had maybe shown some videos... then I was doing these AT&T spots with Jorma [Taccone].” (Beck, 21:17)
  • “Jorma was super helpful. He was like, just be chill. Just, like, hang out. He [Lorne Michaels] wants to know that he can hang out with you.” (Beck, 23:12)
• First Audition & Sketches: Describes developing characters specifically for SNL after seeing others’ (Kyle Mooney, Nick Rutherford) paths.
  • “Friend of mine, Nick Kocher...I was like, I don't know, I've been thinking of this character like a...boss with the body of a baby” — which became “Baby Boss.” (Beck, 25:13)
  • The audition process: open mics, showcase at iO West, and eventual testing with Lorne.
• Character Creation: “Baby Boss” went viral:
  • “It was so specific and so accurate that I guess you rehearsed the...out of that. You’d never done it?” (David, 28:32)
  • “I've always enjoyed, like, doing physical comedy, but... I sat next to a guy with a baby on his lap on a plane and watched this baby just...I gotta figure out a way to like...” (Beck, 28:53)
• SNL Pressures:
  • “They'll give you something you've never done before that's completely outside what you do, and you've got two days to get it... I am so glad that I don't have to do anymore.” (Beck, 50:31)
  • Assigned impressions, like Mitch McConnell: “I wasn't like, I have a Mitch McConnell. Let me do this.” (Beck, 51:11)
  • The evolution of prosthetics: “The prosthetics...got so much better...They really get you halfway there, 90% there.” (Beck, 51:14)
• Impressions & Breaking Character:
  • SNL’s unwritten codes about breaking during sketches. How has it changed?
    • “There was like that pride in not breaking and like staying here...You want the audience to feel you having fun. Not breaking on purpose by any means...” (Beck, 45:34)

3. Embodying Putin & “White POTUS”

• Making the Putin Character:
  • “It’s good when you don’t do an exact impression because it’s too boring. So you gotta screw with it a little bit, make it...The voice is more like...higher pitch, quiet, barely talks.” (Beck, 53:12)
  • “Putin was just a great notion. He’s not gonna ever have his shirt on.” (David, 52:37)
  • On impact: “That was like, the impression, I feel like that I really did...it was wild how...did that, and then it was like another—just another level of recognition, you know?” (Beck, 53:30)
  • International attention: “It was on Russian TV at one point...I was like, he knows about it...should I be doing this? Is this weird?” (Beck, 54:04)
• The Sketch “White POTUS”:
  • “White POTUS was a big one and brought...Putin back for that...Colin Jost [came up with it]...so funny, so perfect.” (Beck, 52:30, 53:25)

4. SNL’s Unique Pressure Cooker

• SNL vs. Big Movies:
  • “Nothing really compares to SNL. It's more intimidating for sure. It really prepared me for that.” (Beck, 14:04)
  • “That’s maybe one of the things I am so glad I don't have to do anymore...” (Beck, 50:31)
• Training for Hollywood:
  • SNL’s chaotic pace = unique teaching ground. “Chris Rock said...if you can do Saturday Night Live, you can direct a movie.” (David, 56:23)
  • “Things like that, where I leave and I'm like, oh, yeah. Like, it really is like a version of home...It has informed kind of everything that I've done.” (Beck, 55:34)

5. Reflections, Legacy, and What’s Next

• Enduring SNL Connection:
  • “It really is amazing...everything that Lorne says is kind of true...Once you're a part of it, you're always a part of it.” (Beck, 55:34)
• Upcoming Projects:
  • Mentions podcast with Kyle Mooney, produced by Headgum, and recent film projects (“Y2K”).
• Mutual Admiration & Comedy Bonds:
  • David and Dana praise Beck's run: “Congratulations. You had a great run on that show. You're brilliant on that show, and everyone knows who you are...” (David, 55:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the pressure of Hollywood premieres:
  • “Premieres exist to make you feel bad about yourself...I'll go...take some photos. I'm like, oh, God.” (Beck Bennett, 31:19)
• On SNL nerves and preparation:
  • “With the experience of Superman, nothing really compares to SNL. It's SNL's more intimidating for sure.” (Beck Bennett, 14:04)
• On improvising in big-budget movies:
  • “I would go to set on days when I wasn't called and sit in Video Village and just talk on all the people who had superpowers.” (Beck Bennett, 07:57)
• On embodying Putin:
  • “It was wild how ... did that, and then it was like another—just another level of recognition, you know?” (Beck Bennett, 53:30)
  • “It was on Russian TV at one point...I was like, okay, cool.” (Beck Bennett, 54:04)
• On sketch comedy style:
  • “Your sensibility on that show is its own special lane... it's so funny and so dry and weird.” (David Spade to Beck, 42:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Superman Role & James Gunn Stories
  • [06:05] – Beck joins; initial Superman jokes
  • [08:33] – Steve Lombard character explanation
  • [10:16] – Daily Planet long take/James Gunn's direction
  • [11:28] – Improvising “Why don't I have a seat?”
• SNL Audition Journey
  • [20:42] – How Good Neighbor led to SNL
  • [23:39] – Jorma’s advice for Polo Lounge chat with Lorne
  • [25:13] – Audition process and creating “Baby Boss”
  • [28:32] – “Baby Boss” physicality
• Red Carpet & Premiere Culture
  • [31:19] – Premiere awkwardness and “team” culture
  • [32:51] – Hollywood fashion and stylists
• SNL Pressures & Impressions
  • [50:31] – Pressure of taking on unfamiliar material
  • [51:01] – Mitch McConnell impression assignment
  • [51:47] – Impressions, prosthetics, and era comparisons
• Putin & White POTUS
  • [52:30] – White POTUS and Putin character insights
  • [53:12] – The essence of Beck’s Putin impression
  • [54:04] – International recognition and nervousness
• SNL as Career Bootcamp
  • [55:32] – SNL’s lasting impact and Lorne’s sage advice
  • [56:23] – Chris Rock’s SNL vs. movie-making comparison

Episode Highlights & Takeaways

• SNL is unmatched in prepping performers for high-pressure environments, from Hollywood blockbusters to unpredictable live comedy.
• Character creativity thrives under constraint: Beck’s most iconic SNL roles came from pushing past nerves and channeling personal, physical observations into sketches.
• Improvisation finds a place even on blockbuster sets; confidence and humor can make memorable scenes that stand out amid big budgets.
• The realities of fame and red carpet moments: Beck and the hosts agree, “teams” and premieres are less glamorous—and more awkward—than they seem.
• Embodied impressions like Putin can have surprising real-world impact—even making it to Russian state TV!
• The SNL alumni bond is strong—whether reflecting on Lorne’s wisdom, sharing behind-the-scenes anxieties, or simply riffing on old bits.