Podcast Summary

Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

Episode: RE-RELEASE - Garrett Morris
Date: February 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special re-release, Dana Carvey and David Spade welcome original "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) cast member and comedy legend Garrett Morris. The conversation dives into Morris’s formative years, his pivotal role on SNL’s first seasons, stories from the original cast, battles with addiction, and brushes with celebrity legends. With their signature banter and quick wit, Carvey and Spade draw out hilarious anecdotes, raw confessions, and reflections from Morris’s decades-spanning career.

Key Discussion Points

Early Life and Teaching Background

• Garrett’s stint teaching in correctional facilities
  • “I actually spent a year and a half at what is known as Great Meadows Correctional Facilities. I was a teacher.” (Garrett Morris, 03:15)
• Teaching in NYC (P.S. 71) and working with convicts, including transporting students in a Volkswagen and being falsely suspected of crime.

Run-Ins with the Law—Comedy of Errors

• Spade’s arrest story in Arizona due to his brother impersonating him on speeding tickets (04:34)
• Dana’s childhood shoplifting escapades, with his brothers “stuffing pant stolen items down my pants because I was nine and looked so innocent.” (Dana Carvey, 05:59)
• Garrett sharing “three weekends in the tank” and a time he was framed for marijuana possession by police (06:23–08:13)

Energy, Health, and Age

• Morris’s lively demeanor attributed to “green tea” and managing type 2 diabetes (09:51)
• Dana and David express admiration for Morris’s vibrant energy:
  • “Your energy doesn't match your birth certificate. It's huge.” (Dana Carvey, 10:06)

Comedy and SNL Origins

• Morris sees himself as “an actor who was in a comedy show,” reflecting on public expectations and personal identity (10:45–10:58)
• Describes his journey from theater and Broadway—having written plays and paid his dues in New York—before SNL (12:37–13:02)
• Discusses hurt from Richard Pryor not using him during Pryor’s SNL hosting stint, but later being invited to star in Pryor’s movie Critical Condition as a gesture of goodwill (13:25–13:53)

Working with Legends

• Fond stories about Richard Pryor, including Dana’s hysterical “Denver omelet” anecdote:
  • "Whoever made that omelette can suck my dick." (Richard Pryor, recalled by Dana Carvey, 15:31)
• Stories about Paul Mooney and the influence he had as Pryor’s principal writer (14:03)

Substance Abuse and Recovery

• Honest conversation about cocaine use among the original SNL cast, including John Belushi’s excesses (31:13–33:26)
  • “The thing, that first high, you never get it again…even if you’re on for 35 years, which I was.” (Garrett Morris, 32:57)
• Reflecting on cautionary tales (Len Bias, John Belushi) (33:30–33:55)
• Morris’s journey through recovery and AA, achieving sobriety since 2005 (50:11–50:41)

SNL Early Days: Group Dynamics, Sketches, and Internal Politics

• Joining SNL as a playwright, struggling to adapt to writing short sketches, and losing credit for his "White Guilt Relief Fund" concept due to behind-the-scenes politics (21:31–23:09)
• Friendship circles: gravitated towards Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, and Chevy Chase, but recounts feeling like an “introvert” and skipping cast parties (27:57; 28:33)
• The afterparty culture and missing out on key “alliance-building” by not socializing as much post-show

Sketch Memories and Iconic Moments

• Favorite sketches:
  • “Colossal President” (37:17)
  • “White Guilt Relief Fund”
  • The O.J. Simpson “Mandingo” sketch
  • Chico Escuela (baseball character originated by Brian Doyle-Murray)
• The “hearing impaired newscaster” devised by Chevy Chase for Garrett
• Reflects on legendary sketches that would be much harder to air in today’s environment—especially the landmark Richard Pryor/Chevy Chase job interview sketch (43:18)

Diversity, Progressivism, and SNL’s Evolution

• Stories of navigating racism in the '70s entertainment business (45:11)
  • Michael O’Donoghue’s hesitance to cast a Black doctor in a sketch, which Morris pointedly challenges (45:11–46:09)
• Discussion about the changing boundaries of comedy, then vs. now
  • “You can't really write for them the way they wrote for us then…I hate that.” (Garrett Morris, 44:12)

Reflections on Music and Influences

• Morris’s musical career:
  • Time with the Harry Belafonte Singers for nine years (56:58)
  • Favorite blues singers: Muddy Waters, Albert King (56:23–56:36)
• Dana shares a charming story about Scatman Crothers and weed in Rockefeller Center (34:46–35:47)

Closing Thoughts—Gratitude and Comedy’s Legacy

• Spade and Carvey express thanks and affection to Morris for paving the way:
  • “We all got a job because of you and the squad up.” (David Spade, 58:19)
• Morris’s humor and wisdom prevail as he riffs on language, mantras, and staying healthy into his 80s.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Substance Use and Comedy:
  • “The thing, that first high, you never get it again…even if you’re on for like 35 years, which I was.” (Garrett Morris, 32:57)
• On Original SNL Cast:
  • “You were part of that original lexicon.” (Dana Carvey, 27:40)
  • “You didn’t stand out as older than anyone.” (David Spade, 42:55)
• On Race and Representation:
  • “He tells me, ‘Well, Gary, the audience might be thrown by a Black doctor.’ Now, this is 1975…" (Garrett Morris, 46:09)
• On Enduring Energy:
  • “Your energy doesn’t match your birth certificate. It’s huge.” (Dana Carvey, 10:06)
• On SNL’s early ensemble:
  • “It must be like the Dirty Dozen…you probably don’t know each other, and you’re thrown together and sort of like, okay, let’s see what works, what doesn’t.” (David Spade, 20:51)
• On Comedy Boundaries Shifting:
  • “You can't really write for them the way they wrote for us then…I hate that.” (Garrett Morris, 44:12)
• On Family Longevity:
  • “My grandfather lived to 92…my mother lived to 80 but she didn’t take care of herself.” (Garrett Morris, 50:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:05 – Garrett Morris on teaching at Great Meadows Correctional Facility
• 04:34 – Spade’s jail story due to brother’s impersonation
• 05:59 – Dana’s shoplifting as a kid
• 06:23 – Garrett’s marijuana frame-up story
• 10:45 – Garrett on being “an actor who was in a comedy show”
• 13:25 – Hurt over not being used in Pryor’s SNL show, and eventual reconciliation
• 15:31 – Dana’s Richard Pryor “Denver omelet” story
• 21:31 – Garrett details losing credit for the “White Guilt Relief Fund” sketch
• 27:57 – Morris on skipping post-show parties, introversion
• 31:13 – Cocaine culture at SNL, John Belushi stories
• 37:17 – Favorite sketches: Colossal President, Chico Escuela, O.J. Simpson
• 43:18 – The legendary Pryor-Chase job interview sketch, comedy boundaries then and now
• 45:11 – Michael O’Donoghue and resistance to Black representation in sketches
• 50:11 – Garrett’s journey with AA and sobriety
• 56:58 – Life with Harry Belafonte and blues inspirations
• 58:19 – Spade and Carvey’s thanks: “We all got a job because of you and the squad up.”
• 59:34 – Humorous banter about how to end the show—“We don’t want to end with the words, suck my dick.”

Tone and Dynamics

The spirit of the conversation is playful, self-deprecating, and occasionally irreverent—exactly as fans expect from Spade, Carvey, and Morris. The episode deftly blends showbiz war stories, pointed reflections on race and addiction, and moments of pure comic timing, offering a revealing and often poignant look behind the curtain at SNL’s formative years.

For the SNL, comedy, and pop-culture aficionado:

• You’ll hear behind-the-scenes tales about formation and frictions of comedy’s most famous show.
• Garrett Morris is candid, irrepressible, and deeply funny—essential listening for fans of SNL's golden era.

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