Beck Bennett Is So Nice — Why??

Summary

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Good One Podcast: “Beck Bennett Is So Nice — Why??”

Host: Jesse David Fox
Guest: Beck Bennett
Release Date: January 22, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the creative partnership and post-SNL life of comedian Beck Bennett, best known for his pivotal run on Saturday Night Live (SNL). Hosted by Jesse David Fox, the conversation centers on Beck’s reputation as an exceptionally kind and collaborative presence in the cutthroat world of sketch comedy. They cover topics such as his new podcast with Kyle Mooney, evolving creative outlets, memories from SNL (including collaborations with prolific writers and comedians), reflections on legacy, and the unique role that “niceness” has played in his career.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Launching a New Podcast with Kyle Mooney

• The podcast, co-hosted with his longtime creative partner Kyle Mooney, features a new guest and premise each episode. It serves as a creative outlet that accommodates their family lives and the changing nature of the comedy business.

  • “We both wanted to just have something, just have a creative outlet where we could make money, you know, and stabilize our lives where we weren’t having to take jobs that took us away from our family.” (03:34, Beck Bennett)

• The structure mimics their earlier days, capturing their organic dynamic from college and SNL days, where much of the fun came from “just fucking around and making each other laugh.”

  • “So much stuff that didn’t make it onto the show. And so we missed performing live. We missed that sort of like sitting around in a room, that sort of creativity...” (03:58, Beck Bennett)

Creative Collaboration and Comedic Roots

• Beck and Kyle met as college freshmen at USC and cemented their creative friendship in a campus comedy troupe.
• Their comedic sensibilities evolved together, highlighting how collaboration can both challenge and complement differing comedic energies.
  • “I was like the actor who could do accents, play different people, or be the straight man... Kyle is being weird and I’m being a little weird, but also kind of the straight man to his weirdness.” (09:24;10:21, Beck Bennett)

Influence of Good Neighbor and the Evolution of Online Sketch

• Good Neighbor's lo-fi, found footage style helped shape much of the sketch comedy that followed, influencing groups like Please Don’t Destroy.
• Beck reflects on the challenges of translating their internet aesthetic to SNL’s television format, wishing they could have kept the raw, authentic energy.
  • “If we were able to call each other Beck and Kyle at the very least and shoot very lo fi stuff, I think we would have found a different aesthetic for the show.” (12:45, Beck Bennett)

SNL Memories: Sketches, Roles, and Writing Partnerships

• Straight Man Mastery: Beck embraced his niche as a “straight man” after the departures of Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader, taking on dads, boyfriends, and game show hosts.

• Standout Pre-Tapes: Beck’s favorite pre-taped sketch was “Dancing” with Kyle, shot in the style of their indie videos.

  • “It was shot in my apartment, and we were laughing while doing it… You’re more connected to it, and it’s more fun.” (14:57, Beck Bennett)

• Writer Collaborations: Tim Robinson and Zach Cannon wrote many memorable sketches for Beck, where his characters navigated the line between earnestness and absurdity:

  • “Mr. Westerberg” (58:29): Co-workers make fun of their strange boss; Beck’s character unwittingly reveals escalating, bizarre workplace stories.
  • “Jason Momoa sketch” (61:22): Beck plays a childlike son-in-law hiding and seeking approval, highlighting Tim and Zach’s signature cadence.

Navigating SNL’s Emotional & Social Dynamics

• Beck is celebrated for his kindness, a status confirmed by Sarah Sherman’s teary admiration at SNL’s 50th anniversary (Clip at 29:12).

  • “It was insane. Like, I'm like, I keep saying, it's like the best thing that’s ever happened to me… I just burst into tears, like making ugly sounds.” (29:42, Beck Bennett)

• He reflects honestly on insecurity and tough periods during his early seasons, including body image pressures and the “Hunger Games” environment for new cast members.

  • “There were seven new cast members by the end of the year, and three of us stayed.” (37:38, Beck Bennett)

• The role of support from crew (like hairdresser Jodi Mancuso) and fellow cast (esp. Aidy Bryant and Vanessa Bayer) was crucial to his wellbeing and longevity.

  • “Jodi Mancuso was like the best. She’s the head of hair…I loved her so much. I’d like sit in her chair and she would…we talk about life…” (36:05, Beck Bennett)

Emotional Legacies and Leaving SNL

• Beck’s departure was emotional; advice from Aidy Bryant helped him leave on good terms and maintain his relationship with Lorne Michaels.
  • “You want to leave with a great relationship with him, and don’t let this little snafu…get in your way of leaving.” (47:16, Beck Bennett)

On Authority, “Little Kid Energy,” and Comedy Philosophy

• Beck discusses his recurring roles as dads and children on SNL and his transition from “weird for weirdness’ sake” toward more grounded, nuanced comedy.

• His “straight man” style reached signature heights in sketches like “David S. Pumpkins.”

  • “He’s playing, not comedy scared. He’s playing, like, as if he’s scared.” (53:06, Jesse David Fox)

SNL50, Reunions, and Meeting Comedy Heroes

• Beck’s return for SNL’s 50th felt cathartic and affirming; he did not feel sidelined and reconnected with friends and newer cast with comfort and joy.

  • “It felt like I was on Molly or something the whole time. And I was very prepared to feel bad…None of that happened.” (66:52, Beck Bennett)

• Memorable moments included being introduced to Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and taking “Beck back-to-back” photos with the musician Beck. (68:49)

Reflections on Influence and Advice

• Comedy idols: Ben Stiller, Conan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Gene Wilder, Bob Odenkirk.

  • “Ben Stiller, his ability to play psychos—that was like I made movies with my friends…his comedic voice was a big deal.” (74:19, Beck Bennett)

• Best advice received from Bill Hader: “Don’t just take what comes to you. Go after the things you want.” (80:05)

• Rejects the notion that good career advice only applies to “stars”; argues everyone can shape their own creative destiny.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sarah Sherman’s SNL50 Shout-Out:

  • “It was insane. Like, I'm like, I keep saying, it's like, the best thing that's ever happened to me… I just burst into tears, like, making ugly sounds.” [29:42, Beck Bennett]

• On SNL’s High-Pressure Environment:

  • “The first season felt like sort of Hunger Games…People were struggling…It was like, I made it through that. Now I can relax a little bit. But then they hired Leslie Jones and Pete Davidson. Two stars. Two right out of the box stars.” [37:38, Beck Bennett]

• On Playing the Straight Man:

  • “I was always playing old men in theater school… I played dads, boyfriends, and game show hosts.” [50:23, Beck Bennett]

• On Role as Utility Player:

  • “I'm not a star, I'm like a planet…There's a gravitational pull, and it's important, but it's not exploding.” [33:19, Beck Bennett]

• On Working with Aidy Bryant:

  • “She was just always there and always helpful and…provided so much incredible advice. Just like, very, very generous. She helped me with leaving the show, actually.” [47:11, Beck Bennett]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• New Podcast with Kyle: 03:07–06:14
• Origin of Beck & Kyle’s Partnership: 06:14–10:37
• SNL/Good Neighbor Transition: 10:41–13:02
• Favorite SNL Sketches: 14:47–19:18
• Writers & Signature Collaborations (Tim Robinson & Zach Cannon): 39:05–64:31
• Sarah Sherman’s Shout-Out, Niceness Reputation: 29:12–33:19
• Early SNL Struggles & Body Image: 37:38–41:19
• Crew and Cast Support at SNL: 35:51–37:23
• SNL50 Reflections: 66:52–70:28
• Comedy Philosophy, Idols, and Advice (Laughing Round): 74:19–84:18

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Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, earnest, and often emotional—characterized by Beck’s heartfelt openness and Jesse’s deep-dive interview style. There are moments of both reflective vulnerability and playful nostalgia, with Beck’s humility and warmth shining. The episode mixes creative process talk, behind-the-scenes revelations, and philosophical musings about comedy and workplace dynamics. It’s essential listening for SNL fans, aspiring comedians, and anyone curious about kindness in high-pressure creative environments.

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Useful For

• Fans wanting to understand Beck Bennett’s legacy at SNL
• Comedy creatives seeking insight into new industry norms and collaborative process
• Listeners interested in why “niceness” is a rare and valuable asset in comedy
• Anyone reflecting on professional resilience and authenticity

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End of Summary.

Transcript

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[Beck Bennett]

Like I'm like, I keep saying, like it's like the best thing that's ever happened to me. Like I was particular. I was in a spot where I was, I was at a, you know, it wasn't even like a particularly bad time. I just wasn't feeling great.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

And I just gotten out of therapy and I saw a text from my wife that said look at this clip right away. And I just like burst into tears like, like making ugly sounds like.

[Jesse David Fox]

This is good one. I am Jesse David Fox, senior writer, Vulture and author of Comedy Book. My guest today is Beck Bennett. I always found Beck to be great on SNL characters or impressions, but maybe more than anything, he was a particularly gifted straight man able to drive premise based sketches and we talk about some of his standout work from his run on the show. But I was really excited to talk to him after I interviewed Sarah Sherman last spring and she told me about beck's reputation at SNL, everyone's favorite. Everyone's favorite.

[Beck Bennett]

In the entire building of 30 Rock.

[Jesse David Fox]

Beck Bennett has the best reputation. I've talked to a lot of people at snl. I've talked to a lot of people about snl, and I've never heard someone talked about that. A tough job. It's hard to be nice when you're stressed. And I was curious about that unique legacy. So here is Beck Bennett. I am here with Beck Bennett. Thank you for joining me.

[Beck Bennett]

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.

[Jesse David Fox]

So you have a new podcast.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

What's our podcast? You host with Kyle Mooney.

[Beck Bennett]

Absolutely.

[Jesse David Fox]

And the premise is every episode you have new guests, they come with new premise for the show. You then do that premise of the show. I was wondering. So it's been, I believe, four years since you were on Saturday Night Live, and you worked a lot with Kyle.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

What has the last few years been? Like, obviously, you stayed friends, but, like, last few years that you were like, now the time for us to do a thing together. And then why is this the thing that you decided to do?

[Beck Bennett]

Great question, great question. You know, I think that we were good with creating, like, a TV show or a movie. We've done a lot of that stuff even before the show. And we both have children now, and the, you know, things are. It's an odd time in our industry where the particular avenues that a comedy performer used to have that, you know, they're not necessarily there. And I think we both wanted to just have something, just have a creative outlet where we could make money, you know, and stabilize our lives where we weren't having to take jobs that took us away from our family. So it was really like, let's do something fun. Because we don't do standup, Kyle. We both perform. Kyle performs a little more than I do. But, like, you have to come up with the thing and get the equipment and go to the. The venue. And, like, it's so really. It was like, you know, we shared an office for all eight years and a dressing room for seven. And there was so much just fucking around and making each other laugh. So much stuff that didn't make it onto the show. And so we missed performing live. We missed that sort of like sitting around in a room, that sort of creativity, which, to me, and I think the Kyle is some of the most fun, it's, like, for us. But it's also like, I was just watching an intro to one of our episodes that hasn't come out yet. I was like, the section where it's just us hanging out. I think it's like our 11th or 12th, and I'm like, this is the best yet. We're finally like figuring it out, like how to do it on camera with the podcast. And it just feels, it feels really fun.

[Jesse David Fox]

It is interesting. I feel like I've had a lot of conversations these last three months, but especially just generally post strikes where like a lot of people who went down the path of like the system and like Saturday Live is the most classic version of it being at this point where they're like, I need to own something that is mine. Yeah, I can't depend anymore. Just sort of like things falling to. Because there aren't the same thing.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. And it used to be like creating a show, which is something I think a lot of us are still doing. But like with, you know, you don't have your, like IFC or your Comedy Central or all these, you know, other smaller cable networks that are supporting these voice or even like, even just like multi cams, like if you wanted to do that, like the writers are not there anymore, you know, then the shows aren't there anymore. Like it's that sort of like global streaming model. And so comedy doesn't really translate. So there's less and less. And now it's podcast.

[Jesse David Fox]

So you've known Kyle for over 20 years. You met as freshman, I believe, at USC.

[Beck Bennett]

That's right.

[Jesse David Fox]

Can you remember a story or a moment where you're like, this is my guy forever.

[Beck Bennett]

Interesting. Yeah, I mean, I remember the first moment where I was like, this guy's so funny. And it was like, so I don't know if this is the, the exact moment, but this, this was. We both auditioned for the comedy, the college comedy group Commtus. There was really only one when we got there. Now there are like eight. But it was like a. You would audition, then you got a call back and then after the callback, they picked a certain amount of people to be part of a five week workshop and then they picked some of those people to be a part of the group.

[Jesse David Fox]

Funny when kids get to be in charge.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. They're like, hm, let's see. I'll draw this out as long as possible. There are no other groups. The only option in town. And it was at the callback where like he had, he had a callback within an improvised scene where he came in and was like, I don't remember anything else, but he just came in and was like Juicy Juice. And everybody lost their shit. And I was like, this Guy's amazing. And, yeah, I mean, like, after that. That first year, I think another part was, like, I would Our. We were in different dorms that were connected, and I'd, like, we'd go up to his room to, like, pre game before going out, which meant, like, maybe going to another dorm room, and we would watch Best of Will Ferrell and, like, you know, it was just, like, around. And he would do his, like, pterodactyl impression on, like, the top bunk of his. Of his dorm room, which is insane. And, like. And then really the first sketch show. Our comedy group did two sketch shows here at the end of each semester. He had an idea, and, like, he kind of gave me the character. Maybe we both had characters in it, but, like, he was just very collaborative and, you know, generous and, you know, like, just wanted to hang and laugh. And so it was kind of like, that was the really solidifying. It was a couple moments.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's so interesting because it's like college is this time you're forming your own comedic sensibility, and he's forming his own comedic sensibility, and you're doing it sort of at the same time together. Did it?

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Do you feel like it's part of sort of the lasting of your collaboration is this sort of your sensibilities are both different but also sort of forged in the same fire?

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, I don't know, because they are very different. I think that. And Kyle, you know, it took him, like, even, like, there's this, like, sketch we did, this Internet sketch, this Australian boat guy that I got to do because I could do an Australian accent. And like, he was like, well, yeah, Beck should do it, even though it was, like, his story and his idea, basically. You know, I think, like, it took Kyle a little while to find his. His Persona, his style, like his Lakers interviews and stuff. And then it was like, oh, I'm. I'm. As you do you write for yourself. Yeah, it was always that. He was, like, kind of the. That Kyle energy, and I was like, the actor who could, like, do accents, play different people, or be the straight man, and, like. Or bring some emotion to it or something like that.

[Jesse David Fox]

But, yeah, I mean, on your Marc Maron episode of your podcast, he point, he just goes like, well, you're the straight man. He's the weird one.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

And it did feel a little bit. You're like, well, I could be weird.

[Beck Bennett]

I could be weird, too. But, like. But honestly, I've been thinking about that a lot recently, because that is true. And, like, even in like, in the. Up in the podcast, I'll say stuff, and Kyle will be like, what? You know, I'm like, huh, What? Like, I mean, he will actively be weird. He'll also be weird, too. Like, he'll be genuine at times where I'm like, what? I'm not used to this necessarily, but, like, so we both can bring that energy. But I've been thinking about that. That Marin episode, and I am like, there is. I think when we are our best is kind of when he is being weird and I'm being a little weird, but also kind of the straight man to his weirdness and, like, calling it out or, like, pushing him into, like, corners that he has to back himself out of and that, you know, like, it is like.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. I mean, immediately I think of the dance sketch at snl.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Which is like, you're not playing. In some sketches. You would be the weird one, but you just sort of are playing. It's like a different universe where the straight men are weird. Yes. And then there is a weirder guy.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes, yes, definitely. Yeah. I think that's. That's when we are functioning at our best.

[Jesse David Fox]

Do you ever go back and watch Old Good Neighbor sketches, the sketch group you were in with Kyle and Dave and.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, I mean, I have. We recently did. We were interviewed for the 50th SNL. 50th. One of the documentaries they made, and they played us some of our sketches, and it was. It was surreal. I. I mean, yeah. Yeah. I go back and watch some. Some are surprising to me, and some, I think hold up and are great, and I love them.

[Jesse David Fox]

I asked partly because I was rewatching it and I got the Lonely island. Got a lot of credit for, like, broadly defined Internet sketch comedy.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. They were our example when we started.

[Jesse David Fox]

But I feel like a lot more people don't do what you guys did. Like, I think, like, I watched the toast or toast, and I was like, literally, this is half of sketch comedy post, this sketch.

[Beck Bennett]

Really? Yeah. I'm sure. I'm sure that you're more familiar with that.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

But, yeah, I do think that, yeah. Taking sort of the loose, like, found footage almost style. This is not a polished produced video that you then put on the Internet. This is like something that somebody picked up a camera and made.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

Like that sort of style which, you know, is Dave McCary, our director. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

An extension of, like. And that's why you were all. You're always playing yourself whatever in the sketch.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes, yes. Which is. Which was hard. I. I was Kyle kind of reminded me this at snl. When we got there, they didn't want us playing ourselves. And, you know, it was challenging because they were like, this is network television. You need to make it look like something that could be on tv. And then we did the. We did the dancing sketch. Dancing while doing. Which was based off of singing while doing chores, an Internet video we made. But they. They were like, you can't call each other Beck and Kyle. And then so moving forward, I wish we would have fought more for that because honestly, like, I. Like, I love. Please don't destroy. Yeah, they got to play themselves and just be in the office, which is the office that we used to have. And it was all three of them. You know, for us, it was just two of us. And I'm not like, you know, slamming the show or any choice, but it is like, if we were able to call each other Beck and Kyle at the very least and like, shoot very lo fi stuff, I think we would have found a different aesthetic for the show.

[Jesse David Fox]

It is funny because it's like, if you listen to, like, the Lonely island podcast, they'll complain in about certain things that are ultimately, like, what you guys got to do. And then, like, the things you might complain about, it's like, what? Please don't.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, yeah. It's like you just kind of break the door down for the next person.

[Jesse David Fox]

Everyone would have just like, been happy. It's like, why did they get to.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, like, just simplify. Just let us do kind of what we do and. Yeah, you did.

[Jesse David Fox]

You were performance good neighbor to open up for Kyle's show.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, it was kind of. It was kind of like towards the end, it was like almost like a little.

[Jesse David Fox]

What was that like for you?

[Beck Bennett]

It was great. It was. It was just really, really nice to be back with everybody. Dave was there as well. He came out as like the Beast and Toast sketch. Yeah, it was. It was really sweet, like. And, you know, that's just. That's kind of like Kyle too. Like, he brings you into his thing. He's very supportive and loyal and I mean, it was a great call to bring us back for his final show in la. But.

[Jesse David Fox]

So you did Toast like you did. You relearned the dance?

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, yeah, it was.

[Jesse David Fox]

It was pretty easy for the routine, I guess.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, the routine, it's kind of like baked in you. You just kind of got to get like the little transitions down and everything. But yeah, it was just. It was kind. It was that definitely that feeling of, oh, we should try to do this. But then again, to the point of starting a podcast, it's like, well, then you got to think of what it is, and then you got to book it and you got to, like. It's a lot of effort.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

And then it's like, well, we do. We do old sketches? Do we do new sketches? How do we find this again? And really, oddly, like, the backstage hang was, like, it was great being on stage, but hanging out backstage and around and feeling that energy and, like, getting the dance feeling like the butterflies and seeing Kyle go over his stuff, and then Nick coming up to me and being like, let's do it again. Like that. It's just. That's. It's just so fun. And it's. It was. I really miss it.

[Jesse David Fox]

What is your. Either favorite because of the outcome or the experience of doing it? Sketch you got to do with pre tape. You got to do with Kyle.

[Beck Bennett]

Oh, pre tape.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. We'll get into the. Not pre taped.

[Beck Bennett]

Okay. Okay. I mean, the thing. The thing that's in my head is dancing, because that was. That felt like doing one of our videos, and it was shot in my apartment, and we were laughing while doing it. And if, you know, like, when you're able to, like, sort of have that, like, for lack of a better word, diy, like, we're putting it together. We're like, make. Not making the costumes, but kind of figuring out a little bit more as we do it. It's just. You're more connected to it, and it's more fun.

[Jesse David Fox]

So.

[Beck Bennett]

And it was new and early, and it did well, which a lot of our sketches didn't always do well. And then after that, I would say, what was the first oh, wing with Andrew Garfield? It's a sketch. And this is largely from Kyle's aesthetic. These sort of. And his, you know, creation is the old sitcom style sketches. The. What's. What's the name? It's a specific kind, though. It's the. A very important episode or whatever. And it's Andrew Garfield. And I basically. I forget what it was. He. He wants to have the last wing that we have. We're, like, having it. We're hanging out, and I basically sexually abuse him. And Kyle's like, he. You shouldn't. He shouldn't talk to you like that. I'm like. I, like, pull up his sleeve and I'm like, you've got a really nice body. You could use that. You know, don't let it go to waste. And like, all the music and everything and like, the weird transitions like that was. We had so much fun shooting that. Like, so I think it was really. It had to be something at the beginning, you know, where we were finding it and laughing and it connected with an audience.

[Jesse David Fox]

You're a trained actor.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

Where do you go to. To get to that tone? Like, even right now we were talking, and then you're like, now we're in the universe of the sketch and you are. Whatever that tone is.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. I mean, that. I mean, that's such a specific tone. And, like, we would. I mean, the further we did those, I'm like, I'm thinking of the. The one with Chris. Chris Pratt, where it's like, a lot of the stuff. I'm just, like, doing weird stuff. You know, we, like. We do the thing where we, like, walk out a door and just stand in the hallway and, like. So it was, like, a lot of experimenting and seeing what worked, finding that line. But it's sort of like a little bit of a dead in the eye, sort of stilted and, like, kind of to your point, like, sitting in those moments where you're not speaking and the silence and the weird look and the shake of the head and, like, going in with. With, like, music and stuff and being like. Just, like. Just kind of experimenting, you know, play. But, like, sort of dead in the eyes, like. Like trying to find, like, that the intonations that are sort of formulaic.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

You know, like, I think I'd like to have a good time with you. And really, like, so kind of like being outside of it while you're doing it, almost.

[Jesse David Fox]

It is fascinating because it's like those. It's amazing how many y' all got to do with how seemingly poorly they played to the us. But you'll look, and they'll be some of the most popular sketches of the last 10 years. On YouTube.

[Beck Bennett]

On YouTube.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's like a completely different world.

[Beck Bennett]

Completely different world. It got less and less and less by the time we did. By the time we. I mean, we did Beers with Larry David. And that was great. That. That played well. But what was it? The one with Ryan Gosling where it was, like, based on the Steve or Family Matters, where Steve, Stefan or Kelly. Yeah, yeah. Like, I remember, like, that was so fun. Like, Ryan, you know, is one of the best hosts. He gets it, and he's supportive of weird ide ideas. And we were shooting late and, like, Lauren visited set. You know, he probably made one of those jokes like, yo, this is my favorite one. Like, you know, we're like, is that. Did he mean that? Is he messing with us? Is this go. Is this gonna go good? Is this gonna go well? We're laughing so hard while making it. Like, the dance where we're just kind of moving and we're like, all right, we're editing it, and we're like. We're like. We really found something. And then it's just like, the most silent sketch I think I've ever seen.

[Jesse David Fox]

Play 5 million people loving on you.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

It is funny that you're like, does Lauren like this, or is he pranking us? It's like. It is.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. I mean, you never. You never fully know. I mean, he is really supportive of Odd. Odd stuff, but he also has to run. Run that show and make it relevant so he. He understands there's a space for both. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

I think other than Kyle, you mentioned you made those videos with the director, Dave McCrary, and this is maybe an odd question, but it was one thing I was thinking about, which is, what's it like seeing your friend meet, fall in love with, and then marry a host? In this case, Emma Stone? You're, like, on the show. You're just, like, doing the show and you're like, I think Dave's, like, falling in love with one of these.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. I mean, I don't think I really saw it at the show, and maybe it was like. I feel like the episode was when. When she did one of, I think, Wells for Boys. Wells for Boys, Right. Yeah. Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. And so, like, I wasn't there for that. So that was the one where he really interacted with her probably the most. And then before I knew it, they were, like. They were dating and, like. And then. Yeah. It's just so much of it happened not in front of us, so it was. Yeah, it was. It was surreal, Strange. But also, Dave's a very handsome man.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

Very talented guy. You know, that's it.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's just sort of like. It just. It was. I just remember when that happened, because it did seem like it happened before that on snl, and there's a small period where people on SNL got to marry movie stars.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. And I was like. It was like, what's happening? And then, like, Pete's dating or engaged.

[Jesse David Fox]

To Ariana Grande, and then there's, like, Jos and Scarlett. But you're like, oh, I think we literally wrote a story. It's like, if you want to marry a celebrity, try to get. Become a writer on Saturday Night Live.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Like, for a normal person.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. Not cast Well, I guess people. Yeah, but like. But yeah, with. With Scarlet. Yeah. And. Yeah, it's wild.

[Jesse David Fox]

That's it. So of the non pre taped sketches, I feel like the definitive Kyle and Beck one is brothers.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes, yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

Can you describe the basic premise of that?

[Beck Bennett]

The basic premise is that we are. Our parents are having friends over. I forget. Wait, man, I forget if they're new in town or if they are new in town. That we're new in town or they're other people. The other people are new in town.

[Jesse David Fox]

Y' all are new in town because there's something like.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

No, we kept on having to move neighborhoods.

[Beck Bennett]

Y. But like, we. I think we did. So. So the premise of the sketch is that they're like, yeah, yeah. It's so nice to meet you guys. Oh, you should meet our boys. Boys, come down and. Lev. Is it Lev or I. I've been saying Lev driver leave. Liv.

[Jesse David Fox]

Lev. I think it might be Lev Shiver.

[Beck Bennett]

Lev. It's one of those names that, like, always bothers me.

[Jesse David Fox]

And.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

You don't like it? Not because, you know.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, I don't like it. And so I don't say it right, even though I know how to say it right. So many names I don't know how to say right. And people who are in my lives regularly. And anyway, yeah, so he calls us down and me and Kyle are wearing tighty whities and Looney Tunes, like, big shirts, like, you know, pajamas or whatever. And we come down the stairs, like, fighting intensely, and he's like, yelling at us to stop. And then to get us to stop, he pulls out a hose which he keeps in the house, plugged in, and sprays us down. And it's like a full jet of really, like, cold water, like, spraying us in the face, like, in the mouth. And, like, he calms us down. And yeah, he, like, he has to say hi to the guests. And we keep fighting over stuff and it gets more and more physical. I. He breaks a plate over my head. I throw him through a wall. And then we. I'm like, dad, tell him what you said. And Kyle's like, what, dad? It's like, well, I. Again, I haven't seen it a bit, but he reveals that Kyle was a mistake. And Kyle's like, so, did you want me? It's just like. And so this. This other couple that's just come over to our house meeting, they're like, what the fuck is happening? And it was such a fun sketch because Cecily and Kenan are laughing, and that's Just, like, so fun. It just felt like such a classic SNL sketch experience where. Where we were making, you know, some of the best performers who have ever done the show laugh. And we're doing stuff like, you know, Chris Farley or Molly Shannon going through walls and breaking plates and getting sprayed with water and.

[Jesse David Fox]

Was it cold?

[Beck Bennett]

Like, it was very cold.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

We were like, get it in your mouth. You know, get it, like, in your hair. And like. Yeah, it was just so. Because so many sketches at snl, you see that growing up, and you're like, I can't wait to just go nuts.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

But you get there, and as so many people know, now you have to hit your mark and say, what's on the cards? Because they're cutting cameras live, and you can't mess with that. And to get away with something physical on stage is hard because there are a lot of times a lot of sketches that go to dress where people are doing physical stuff, and the crowd is like, oh, no, Are they okay? And it doesn't work. And it's like, oh, that's clumsy or awkward or, you know, so it was. It was just such a great. This thing coming together. And, like, I. I've always been into that. Like, I have two brothers. He has two brothers. And we just love this sort of. Like, we did a similar sketch, I think, one of our senior years and one of our comedy group sketch shows where it was brothers and it was more about our parents getting divor. And we were fighting at the dinner table, and they were trying to tell us that they were getting divorced, and we just kept fighting, and then we were like, you know, it was a similar type of thing and talking about how the family was breaking up.

[Jesse David Fox]

And, you know, a little bit later, we'll talk about your history on the show, playing dads and husbands and whatever. But I feel like if you're not playing a dad or a person who could be a dad, you are often playing a baby or a little kid. Even if you're playing adult. Like, your comedic voice is. I'm being a little kid right now.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Where do you think that comes from? Or what is it about little kids?

[Beck Bennett]

I have no idea. I mean, I know where the dad stuff comes from. Like, I just have that kind of energy. Yeah. Whether it's like, the voice or whatever, and. But the little kid thing now, so I'm like, I actually haven't heard this point, so. But obviously there's baby boss. Yes. And I'm thinking of, what are the other. Like, are There specific other kids that you can think of?

[Jesse David Fox]

I think. Well, obviously this. The character is like. It's like the Chuck E. Cheese type thing you're doing or whatever.

[Beck Bennett]

Pokey pepperoni.

[Jesse David Fox]

You're adults, but, like, you are being like, little kids.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Or often in sketches. Like, I do feel like when. If your character is being the weird one, there's, like, an infantile quality that's happening where it's like you're an adult, but you're, like, having a tantrum, essentially.

[Beck Bennett]

I am not quite sure. I mean, like, maybe just like this. The foolishness, the silliness of that. People who think they're in charge have naturally. I feel like that's probably. Probably it. And the temper tantrum stuff. I mean, like, I've just always found, like, the. The dad yelling to be very funny. I had a dad who had a. I. They still have this dad who has, like, a big voice and he would, like, yell a lot. And so I think. And he was very funny, and he still is.

[Jesse David Fox]

But now that you are a dad or now that you have a kid, has it informed your understanding of comedy?

[Beck Bennett]

That's a. That's an interesting question. I don't. I don't know if it has. I mean, my son is so, so funny. I. It's so simple, too. But as far as, like, what I create, I don't think it has. I'm not. But I do think. I mean, it has started to affect just where I come from, what I want to do, obviously, but that's more of a lifestyle.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, Y. Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, I. I do. And I don't know if it's like, becoming a. A father or just this time in my life, but, you know, I'm. I'm less. I think I'm just sometimes less excited by things that are, like, just weird or subversive or pushing boundaries as much. So I don't know exactly where that comes from.

[Jesse David Fox]

Like, you. That's interesting. Is that partly just you. You know, like, obviously you can be like, oh, you had a kid. You realize, oh, just making a funny face is actually what comedy is, which is not what you're actually saying. But it does seem like in general, you just, for whatever reason, personally, are more leaning to just, like, do be funny, normal style.

[Beck Bennett]

Be funny normal style. Yeah. I mean, like, I. You know, I don't know if. I don't think it has to do with being a parent. I think it has to do with being, like, wanting to have a less like. Like, instead of just, like, throwing at the wall and seeing what sticks. It's like, I kind of want to be, like, a little bit more in the pocket, like, kind of speaking to that point with the Marin suggestion, I'm like, I want to do. I want to do what works. I do want to experiment and try things, but I want to, like. I want things to function. I don't want to just be being weird or, like, doing stuff that makes me laugh and being like, that's funny and, like, a whole audience. Yeah. Get it, you know?

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. I imagine you. And we'll get it. Like, you're on the show, and you sort of learn a lot of things, and you sort of develop a sort of, like, expertise or understanding that you. There's, like, obviously the joy of experimenting. Experimenting, but there's also the joy of sort of, like, I know exactly my instrument, and I want to, like, wield it or whatever.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And you want, like. You see a lot of the great performance. Like, there's not as much. Like, there's not a sweatiness. Yeah. There's like, they know what it is, and they can deliver it. So, like, that's kind of what I'm more Not pushing. Yeah. Yeah. And I think, like, earlier on, there was more of that, like, trying to find it. So. Yeah. I don't know if it has to do with being a parent. It might just be where I am in my life and, like, having pushed myself at the show and I found that more towards the end. Yeah. So. So, yeah. Yeah, but we'll see. I mean, like, it could. It could start to. To change, though, like, as I write more and more things down. But, like, as far as being a father and making him laugh, it's like, no, that's not gonna work with anybody else. It's like, it's so simple. It's so simple. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

So part of the reason I wanted to have you on is when I had Sarah Sherman on, I asked her who at the ethanol 50s she was most excited to see, and she said, you. And I'm sorry for my part of the clip that you saw of me laughing at that thing. She just talks about how great of a guy you were and how everyone at the show was like, we're so sad that Mike has left the show. He's the best guy. And I just had never heard anyone even talk any about anyone. Like. Like, what was it like seeing that?

[Beck Bennett]

I mean, I'm getting emotional now. Excuse me. I. It was insane. Like, I'm like. I keep saying, like, it's like, the best thing that's ever happened to me. Like, I had. I was. I was particular. I was a spot where I was. I was at a. You know, it wasn't even, like, a particularly bad time. I just wasn't feeling great.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

And I just gotten out of therapy, and I saw a text from my wife that said, look at this clip right away. And I just, like, burst into tears, like. Like, making ugly sounds like. And I mean, it's like. It's that thing of, like, that's. That's like. I mean, growing up, being like, if you ever feel, like, misunderstood. Yeah. Or, like, not appreciated, you're like, someday somebody's going to do something like that. Or like, you think about your funeral and the nice things. Literally romantic. And then she did that, like, and then she looked out and she's like, love you back. And she's wearing, like, a heart. And it's just like. It was. I just blew my mind. It, like, really was just so, so sweet. And it is brought up all the time. And I'm like, yeah. I think that's, like, the best thing I've done is. Is Sarah saying that about me. And, I mean. Yeah, I just am. And it's like, she is so amazing, the fact that she was able to just, like, do that. One of the things. I love her so much, and I think one of the reasons we connected so much is because she's like, this is who I am. And I'll say whatever. She doesn't say, like, things that you would. She thinks are, like, right or like. Like, I'm. I'm a. I'm a good person. I'm on the right side of politics or, like, social issues, like. And she is. But she says whatever she wants. And she, like, gets away with. Makes sense, and it connects with people because she just has this, like, flow. This, like. And her ability to, like, say, that was just so cool. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

I think a lot of people would be like, yeah. Lots of people. Really nice at this. You know, like. Or just even, like.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Beck was, like, kind of cool. Like, but the fact that it's sort of like, it felt as organic as the rest of her comedic voice.

[Beck Bennett]

Right.

[Jesse David Fox]

Literally. This is how her brain processes how you.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes. Yeah. And I was like, you know, and now people will ask me about it, and I'll be like, well, I don't know if I'm the most liked. That was. That was Sarah's experience. And, yeah, I'm gonna. I'm. I'm gonna. So. Yeah, that is true. I guess I'm not Gonna take anything away from that. But yeah, it was really. She's just, and yeah, like hanging out with her, we had just so much fun. She was just like such a special person.

[Jesse David Fox]

I wanted to talk about it because it is a tremendous legacy in so much as I've interviewed a lot of people who worked at snl. I've read all the books. I'm sure you've read the books. This is not a reputation many people have. This is not to say everyone who worked at SNL has always been an. It's just a stressful environment and high stress environments aren't when people are the most conscientious.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, totally. I, I, I'm. And also like, I'm, I was awful a lot. You know, she, she never actually got to be there with me. Well, yeah, people missed me so.

[Jesse David Fox]

Well, I wanna, we'll get into the sort of your more awful periods, but like, can you think of the, where it comes from? Your, the fact you're able to at some point be able to be a person that some that could have this reputation among, you know, the cast, the crew were often talking about. I feel like she was talking about like, oh, the people that do makeup or whatever. Like, oh, I wish Beck was here. I've missed doing Beck.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Do you have a sense of where that came from, being or personality or how you're raised?

[Beck Bennett]

I don't know. I mean, like, I, you know, I'm from the Midwest and Midwesterners have that reputation of being nice or kind of like extending themselves, trying to be nice to people. But, you know, I definitely wasn't always nice to people and I was definitely like, felt really bad. Like a lot of people do just about themselves and like bringing an energy around and being like, oh, I suck or I'm nothing or whatever. But I, so I, I really don't know. I mean, I definitely grew up with a, like a strong treat people how you want to be treated thing. I don't think I ever really was like, I'm not gonna do that sketch. You know, I never asked to be taken out of something because the part was too small. And I think that like, maybe that's, I mean, I, again, like, I came up as an actor and doing comedy, so I do think, and especially because there's some people there that are like, have this star quality where it's like they just shoot. Like I kind of said, like, I'm not a star, I'm like a planet. I'm like there and it's like the other, you know, There's a gravitational pull, and it's important, but it's not exploding. But it's. It's a part of the system. And I just. I think I take pride in making a sketch work, like, playing, like, whether it's a line or. Or I'm the focus of it. Like, I want to get as much out of it as possible. And whether I'm playing and to know, like, am I the straight man in this or am I injecting, you know, a laugh here? Or is it both and, like, really trying to, like, serve the writing as much as possible and really show up and give it my all every time. And especially at the table read. Yeah. Which is, I think a lot of people would say, is where I shine the most. And nobody got to see that because I would really just, like, give everything. I would never be like, I don't think this is funny. I'm not going to give it everything. So I. I think it was that. That combination of, you know, trying to be. To be nice to people and not have that, like, I'm better than this quality and just show up as much as possible every single time. And then. Yeah, Yeah. I think that's maybe why. Because it's also, like, I have that, like, utility player aspect where I think I can play. I can play authority. I can play, like, you know, sort of historical figures, political people. Like, I think, like, the writers miss me because I could. They could put me in somewhere for a laugh, especially at the table.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

And to fill in a, you know, a part like that.

[Jesse David Fox]

What was your relationship to the crew? Do you feel like you have any memories that specifically highlight what your relationship was like to the crew?

[Beck Bennett]

I mean, the crew being like, everybody.

[Jesse David Fox]

Everyone that's not writers and performers. Because we'll focus a lot on the rest. On that. For the rest of the interview.

[Beck Bennett]

I mean, the crew. The crew took me, like, years to sort of get to know. I mean, and there are people there, like Kenny Amon, who's, like. Who was just the most wonderful person in the world. I felt like I had a strong connection with him, but he had a strong connection with everybody because he was just a incredible presence. And I mean, that goes for a lot of the other people there, but, yeah, I don't know, like, especially with, like, the. On the floor. It took me a while, I think, to really, like, develop more of a relationship, because the first couple of years I was like, I'm fired. And I was in a tunnel, like a tunnel of fear. I couldn't even see Straight. So it was like, by my third year, it was like, oh, I should. Oh, hey. Like, yeah, you know, I should really, I can. I'm like, I feel good enough to. To open up and. And connect. And I mean, like, Jodi Mancuso was like the best. She. She's the head of hair. And like, I mean, I loved her so much. I'd, like, sit in her chair and she would, like, you know, it was like a barbershop. I'd be like, this is bugging me. And she'd be like, sweetie, you're going to be fine. You're going to be fine. Like, you know, and we talk about life and like, and then, you know, some other. There was some other, like, angels there that really.

[Jesse David Fox]

See, this is why you get that reputation, the way you're talking about people. So, I mean, you talked about a little bit the beginning, how you felt on this show, and it reminded me of, you know, Seth Meyers also has a very good reputation, especially as a boss.

[Beck Bennett]

He's amazing.

[Jesse David Fox]

But, like, I've talked to him and he goes, dude, until I got Weekend Update, I was not, like, nice to be around. And yeah, it seemed like your second season of the show, you had a really good first season, but second season show was really hard on you.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Can you talk about what it was about that?

[Beck Bennett]

So, I mean, the first season felt like sort of Hunger Games. You know, there were, I think, seven of us, seven new cast members by the end of the year, and three of us stayed. So, you know, people were struggling. I think, like, it was kind of a feeling when I got hired back, it was like, I made it. I made it through that. Now I can, like, relax a little bit. And you know, specifically during that time before getting a great therapist, I would rely on pizza and beer a lot to self soothe and. And I think I did that a lot. That summer came back, had gained a lot of the weight, was still not knowing how to take care of myself throughout that season. And I think that. I think what was hard about coming back was like, then they hired Leslie Jones and Pete Davidson. Two stars. Two right out of the box stars. Like fully formed stars. Yeah, fully formed stars. Huge connection with the audience. And so it was kind of like, oh, wait, I thought I was gonna, like, build on what I did, but now I'm like, yeah, yeah, all of a sudden, like, and, you know, all the little tricks that I used, like, whether it was baby boss for my audition or making videos with Kyle and Dave to solidify a presence, it was like yeah, you did that. What else? And so then it was like, I don't know what else to do. And luckily, Tim Robinson and Zach Cannon wrote a lot for me and helped me out a lot.

[Jesse David Fox]

We will get to those sketches. I love those sketches.

[Beck Bennett]

But, yeah, so I think it was like. It was that. It was like, oh, you didn't make it. There's no making it. It's a constant struggle, and you really need to learn to take care of yourself.

[Jesse David Fox]

Is it correct that you were asked to lose weight, or. I believe the thing was you either had to gain weight or lose weight.

[Beck Bennett]

Well, I. So it was in between my second and third year that I did a short called how to Lose Weight in Four Easy Steps. It was short about heartbreak, and the third step is get your heart broken. And so for this short film directed by Ben Berman, I shot two days at the beginning of the summer and two days at the end. So that kind of came.

[Jesse David Fox]

That's what it was.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, that's what it was. That kind of came at its. After I was asked, I was told by many different people in different ways, you know, kind of some shitty ways, some like, oh, okay, maybe. And then it was like, yeah, so. And I'm keeping it vague on purpose. I don't want to, because there were. There were some. There was definitely somebody who. I don't think, as people would know, that handled it in ways that was upsetting and frustrating and hard, which probably made my second year even harder, you know, and then. Then there was somebody who put it to me in a way that kind of made it click. And then again, I don't want to say that person's name, because asking somebody to lose weight is, you know, controversial. So. But it was put to me in a way where I was like, oh, that kind of makes sense. Like, it's like, you want to be comfortable, you want to be confident, you want to be able to, you know, if I'm. If I'm there to play these certain parts, I want to be able to be that person, to look like that person. That's kind of the reality of our business to some, you know, and changes a lot. Like, there are different body types playing different parts that they haven't been able to play for a while, which is great, but that's kind of how it was put to me. And then this. This short came up, and so I was like, great, yeah, I'll lose weight for this. For this short. And lost. Yeah, like 30 pounds in between season two and three. And then at that point, Had a therapist and could kind of like start to level out a little bit.

[Jesse David Fox]

One other thing I want to ask was, when you're on Brooks, well, Brooks Whelan's podcast, he mentioned in passing that you guys butt heads during your first season, and this was during the Hunger Games aspect, your two first year cast members. He was a one year cast member. And. But, like, what did that look like? Where did that come from? How did that. How did you resolve it? What did you learn from that experience?

[Beck Bennett]

Well, I'll answer the two parts first and then remind me of. Sure. But I think it was just like, you know, I auditioned with Brooks. We were in similar circles in la. We didn't know each other very well, but, yeah, we kind of, you know, came up, did the audition process together, got it. Like, we're buddies. We're part of the same circle. We have some, like, very close friends, mutual friends. And then you get there and it's like, well, me, Dave and Kyle are going to be making videos. And he would kind of, I think, maybe be like, let's do something. And we'd kind of be like, well, like, well, this is kind of our thing. And then. So I think maybe he felt like, what? Why can't we all work together naturally? Like that. Yeah, I understand why he was upset and. And I mean, like, I'm assuming, but I think it was a little bit of that. Because there was no. There was never like a big thing, like, you said this thing, or like, yeah. Like, it was never a moment where I was like, fuck, Brooks. Or like, he was like. There was no fight, but it was just that energy, I think, of like. And we shared a dressing room, me, him and Kyle. So. And that's just like, hard when somebody else is in the show and doing stuff and you're not.

[Jesse David Fox]

You're just.

[Beck Bennett]

And you have to be there. You have to sit there all day in your dressing room just in case they need you for something. So I think it was kind of like it was just a natural competition and sort of like. And as far as that, I mean, that was how it started, but I think that it kind of. It was like, almost like a. It felt like there was a jockeying for, like, I'm. I'm accepted. Like, like, you're not accepted. Like, you know, kind of like elbowing, like, a little bit of that sort of thing. So it was very minimal, but it was like, it kind of. It was almost like, in a way where I was like, I didn't know that you were mad, but Then I could kind of see afterwards. And then there was a little bit of frustration. I don't know if I'm doing a great job of.

[Jesse David Fox]

Well, I just. I mean, it's just curious because it's like, I imagine to be the reputation you have, you would have to be able to, like, navigate the personalities of this. And, like, you. And that takes experiences. And I just sort of. I thought it was interesting to just get a sense of, like, oh, like, of course there's gonna be cast members that have feelings every episode because of whatever happened. And then you. You're having. It's complicated for. Even if you're on the show, you have those complicated feelings, and you're like. You almost, like, don't have time for you to try to figure out the sort of balance of it.

[Beck Bennett]

Right, Right. Well, you had. You see people are hurting or in pain, and you're like, I just have to make sure this works. Yeah. And then so they might be like, well, you don't give a shit about me. Like, you, like, didn't. You know. And I do think, again, to the point of not being able to take care of your feelings and booze, being an outlet like that can just make things worse and cloud your perception. And I think that there's, like, a little bit and, like, lack of sleep, like, we weren't sleeping, you know, and it's just, like. You just lose perspective on things. Yeah. I think you maybe take it out on each other a little bit as.

[Jesse David Fox]

You got later into the show when two cast members or a cast member and, like, say, a director were having a conflict of one way or another. Let's just say, for example, how did you feel like you had a responsibility to try to help the situation.

[Beck Bennett]

Okay. So, like, if there's. If there's a conflict between a cast member and a director, let's say that happened very little. And when it did happen, it was almost so stunning that you didn't know what to do. And then it was like a flash, and then it kind of went away. And it was kind of like, oh, what was that? You know what I mean? In the instance that it. I can think of it happening. It was like, it doesn't feel like there's anything to be done, you know, and it's kind of like somebody should be stepping in here that has some power or say, yeah, that's kind of. Then that was like, they're kind of singular examples. Yeah. Because otherwise it would be really like, just somebody being like, I don't want to do this. And asking me. Asking to be taken out of it, which. Which is kind of. That person says sorry or like, you know, does something to make up for it later. Maybe. But. But yeah, typically there. There was. There were very few instances where you would have to step in and mediate between people. Yeah, I think unfortunately, like, if there was any sort of conflict, a lot of it would be like. The way it would manifest would be cold shouldering and silence and lack of response to the person. And so what do you. That's. You can't really go like, hey, smile at that person. Include them. Like, you're. It's also like, happening to you all the time. And it's almost. Yeah. So it's hard to really, like, step in. I will say though, you know, but people, like younger cast members would come to my office and like, be upset and, you know, be in tears or whatever. And I would be happy to be there for them because other cast members were the same for me, like, whether it was Vanessa Baer or A.D. bryant who was. I'm getting emotional again. She's just.

[Jesse David Fox]

Were you thinking of a specific example with 80?

[Beck Bennett]

She was just always there and always helpful and. Yeah, just always provided so much, like, incredible advice. Just like, very, very generous. She helped me with leaving the show, actually. I was. I was frustrated. Man. Two, Two cry moments. It's wild. I was like. It was my last week my wife was pregnant. She was like 11 weeks or something or just like 12 weeks. And was just at the point where you could tell people and the tests were, you know, showing that it was a healthy baby. And I wanted to do this sketch that I had put it to table a couple times and it was like, like previous years that I wrote with Andrew Dukes. And I put it to table and they were like my third. Third to last show of the season. And they were like, we're gonna. We're not gonna do it this week. We'll do it next week. Put it to the table next week. They didn't do it. And I was like, what the fuck? Like, this is my eighth year. This has killed every single time. And I get like, it is a weird sketch and a lot of weird sketches that kill at that table do not when it comes to the studio. But. But I was told to bring it back. And I was so mad. And. And then it was the last week and I was like, you know, I told her, Jesse's pregnant and I think we're going to LA to. To have the child. Like, that's where we're gonna he's gonna be born and that's where we're gonna raise him, and that's what feels right for us. And, you know, and I was kind of like, you know, Lauren didn't, like, pick this sketch, so I don't want to tell him. And she was like, tell him. Like, you know, you have a great relationship with him. You want to leave with a great relationship with him, and don't let this, like, little, you know, snafu this thing that we've all experienced so many times get in your way of. Of leaving. And so, so, yeah, I talked to him in between dress and air of the last show.

[Jesse David Fox]

It was not busy at all.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, not busy at all. Good time to just be like, like, I'm out. Yeah, I'm having a baby. My wife is pregnant. We're having a baby. We're doing in la. But, yeah, so she was very helpful with that at the very end.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah, I think we're done with the crying. Don't worry.

[Beck Bennett]

Thank God.

[Jesse David Fox]

I think all the rest of these.

[Beck Bennett]

Questions didn't do it on purpose. It was, it was like, it was connected to the Sarah thing. It's like, it's the, like, it's like the, you know, it is a hard show. Yeah. But there's so much, like, so much humanity in there and connection. That's really incredible.

[Jesse David Fox]

So we talked a little bit about your ability to play a straight man, and I do think it was perfect timing in that you come in right when Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader are leaving, who played different parts of straight men roles in sketches. So then there was like a huge void of both, like, dads, boyfriends and game show hosts.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes, yes, exactly.

[Jesse David Fox]

Were you deliberate about it or did someone just go like, well, that guy sounds like he's from the Midwest. He's the dad.

[Beck Bennett]

I again, like, I played that, like, that was like, advice that I got from, like, I was always playing old men in theater school. And I remember, like, one of my acting teachers being like, what parts are you going to play? You're graduating, you're 22. And I was like, old men. Like, you know, so that was always something I did again, probably because of my voice and everything. But, like, I was doing the AT&T commercials with those kids at the time, and I was wearing a suit and, you know, speaking in a serious voice and playing it very straight. So they were like, oh, he's in a suit, he has this voice. He's wearing a tie. He could. He could probably do. He's part of Good Neighbor who, like, Kyle had auditioned the year before, and Lonely island had kind of, you know, I think, shown some of our videos and been supportive in that way. So they were like, oh, he comes from this, but he's also doing this. So that's how it was. Like, you're a perfect fit for this. For this change.

[Jesse David Fox]

So I do feel like I remember in your story of how you got the job, Lauren goes, we'll be able to use you. And, like, little do you know, he's like, boom, boom, boom, boom. Like, a lot of sketches need dads or boyfriends.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. It's just like, there's a lot. There's a lot there. I think that. And that's, again, like, why my absence was felt.

[Jesse David Fox]

Probably one of your most famous straight man performances was in the David Pumpkin, David S. Pumpkin sketch. You really drive the sketch, even though, like, because otherwise there's so much time where David Pumpkins. David Pumpkin is not on screen.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

What do you remember from that shooting and blocking? Any of it?

[Beck Bennett]

That's funny. I feel like this is the first time I've been asked about it, but, like. And thank you very much. That's a great compliment. I remember, like, Seth. Seth Meyers was hosting the. This museum gala that we go to every year, and he, like, said something about David S. Pumpkins and was like, beck Bennett, hell of a straight man. I was like, whoa. Like, anyway, could you really.

[Jesse David Fox]

You play the. Like, I'm scared. What is.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, you're like, I'm so in the weeds. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that was, like, part of the, you know, big, big part due to Streeter Sidel, Mikey Day and their great writing. But, you know, I think it was, like, the setup. The setup allows me to be a great straight man because it is so insane. Yeah. And it is, like, just what the. Is happening here. And, like, you know, there's like, jump scares or whatever. And, like, I. You know, so I don't know exactly if. If. If it's like, oh, I knew how to thread the needle perfectly. It was just, like, the circumstances of the sketch that, like, allowed me to kind of be funny as the straight man in my reactions and drive the sketch forward.

[Jesse David Fox]

So, yeah, I mean, if you. The part where you have to be scared by David Pumpkins, you just, like, he's playing. Not comedy scared. He's playing, like, as if he's scared.

[Beck Bennett]

Genuinely scared. Yeah. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Master class. If anyone's aspiring straight sketch. Straight man.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes. It's a lot. A lot of need for it. You got every Sketch needs of my other favorite.

[Jesse David Fox]

I don't know why this one just stands out to me in terms of you playing Stray man is the sketch is Larry David is hosting and he's playing. He has a new wife and Cecily Strong, who's playing, I believe, like a version of Erika Jayne or something, essentially a woman who talks in gay slang. And then, as we saw, the entire sketch is Larry David breaking while saying gay slang. He must have learned that week.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes.

[Jesse David Fox]

And you are just stand there to be like, what are you talking about?

[Beck Bennett]

Oh, my God, this is like, such a foggy memory.

[Jesse David Fox]

I think the larger question is, I can't remember you breaking.

[Beck Bennett]

I don't think I did. Yeah. I don't think I broke very little. There was one sketch I broke where there was supposed to be a doorbell and Cecily was on stage. Cecily laughing at you on stage is like the most. The most funny and fun destabilizing thing you can have to your performance. I mean, that's.

[Jesse David Fox]

She's so grounded as well as a performance.

[Beck Bennett]

And her laugh, it, like, comes out like. It's like I can't impersonate her laugh, but it just pops and it's uncontrollable, and it's like, I can't do it. But, yeah, I don't think I broke during that. But there was one sketch where there was a doorbell was supposed to ring, and I'm supposed to go like, ah, that must be the something. And we're just sitting there, and I'm like, ooh, I think that there. I don't even know what I say. I should watch it again. So I know exactly what I say. But, yeah, her laughing at that made me break.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's wild. Is it a. Was it a point of pride or just sort of the nature of how you.

[Beck Bennett]

I think it was how I. You know, coming from an acting background, I would, like, wanted to be in it fully and committed. I liked being committed, which, like, actually looking back, you know, I let go of that a little bit more. It's not a fault, but it was something that, like, on that show, you want to have fun. You want to be loose. You want to be like, you know, and not just, like, trying to do it right. So I think I did come from that, and I tried to, like, let that go and play and be in the moment a little bit more.

[Jesse David Fox]

I feel like it's like the best impressions snl are someone reaching for the impression more than, like, this sounds exactly like that person.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes. And having fun with it, like, Kate McKinnon just, like, dancing around. Like, she was just so free with her impressions.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's interesting time you were on SNL because you were. You were playing a straight man at a very interesting time for straight men generally. So you were in a lot of post MeToo sketches playing male feminists that revealed they were creeps.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And also, like, a lot of the stuff that, like, Tim and Zach wrote or Che wrote for me, like, toxic guys that killed at the table. But, like, you get it in front of an audience during that time, they were like, no, we're not in support of this. We're not. We're not. This is not funny. We're not laughing at this. So it was definitely like. I was like, oh, man. How do you play that? How do you bring that to this audience and make it work? And it was hard.

[Jesse David Fox]

Can you think of a. I'm gonna ask you about two Tim and Zach sketches that did get on air, but can you think of one that didn't get on the air?

[Beck Bennett]

I mean, the one. The first one that I did live was. I mean, we kind of did a version of it with Chuck E. Chocolate, which is. But, like, I'm. Oh, what? I can't remember the name again. Like, I haven't thought about it for so long. But it was. Chris Rock was the host. So it was. I don't remember what year that was. My first or second year. Must have been my second year. Yeah, Leslie was.

[Jesse David Fox]

Leslie.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. Because Leslie bombed. Was supposed to. She was supposed to, like, fake punch me. And she actually punched me because it was a.

[Jesse David Fox]

That was a wild episode for Leslie. Leslie was in, like. I believe I talked to her about it. It's like one of the most famous bombs of all. Her and Chris Rock are in a sketch where they play married couple, and they just are screaming at each other.

[Beck Bennett]

Oh, yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Just plays like a play.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, yeah. It.

[Jesse David Fox]

So.

[Beck Bennett]

But in that sketch, like, I'm. I'm playing. It went to dress. I'm playing a guy who's getting fired from his job. He's at the office, and Chris Rock is the boss. And he's like, get out of here, Chuck. I think that was his name. Whatever. Get out of here. Like, yeah, don't come back. I'm like, well, it's been a great. I'll miss y', all, Diane. You and all your, you know, whatever. Like, you and all your trinkets on your desk. So funny. It's like. And it's like, steve, you flashed me in the stairwell. I have no, there's nothing good here. I love the laughs and, like, going around and, like, saying I was gonna miss everybody. Everybody's like, you're a pervert. You're disgusting. Get out of here. And at the end, Leslie goes to punch me, and she actually punches me. But, like, before doing that sketch, Chris Rock was like. And he. He knew it was not gonna go well. He was like, well, man, this is it. This is your defining moment. This is when you become an SNL cast member. Good luck. And it was like crickets. So that was one of the.

[Jesse David Fox]

That does sound like Tim and Zack. So you're in. I think what Tim and Zach really were good at is you start a sketch and you assume your character's the straight man or one of the straight men, and slowly or quickly reveal himself to not be. But Mr. Westerberg is like a masterclass of. Now, I said master class twice. But it really is one. A great sketch. But, like, for those who haven't seen it, one. It's on YouTube. You're watching this on YouTube.

[Beck Bennett]

It's like.

[Jesse David Fox]

But it's like the basic sketch.

[Beck Bennett]

I mean, it's probably. I. It's. That is probably my favorite. That and brothers are like, yeah, my favorite sketches. But yeah, we all. It's a bunch of co workers sitting around at a greeting card company and they're like, they're writing. I don't know if I forget if they're talking at the top, but their boss comes in and he's like, it's Bobby Moynihan. Brilliantly. He's like, like, hey, guys. He has this high pitched voice and he's like, when you clock out, you know, it's, you know, whatever. It's a clock out at 5:00pm, not 4:45, not 4:55pm, you know, and he goes back into his office and we're all like, start doing impressions of him. And it's like Reese Witherspoon and Kenan. Yeah, and Vanessa, I think.

[Jesse David Fox]

Vanessa.

[Beck Bennett]

Pete. Yeah, yeah, Pete. And they're like, you gotta do this. And I'm like, I forget the first thing I said. I'm like, I'm laughing at first. And I'm like, like, what is my character's name in it? Is it Peter? David? Whatever. It's like, yeah, you know, David, pull your pants down. Squeeze your cheeks together. I don't want to see any crack. And they're like, what? You know. Yeah, that's not the first thing. Yeah. And it's like, they're like, did he say that to You. And I'm like, it's just stuff that he says to all of us. And they're like, what? And then it gets interrupted by Mr. Westerberg coming back in, and they go back into the. That's the game. And it elevates. And then at the end, he comes in, he's like, get in here. And I'm like, gotta go see the boss. He's like, I gotta talk to you. Come into my office. And they're all just like, oh, my God, this man is tormenting our co worker. And he has no idea. He thinks it's just kind of, like, normal boss stuff.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

So. Yeah. And it's. It's so fun. And, like, what I love about it is. I mean, it's just such a clear, simple, easy game, and they elevate it with the funniest, silliest form of, you know, Molestation. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Squeeze your butt cheeks together.

[Beck Bennett]

It's like, silly, weird, and. And, like, the character just eases into it. He doesn't have. He never has a moment of, like, being like, well, no, that does, like. I don't know. Like, he. He's the same note the whole time. And, like, a lot of times in sketches, it's like, oh, you're playing this character. But I feel like that was one of my best performances, in a way, because he's just like. Like, kind of sweet. And he, like, goes into it, and it's like. It feels like a real guy.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yes. And, like, it's you. It is escalating, but your performance is not escalating. Right. Right. This. You get. I think it slow zooms into you as you go on a real rant, but you're still, like, same thing.

[Beck Bennett]

And then you.

[Jesse David Fox]

The end is like. It's like freaking Mr. Westerberg. He's actually pretty cool.

[Beck Bennett]

He's actually a pretty good guy.

[Jesse David Fox]

And then they're just like, did that happen? He was like, I think I would remember. And then he just sort of, like, the way you walk into his office has truly same affect.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

But Bobby has this really mean face. That's a funny note.

[Beck Bennett]

It's one of my favorites.

[Jesse David Fox]

The other that I loved was the Jason Momoa sketch.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. Love that one. That was during my last season. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. And they weren't even there. I think they came back with this.

[Beck Bennett]

We. We, like, talked about it. They, like, maybe we zoomed, or maybe it was just a phone call, but they're like, we got this idea, and, you know, I talked to them a little bit about it. I don't even know if I added anything to it. But, yeah, it's.

[Jesse David Fox]

The basic premise is you're meeting your wife's parents, and then they show up, and then you're hiding.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. Yeah. And. And. And immediately it's like, where. Where is he? And you start. You just hear me go, can't find me. I feel like that came from having a child. Now I feel like that must have come from their kids.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

Maybe Zach's kids, because they're younger, but, like. Like, Ruby, my son, is. I was like, come find me. It's like, hiding. And he's always, like, hiding in a very obvious place. But anyway, like, yeah, that was. That was so, so fun.

[Jesse David Fox]

What is it about those guys?

[Beck Bennett]

I don't know. They're brilliant. Sure. They're so. They're. They're the funniest. They write the funniest stuff. And I mean, like, now the world has seen it. Yeah. You know, luckily, plenty of times now with the. With their show and with both of their shows. But, yeah, I. I don't know, because I. I'm like, you can't really. I don't think you can just break it down to, like, a formula. You know, it is like a new. It's an. It's like a different. It's a very unique energy, phrasing of words and the delivery of the words. Like, it's like they would often be like, you know. Cause Tim, he was writing stuff that he would want to perform. Whoever got to perform it was lucky enough to basically be doing what Tim wanted to do. There's a lot of, like, you know, a lot of like, just kind of like, talking like this and, like, kind of like. But you liked it, right? And, like, there was a sketch they wrote that I was like. It was a. I was a character who just. Wait. Oh, my God. He had, like a. A house underwater or something. And he kept opening the door and water kept flooding in, and he kept getting upset. And then he asked people, like, do you think I'm stupid? Like, I. Anyway, that's not a great story because I don't remember all the details.

[Jesse David Fox]

Even if you're a fan, you kind of already can see how that would escalate. I mean, there is this because, like, I like playing. I played Mr. This last week. I played people. Mr. Westburg. Be like, do you know I wrote it? And then they'd be like, you know, it's hard to know without Tim doing it. And he's like, oh, it's Zach and Tammy. You're like, oh, I can see it by the way you are. The cadence of your talking. And it is like, yeah, squeeze it together.

[Beck Bennett]

I don't want to see any crack.

[Jesse David Fox]

Like, yep, drop it.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, pick it up. Drop it. It's really. Yeah. So I think it is, like, because they're. They're writing with that. That performer's voice in it, you know, like, as opposed to being. If they were just writers that were, like, writing ideas for other people's performances, like, the cadence and the phrasing is really baked into everything.

[Jesse David Fox]

You essentially had probably a sense every week. I'll probably be on the show because there are. They'll need a person, and I will be that person where there's so many people on the show who are like, what am I doing every week? But I imagine. I imagine especially, like, you and Kyle probably had a different experience. So, like, Kyle, like, especially if they need little kids. Like, Kyle gotta play a little kid a lot. But, like, like, he had, like, everybody's like, what's my thing? How am I gonna. Did you. Were you jealous? Were you content? Like, oh, I'm so happy that I get to be on the show every week. It's like, oh, I wish I had, like, really prove my thing.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. I mean, that's interesting, because I think it was. It was a little bit of both. You know, sometimes you'd be pushing for something, and you might be told, like, well, you're covered. Yeah. It's like, well, yeah, but like, I'm serving somebody else's idea. Like, I want to have my thing. Because it is. It's interesting. I was thinking about this recently. Even if you're in the show, like, say, like. Like, if there was a week where I was like, I'm not writing something this week. I don't have a good idea. I want to get some sleep. I had a big show last week and the week before, but, like, if I didn't have a horse in the race. Is that the phrase?

[Jesse David Fox]

We'll see.

[Beck Bennett]

What?

[Jesse David Fox]

Dog in the fight.

[Beck Bennett]

Dog in the fight. Like, it's just not as fun. Yeah. And you're kind of like, oh, man. There's like. There's this part of the experience is being like, I. I put my neck on the line. Like, I think it's good. And, like, even if it doesn't get past dress, there's like a. You're kind of like, part of this effort to build the show. But I think. Yeah, I don't know. I think towards the end, I felt good about the role that I was playing. But you still have that desire to have of a unique thing that you wrote get on the show. And I think that, like, it's often, for me at least, it'd be like, oh, it'd be a character. Yeah. You know, not as much of a. A sketch. And, you know, that. That really didn't always happen, but ultimately, yeah, I'm like, I'm very, very happy with, like, the. The role that I played and being, you know, valued, trusted by writers to be put in so many sketches and play different parts.

[Jesse David Fox]

So what was the SNL50 like for you?

[Beck Bennett]

It was amazing. It felt like I was on, like, Molly or something the whole time. And I was very prepared to feel bad, you know, because it's. There's so many people there, and it's like, I'm like, oh, I'm gonna be. There's gonna be a party that I'm not invited to and everybody else is. Or, you know, the thing that I'm in is gonna get cut right before the show, and I'll be sitting there in costume. And I wouldn't have been able to watch it. Cause I was backstage getting ready, but my part got cut or whatever. None of that happened. Yeah, I wasn't left out of anything. And I got to perform. And so I got to be there during rehearsal on Friday and Saturday and just hang out with everybody and see, you know, all. All the cast members that I like that I was there with. It was. It was just so nice and easy and to meet the new people. Also, like, one of the things that was amazing about Sarah is that, like, I was like, she's so cool. She's not gonna like me. I'm gonna be like, I'm gonna be like this old lame ass dude. She's gonna be like, yeah, like, what's up? And I'm gonna be like, I don't know. And like, no, but, like, it was. And, like, hanging out with James and James Austin Johnson, and it was just so, so fun and reconnecting with, like, Taran and hanging out with him there and Bobby, it was just. It was so fun and seeing. Seeing everybody. Everybody in the crew. And like, it was like seeing like, like Bobby, one of the security guards there. It was like, it was just like, yeah, I was just like, oh, hey, man. Like, I feel like it was like, I saw you yesterday. Like, it's just really. Oh, it's like going back. It was four years since I had been there. And, you know, it's like, oh, when am I going to Go back. What is it going to feel like? And it did feel like home. Yeah, it was really nice.

[Jesse David Fox]

So Sarah got to meet you. Who did you get to meet? That was exciting.

[Beck Bennett]

Mike Myers. Adam Sandler introduced me to Mike Myers, and that was. It's definitely a moment where I was like, he's like, yeah, yeah, Beck's funny, you know, because I was there when he hosted, and I was like, oh, thanks, man. You're funny too. You're you. Great stuff. And. Yeah, you know. All right, I'm gonna get out of here. Nice to meet you. But, like, I'm trying to. I don't know if there's like.

[Jesse David Fox]

You met Beck? Did you meet Beck?

[Beck Bennett]

I met Beck. I had met him before, but we took some. Some Beck back to back photos, which we had taken the first time. He was. He was musical guest when I was there. Yeah, I'm trying to. I'm trying. I. I kind of had met a lot of people at the 40th already. Yeah. And so. So, yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Was the 40th better than the 50th?

[Beck Bennett]

Not for me, no. I mean, the 40th was great, but I was like, that was my second year, and I was like, I'm gonna be fired. I'm just gonna be like, I work here, and I'm just gonna have fun with this. So I was. I was having a great time, too, but this time, it was like. It was like I was especially being able to be part of the show. It felt like, oh, this is really a part of me, and this is like, it's not just something I did. And you know that because any. Anywhere you go, that's like, the first credit is Saturday Night Live. But, like, going back, it's not. It's still. You're still a part of it. And, like, going on stage for the Domingo sketch, it was like going into a. Like an avatar. It was like my body knew what to do. And I was like, oh, I get to do this again. This, like, live audience and, like, filmed. And, you know, it was. It was really, really special.

[Jesse David Fox]

A few. A few months later, you played Putin in a White Lotus parody that was like, Trump associated.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

And I was thinking. I was watching, I was like, oh, you're just Putin forever. Like, until. Until. No, you're just like, if every time there's Putin in a thing, they will call you first.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, I guess so. They did. Right?

[Jesse David Fox]

Like, that's like forever for. You know, like, that's. There's only so many political impressions that are like, well, that's that person's right impression.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, I guess so. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Because you didn't go into the show being like, well, I love the political satire. That's the only thing I want to be.

[Beck Bennett]

That's what you're hiring me for. No, not at all. It feels. It feels great. It's also, you know, really problematic.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

Of all guys person. So it is like, it is a little sketchy. You know, it's like, I don't know how much I want to be. There's always the thing of like, could I be assassinated? Which is not. Not a real fear. But. But yeah, I'm proud of it. I feel, I feel, you know, flattered that they called me back and that they. That I'm still connected to it. Yeah. And maybe I'm just the, you know, the person who's willing to take their shirt off.

[Jesse David Fox]

You did set a really hard precedent for the character.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. Is that like anybody else? Like, yeah, take your shirt off. Like, yeah, let him do it. Which was always, when I was there, was like, oh, God, I'm gonna have to take my shirt off this week. God damn it.

[Jesse David Fox]

Give me four weeks notice for when you're gonna be the dude.

[Beck Bennett]

Exactly. Yeah. Just give me a heads up. That would've been perfect. Close your eyes. Focus. Listen to work getting done with Monday.com relax as AI does the manual work. While your teams are aligned on a single source of truth. Feel the sensation of an AI work platform. So flexible and intuitive, it feels like it was built just for you. Notice you're limitless. Limitless. Now open your eyes. Go to Monday.com, start for free and finally breathe RFKJR.

[Podcast Narrator/Ad Host]

HHS Secretary recently announced new federal dietary guidelines. Declaring war.

[Beck Bennett]

Today, our government declares war on added sugar.

[Podcast Narrator/Ad Host]

Also ending war.

[Beck Bennett]

We are ending the war on saturated fats.

[Podcast Narrator/Ad Host]

In his tenure as head of hhs, RFK has ended the war on protein and declared war on ultra processed foods. And on the old food pyramid.

[Beck Bennett]

You can see the food pyramid here.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's upside down.

[Beck Bennett]

A lot of you will say, but it was actually upside down before.

[Jesse David Fox]

And we just write it.

[Podcast Narrator/Ad Host]

The Trump administration has pushed companies to eliminate food dyes. And in the first bill signing of the new year says schools can now.

[Beck Bennett]

Serve whole milk, whole milk, and it's whole with a W. For those of you that have a problem on Today.

[Podcast Narrator/Ad Host]

Explained the push from the top to revamp the American diet. Today explained drops every weekday.

[Jesse David Fox]

In the mid-1980s, Nintendo basically single handedly saved the gaming industry with the Nintendo Entertainment. And then a toy Company convinced Nintendo that maybe the future of gaming wasn't controllers, but was instead this weird arm sleeve glove thing that let you control video games with your fingers. It was called the Power Glove and it was awful. This week on Version History, a new chat show about old technology. We trace the whole story of the Power Glove, which failed spectacularly and also kind of invented VR. That's Version History. Wherever you get podcasts. So now it's time for the final segment of the show. It's called a laughing round. It's like a lightning round, but because it's coming podcasts laughing around. In the grand tradition of WTF with Mark Maron, who are your guys?

[Beck Bennett]

I would say it was Ben Stiller, Conan o', Brien, I mean, just comedy. Yeah, I guess like Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, like, and at one point I would say like Gene Wilder, but those were the people. Yeah, I think I grew up loving Bob Odenkirk. Yeah. Like Ben Stiller show was a, a huge influence on me. But yeah, Ben Stiller, his like ability to play like psychos was just, was. That was like I made movies with my friends and like, even, even like the cable guy, like loved the cable guy. But like his sort of, his, his comedic voice was, was a big deal. I would love playing those sort of like wide eyed, screaming lunatics.

[Jesse David Fox]

Have you met Ben?

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, yeah, a few times. Yeah, he's, he's great.

[Jesse David Fox]

Do your favorite joke. Joke, like street joke.

[Beck Bennett]

You know, the thing that comes to mind, I like, I. The one of my like things about comedy, one of my struggles is I'm like, I don't tell jokes. I wish I knew joke formats better. You know, as far as they applied to sketches and characters, the joke that I. This comes up is wise. Why is eight afraid of seven?

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

Why? Because seven, eight, nine.

[Jesse David Fox]

It's great. Yeah, it really is. Especially you get. You're around kids and you're just like, wow, really is. So you're just thinking about the first 10 numbers a lot.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It, you know, it's classic. It's right there.

[Jesse David Fox]

Is there a sketch or a character you wish you could steal or wish you got to have do on snl? That's. That was yours. And everyone's like, oh, I love Beck's character X. But it was actually whatever, you know.

[Beck Bennett]

I mean there's so many, I'm like, there's so many, you know, great characters or sketches I feel like I wish I could have done. But as far as like a sketch that I think would have been up my alley and would have been suitable for me, would have been get off the shed. I think I tried to do stuff like that a lot. I even came up with like a. An idea at one point that was like, get in the van. Get in the car, get. But like that sort of yelling, that dad energy, the yelling, get in the car.

[Jesse David Fox]

Did you get in the car on SNL when Will Ferrell famously did?

[Beck Bennett]

Hey, man, I didn't write it. I didn't even get there.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. Do you have a short story of an interaction with a legendary comedian, living or dead, you're willing to share to.

[Beck Bennett]

Let's see. Okay. First thing that comes up again. Maybe I, maybe I. Better ones, but whatever. One of my favorite hosts was Larry David. We had a great time with him whenever he came through. And early on, maybe it was after he hosted once, like we had met and I think he was in the. Yeah, he was in the guest dressing room to play Bernie Sanders. And I was walking by the hallway and, you know, they sit there with the door open and kind of like, he's like, like Taylor. So like, hey, done. Like, you know, not great, but also not bad. But, you know, I'm. It's fine. I'm not going to tell you about it. But, you know, not great. He was like, I love that. Thank you. You know, everybody says good. Nobody's good. You were honest with me. You told me you weren't good, but you're not telling me why. I don't want to know why. Thank you for not telling me why, but thank you to an honest reaction. Now we can move on. That's it. Like, it was like, yeah, great. Yeah. And it was just like such a Larry David moment. And yeah, he really seems like he.

[Jesse David Fox]

Just going around looking to curb your enthusiasm. His own life constantly.

[Beck Bennett]

Yes, absolutely. But like, like the sweeter sort of more.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

You know, like, he's always like. He'd be like, he, he made. He would make a bit out of anything. Like, what are these nuts? Why do they have nuts here? This is not a place you want nuts. There's a bowl of nuts. Well, I'm not going to have these nuts. Maybe a mint with a wrapper, but a loose mint. I don't want that. You know what I mean? Like, he's always like.

[Jesse David Fox]

I remember he, he came to my school to speak for something and he needed something printed out. And then he asked me. I was like, oh, that person. It's like, blah, blah. Has it. It's like, who's that guy? Why is there always a. And you're just like, what?

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

You're like, oh, I. You really are willing to sort of like, he's looking.

[Beck Bennett]

He's. He's always.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

Finding material and, like, bringing you into it. Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. What is something that people think is comedy that you think isn't?

[Beck Bennett]

Sometimes I would say certain types of, like. I don't know if this is the right term, but, like, hate watching. You know, like, when people. I get the idea of watching videos, whether it's like, I get the idea of people being people and displaying behavior that is like, oh, they did that. Or like, oh, that's uncomfortable, you know? Cause there's, like, a truth to that. There's something that you can see, and then, you know, use that to create something. Or, you know, it can be creatively stimulating. But I think when you're watching material of somebody else's and you're cringing and you're laughing at it, it really makes me uncomfortable. Again, like, I'm trying to. I can't think of the exact instances where I was a part of a group of people doing this, but, yeah, finding, like, kind of making fun of people watching and then even just using that, it makes. I don't like finding material that way.

[Jesse David Fox]

What's the worst advice you have ever gotten?

[Beck Bennett]

I feel like I only remember, like, any good advice that I might have gotten. So this is. This is. Maybe I'll. I'm answering your question. It may not be really answering your question, but this is my answer, whether it answers it or not. I. Leaving snl, I called Bill Hader for advice because I love the work that he's done, and my wife was on Barry, so. And some friends of mine were on Barry, so I would see him, and after he had left the show and everything, and I called him to ask for advice, and he gave me great advice, which was basically, you know, don't just take what comes to you. Try to, you know, go after the things you want. He's like, you know, I auditioned for train wrecks like, six times or something like that. I wanted that. I went at, like, go after the things you want. You know, try to make things that you want to be in. Be patient. Obviously, you have to, like, take jobs or make money. Try to find a way to put yourself in a situation where you can make good creative choices. And I was telling a friend that, and I was like, yeah, he gave me this great advice. And he was like, well, yeah, but you're not Bill Hader. And I was like, oh, yeah. And for a second. And this was like, right after I left, right before a huge industry up, you know, there was a slow, weird time, whatever. I was having a baby, and there's part of me that was like, oh, maybe he's right. Like, I should. I can't just, like, make. I can't just be like, no, I don't want to do that. I'll wait for the right thing. Or like, you know, you got to take what comes your way. But I think now I'm in a position where I have set myself up to be able to make those choices, and I have set up a life balance that really does work for me. So I think that is, like, the piece of advice. You know, it's like. It's the idea that, like, good advice only applies to people who can afford to take that advice. And I'm like, no, it actually applies to everyone.

[Jesse David Fox]

Good advice applies to the. Often to the person themselves. Right. It's the like.

[Beck Bennett]

But this worked for me.

[Jesse David Fox]

But you have to, like, figure out how to translate it to what your life's version of it.

[Beck Bennett]

Right?

[Jesse David Fox]

Like, his advice, like, oh, we'll create a show for hbo, right? And have it be like. Like, have it be somewhat dramatic. So then you sort of really open yourself up.

[Beck Bennett]

Critically acclaimed to get some atomies. And for. For best director or whatever, best, you know, performer, whatever. Writing, like, just do that. No, it's not. That's not what he said. It's like, you know, just set yourself up to where you can make choices.

[Jesse David Fox]

I think. I think it's a good advice.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Best host, worst host.

[Beck Bennett]

I mean, do people answer this question?

[Jesse David Fox]

This is the first time I asked it. I want to see best host. Worst host.

[Beck Bennett]

I mean, Best host.

[Jesse David Fox]

Is it harder to answer best host or worst host?

[Beck Bennett]

Well, worst host. I really don't answer on record.

[Jesse David Fox]

Got it.

[Beck Bennett]

Let's see if I.

[Jesse David Fox]

We'll see. I might never ask this question again if it seems like everyone doesn't want to answer it. Doesn't want everyone. Everyone agrees. They don't want to say Donald Trump or Elon Musk.

[Beck Bennett]

Oh, yeah, Yeah. I guess I get. So, yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

Anyways, that gives you guys an out.

[Beck Bennett]

I feel like that would. That. That is an out. Yeah. So best host. I did always love when Larry came, but it's hard to say one like. And unfortunately, it's like, it's kind of. And I mean, like, Ryan Gosling was always a great host. Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell. I had, like, one of the most special one of my like, special weeks when Adam Sandler hosted, and he was amazing.

[Jesse David Fox]

What about it?

[Beck Bennett]

I was in a lot of stuff. I was like. I wrote a very weird song that did not connect, but everybody loved the table read. And he was in. And everybody loves called Clothes Are Holes of a song about how clothes are just holes that you put on your body to cover your private holes. And it died and nobody knows about it, but I got to do that, and I got to be in a video with Adam and, like, just a bunch of other stuff. And we, like, hung out a lot, and it was like, you know, first time he was back, and he was just so cool and awesome and supportive of. So that that week was really special. I think, like, Larry was probably. And he came a lot, you know, even as a guest. So worst host Elon Musk.

[Jesse David Fox]

Got it.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. I mean, and that is probably. That is. That is the truth.

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah.

[Jesse David Fox]

I. I feel like I've heard you talk about where it's like, Donald Trump. There's problems with it. But, like, he. What? He was kind of like, he wasn't hitching ideas.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. He wasn't telling you you sucked. And then being like, this is funny. He was like, yeah, I got it. That if anything, he'd be like, any good idea, he might be like, yeah, that was my idea. And you're like, what? That's so weird. Like, what is this?

[Jesse David Fox]

Yeah. Where Elon Musk was like, here's. Here's. This would be funny.

[Beck Bennett]

Yeah. And then, like, kind of like, take a direction with a character in a sketch where you're like, you're tanking this. You're blowing it.

[Jesse David Fox]

What's a sketch that never worked? Maybe tried it more than once, maybe you didn't, but you'll go to your grave feeling like I was right. Everyone was wrong.

[Beck Bennett]

The sketch that they didn't put on my last year. So I would love at some point to show that to the world, even if it's, like, doing it at live shows. But it is a sketch that I wrote with Andrew, and who knows? Maybe there's a world where this is tone deaf or. So he's like, the character is. The host is, like, getting together with his college friends in New York. He just moved there or something. And they're all like, yeah, we're all here in New York. He's like, since I've been here. Oh, this is one of my best friends. And, like, I come in, I don't know what my character's name is, but it comes. He comes in, and the Description is he has no forehead. Like, his hairline is right above his eyebrows. And he. He kind of like, talks like. I think he kind of talks like this. I kind of like, like, what's up, man? Like, kind of like that. And. And then so, so that's the character. And then it plays on the. The trope of, you know, if you're hanging out with people, they're like, oh, did you read that article that says, like, you know, waste and. Oh, yeah, well, yeah. Did you see that article that says we have like a, A, a plastic spoon worth of plastic in our head? Oh, yeah. Did you see. And like, this guy goes, oh, yeah. Did you see that article that says, like, I think people with, like, no foreheads and high voices are really good in bed with guys and girls and kind of anybody who's down to get in there, I think I read it in Reuters. And then at some point they're like, dude, it's obviously, you're making this up. And he pulls out printed copies of the articles. Now I'm like, give the old sketch way. But he pulls them out. And then you learn that, like, like, he's like, no, like, these are real. And you realize that my friend, the host is like, he wrote the article to make me feel good about myself and boost my confidence. So then I'm like, so wait, am I, like, not actually got in bed with guys and girls and anybody who wants to get down? I forget there's like a fun twist at the end that's like, not all of it, but. And like, yeah, never got to do it. Pretty. Pretty fun stuff.

[Jesse David Fox]

I think it's pretty funny. What's the best time you ever bombed?

[Beck Bennett]

You know, I think there's. There's one time that I don't even want to bring up because the sketch was like. It was. I mean, I'll allude to it. There was an SF sketch fest moment with Good Neighbor where we were like, oh, let's try this, like, sketch we did at UCB's. Dirtiest sketch. And we did it in San Francisco, and it was like, crickets. So bad. I mean, I guess that. I mean, immediately though, I thought, so another one, I guess that was really bombing because we were trying, like. But in my first play audition in seventh grade, I was auditioning for hello, Dolly. Like, my. One of my teachers, this woman, Darcy Day, I've not seen since fourth grade, but, like, allowed me to perform during class and eventually was like, you should do theater. And really helped get me into it. But I, like, I was in this room with all these kids and their parents. And I stood like, it was like. It's like a dream. They had me stand in the middle of the room, and I was like, all right, can you hit this note? I was like, ding. I went. And I did not know I couldn't hear pitch. Like, it was that moment that I learned I was tone deaf. And the whole room started laughing, and I was like. They were like, oh, thank you. Okay. All right. That's that. Thank you back. And I, like, went back and sat down. I was like, what was that? And, you know, like, I should have been like, I'll never get on stage again. But, you know, it's just something that I remember. It was my first audition, kind of like putting myself out there, and everybody laughed. And then I tried to learn how to sing for the next six years of my life.

[Jesse David Fox]

Thank you so much.

[Beck Bennett]

Thank you. It was great being here.

[Jesse David Fox]

That's it for another episode of good One. Good One is produced by myself, Zachary Mack, Neal Janowitz, and Ann Victoria Clark.

[Beck Bennett]

Clark.

[Jesse David Fox]

Music composed by Brandon McFarland. Write a review and rate the show on Apple Podcasts. Five stars, please. I am Jesse David Fox, and you can follow me at. Jesse David Fox. Buy my book, comedy book, wherever books are sold. Thanks for listening to Good One from New York magazine. You can subscribe to the [e-mail] pod we'll be back with a new episode next week. Have a good one.