SNL 50: Andy Samberg

Summary

Episode Summary: Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist – Andy Samberg

Release Date: February 13, 2025
Guest: Andy Samberg
Host: Willie Geist
Podcast: Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist, Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist on NBC

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Introduction to the Conversation

In this engaging episode of Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist, host Willie Geist sits down with comedian and actor Andy Samberg to delve into his multifaceted career, from his roots at Saturday Night Live (SNL) to the resurgence of his beloved show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, on NBC. The conversation is rich with anecdotes, behind-the-scenes insights, and reflections on comedy, television, and personal passions.

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Andy Samberg’s Career Trajectory

Andy Samberg begins by recounting his early days in comedy, highlighting his initial work as a writer for Jimmy Fallon at the MTV Movie Awards in 2005. This connection led him back to SNL through Lorne Michaels, the creator of SNL. Samberg describes the revolutionary impact he and his colleagues, known as The Lonely Island, had on the show by introducing digital shorts that seamlessly blended comedy with the burgeoning platform of YouTube.

Notable Quote:

"Sandberg and his two buddies, the lonely island guys... revolutionize the show. They make these Digital shorts."
— Andy Samberg [02:30]

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Saving Brooklyn Nine-Nine: A Fan-Driven Revival

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Brooklyn Nine-Nine's near-cancellation by Fox after five seasons. Samberg narrates how a grassroots campaign, fueled by fans and high-profile celebrities like Mark Hamill and Lin-Manuel Miranda, led to NBC rescuing the show. This swift turnaround, occurring within approximately 30 hours, exemplifies the power of fan support in modern television.

Notable Quote:

"There was a grassroots groundswell of support for the show... it was back on TV, picked up by NBC, now airing in its sixth season."
— Andy Samberg [03:50]

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Journey to SNL: The Audition and Joining the Cast

Andy shares his personal journey to becoming an SNL cast member. Despite initial doubts about his sketch comedy skills—having "tanked" a Groundlings audition—his work with The Lonely Island and a successful stint writing for the MTV Movie Awards caught the attention of SNL's Lauren Shuler Donner. Samberg details the surprising nature of his hiring, including a flight to New York where he met with Lorne Michaels alongside fellow cast member Bill Hader.

Notable Quote:

"I was like, yes, I'll do it. That's how I feel. So we just kind of decided to go for it."
— Andy Samberg [04:30]

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Impact of Digital Shorts and YouTube Synergy

Samberg discusses how SNL's integration of digital shorts, such as "Lazy Sunday," capitalized on the rising popularity of YouTube. These pre-recorded sketches allowed for greater creative control and timing precision, setting a new standard for the show and enhancing its digital presence.

Notable Quote:

"It changed SNL brought it into the digital age and also came right at the time when YouTube was launching in 2005."
— Andy Samberg [02:50]

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Revival of Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Processes and Emotions

The conversation shifts to the revival of Brooklyn Nine-Nine on NBC. Samberg explains the rapid transition from cancellation to renewal, emphasizing the collaborative efforts with producers and the emotional relief of preserving the show for both the cast and fans. He reflects on the unique workplace camaraderie that contributed to the show's enduring success.

Notable Quote:

"We get to keep spending time together. It doesn't feel like it's time to stop doing this."
— Andy Samberg [08:47]

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Balancing Comedy with Social Issues on Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Samberg elaborates on the show's evolving approach to addressing social issues such as racism, homophobia, and police violence. He emphasizes the delicate balance between maintaining the show's comedic essence and respectfully highlighting serious topics. This balance is achieved through meticulous writing and sensitive editing, ensuring that episodes are both humorous and impactful.

Notable Quote:

"We wanted to stay true to the show. We wanted to do that episode and still have there be laughs."
— Andy Samberg [17:12]

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The Lonely Island: Live Shows and Future Projects

Beyond television, Andy discusses The Lonely Island's ventures into live performances. Highlighting the success of their recent concerts, Samberg shares excitement about future shows and collaborations. He also touches upon his other creative endeavors, including acting in films like Celeste and Jesse Forever and exploring opportunities in directing.

Notable Quote:

"We're gonna do more of that. I think."
— Andy Samberg [37:20]

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Personal Interests: Wrestling, Die Hard, and Cyndi Lauper

The episode takes a personal turn as Samberg and Geist bond over shared interests in professional wrestling and classic movies like Die Hard. Samberg reminisces about his childhood fascination with wrestling characters and how Die Hard influences his portrayal of Jake Peralta in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Additionally, he expresses his enduring love for Cyndi Lauper, highlighting her impact on his musical tastes and family life.

Notable Quotes:

"I am obsessed with Die Hard... one of my favorite action movies of all time."
— Andy Samberg [42:30]
"Cyndi Lauper, my first celebrity crush. She was the greatest off that video."
— Andy Samberg [40:22]

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Conclusion and Future Teasers

As the conversation wraps up, Willie Geist and Andy Samberg hint at potential future discussions centered around their mutual interests, including a deep dive into Rocky IV and the intersection of wrestling with pop culture. The episode concludes with mutual appreciation and anticipation for what lies ahead.

Notable Quote:

"Next time, we do a full, like, an hour on Rocky IV and wrestling, and what if we do the nexus of those?"
— Willie Geist & Andy Samberg [39:50]

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist offers a comprehensive look into Andy Samberg's dynamic career and personal passions. From pivotal moments in SNL and Brooklyn Nine-Nine to his heartfelt connections with music and wrestling, listeners gain valuable insights into the man behind the laughter.

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Additional Information:
To catch new episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, tune in every Thursday at 9 PM Eastern on NBC. For more conversations with top celebrities, subscribe to the Sunday Sit Down Podcast and listen for free each week.

Transcript

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[Willie Geist]

It was late past midnight when they broke into the farmhouse. Never in a million years would you think that you'd see your parents house.

[Andy Samberg]

Taped off by that yellow tape and.

[Willie Geist]

They said, you remember the end of being killed. They left behind a wall of blood and a clue that took a case of double murder on a long, strange trip.

[Andy Samberg]

She looked at me and she said I'm screwed.

[Willie Geist]

Murder in the Moonlight, a new podcast from Dateline. Listen to Murder in the moonlight for free starting Monday, February 17, or unlock new episodes right now by subscribing to Dateline Premium on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Dateline premium dot com. Hey, guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. Got a good one for you this week. Again, Andy Samberg, Such a good time sitting down with him. We got together, of course, the Saturday Night Live along. You don't need me to tell you that you. He was fresh off his hosting of the Golden Globe Awards and now the return to NBC, we're proud to say of his comedy Brooklyn Nine Nine. Remember, it was canceled off Fox after five seasons. He's like, all right, my show's over. What's my next move? There's this grassroots groundswell of support for the show. People get online, including celebrities like Mark Hamill, who was Luke Skywalker, of course, Lin Manuel Miranda, the creator and the star of Hamilton and a bunch of other celebrities, got online and said, you cannot do this. We need our Brooklyn Nine Nine. The show was saved within the space of about 30 hours, I think he said it was back on TV, picked up by NBC, now airing in its sixth season there. Interesting too, the backstory on Andy of how he got to snl. He was a writer at the MTV Movie Awards for Jimmy Fallon in 2005. Jimmy Fallon goes back to Lorne Michaels, the creator of snl, and says, these guys are hilarious. Sandberg and his two buddies, the lonely island guys, as they're known, and they get hired and basically revolutionize the show. They make these Digital shorts. You remember Lazy Sunday was the first big viral success. And then all the hits that came after, including that little number with Justin Timberlake, a holiday jingle, if you will. Let's call it Gift in a Box. You know what I'm talking about. That changed. SNL brought it into the digital age and also came right at the time when YouTube was launching in 2005. So there was this kind of synergy between these moments. And Andy Samberg and the Lonely island guys stepped right into it. Andy and I got together at a bar here in New York. The conversation started off with a bit of an interruption, a phone ringing. But you know what? When you do interviews in New York, you get used to interruptions. Fire trucks, cabs honking. Who knows what's going to happen? We also, you'll forgive us, go off on a bit of a tangent. When we realized we were both WWF professional wrestling fans in the 80s, that somehow spun into a long conversation about Rocky 4 and my theory that it helped precipitate the end of the Cold War. Thank God I had a wingman. Finally, someone who agrees with me on that point. Andy Samberg, right now on the Sunday Sit Down Podcast. Thanks for doing this, man.

[Andy Samberg]

Appreciate it.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, I want to talk about Brooklyn nine nine, but gotta ask you quickly about the Globes, please. Hosting the Globes. I'll get it.

[Andy Samberg]

I got it. Sorry, guys, that's my cell. It's Lauren. It only rings like that when it's Lauren.

[Willie Geist]

All right, you got your call. Done. We're all good now.

[Andy Samberg]

All good. Yes.

[Willie Geist]

We were talking a minute ago about what it's like to be up in that room hosting the Globes, telling jokes with, like, the biggest stars on earth, eating dinner in front of you.

[Andy Samberg]

Yes.

[Willie Geist]

What's the experience like?

[Andy Samberg]

They were not interested in watching the Globes. They were there in case one of them won. It was cool. It's a mixed bag. Like, I had presented the Globes a few times before, but I realized generally I would come out in the middle of an act, which is to say after the show is back from commercial. So anytime Sander and I came out right after a commercial break, it was basically pointless to play to the audience because everyone was in the wind.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

You know, you saw whole tables just with their backs turned, people on their phones. It was very, very chaotic. And I knew it was going to be kind of like that, but I didn't realize to what extent it would be like that. So she and I kind of just laughed about it and leaned into it and went like, all right, let's go out there and tell these super harsh intros, see if anyone notices. I think finally, by the time we got to the this Is Us one, we grabbed people's attention.

[Willie Geist]

That was strong.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, but it was fun. And I adore Sandra. And it was so fun doing it.

[Willie Geist]

I didn't realize. I heard you talking to Jimmy last night. You guys didn't really know each other before this. I think everyone assumed, like, oh, it's a comedy duo. They're old buddies. Yeah, but you kind of worked together once for a minute.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

People liked it and then had the idea to put you together on the Globes.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. And both of. I mean, we had a phone call before deciding whether or not we should do it, and we were like, this seems crazy and maybe like a terrible idea. But then I said to her, like, if you want to do it, I'll do it. And she said, man, I'm terrified. But you don't say no, right? You can't say no. And I said, that's how I feel. So we just kind of decided to go for it, even though it was fairly last minute and the schedule was very odd. Like, New Year's Eve made it so that we kind of started working on the Wednesday of that week. So we really worked on it in a real sense from like Wednesday to Saturday.

[Willie Geist]

That's crazy. So is that like an SNL week then, where you just come in Wednesday and go nuts for.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, I mean, snl, you at least even get Monday, Tuesday. It was kind of like a digital short schedule for me at SNL where after the table read, then you start on Thursday, kinda. But it was super fun and we had a great writing staff and they gave us so much great stuff. So it was definitely a unique experience.

[Willie Geist]

To say the least.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

So now you spin off, come back to NBC. Yeah, we're back with Brooklyn Nine Nine. Everyone on NBC is so psyched that.

[Andy Samberg]

That's nice.

[Willie Geist]

So when it gets canceled at Fox, do you assume the show's done for good, or do you feel like, okay, let's find a new home for this?

[Andy Samberg]

More the latter. I'm a producer on the show, so I was on those emails with, you know, Dan Gore, Mike Scher, David Minor, and the studio NBC Universal, talking about where can we take it if it's not going to be a Fox? And, you know, there aren't that many places that made sense, but there were definitely a few that we felt like were a good target. NBC network was always in my mind, like, shoot the Moon one. I kind of had my expectations lower.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

But my dream scenario, were it not to stay on fox, was to come to NBC. I mean, you can't think of a better version of things going than that. So there was, like, about a 24 to 48 hour period. I can't really call how much time passed, but where we were, like, such and such place might be interested. Oh, now they say maybe they're not this and that, this and that. And then slowly it was like, maybe NBC, though. And I was like, really? Like, that'd be great. Who can I call?

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

You know, and they're like, well, we'll just wait and see. People are. I think what it came down to is just them crunching numbers and going, well, it's owned by NBC Universal, which is owned by the same parent company. And we make this amount on international, and we make this amount on syndication and streaming and all these deals. And if we keep making it, even if the ratings are such and such, we'd still be earning, like, that kind of a thing. And I think the numbers came back good. So.

[Willie Geist]

So here you are.

[Andy Samberg]

Here we are. Yeah, it was miraculous. And obviously for everyone who works on our show, we were. It was more than just like, wow, that's so cool. I'm gonna keep this job. It was like, oh, we get to keep spending time together.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

It doesn't feel like it's time to stop doing this. And it feels, in a lot of ways, almost like the world is just finding the show in a lot of ways and getting canceled and brought back kind of congealed the audience of our show in a really cool way, too.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. Well, it's interesting you say that because there was kind of this popular uprising, like, you cannot take this show away from us. And then led by celebrities.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Mark Hamill kind of leading the chart. Luke Skywalker.

[Andy Samberg]

Luke Skywalker and Sam Weiser, maybe my two favorite characters of all time.

[Willie Geist]

Right?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Lin Manuel Miranda.

[Andy Samberg]

Amazing.

[Willie Geist]

Did you know they were fans before that?

[Andy Samberg]

I think there had been, like, rogue tweets, you know, where it was like, hey, did you hear that? Guillermo del Toro loves the show? And we were like, whoa, that's cool. But, yeah, like, the way that it sort of started going like that. And I think I've said this before, sort of half jokingly, that it was maybe a little bit of a slow news day really helped us out. There was no insane story that everyone had to pay attention to. So it was like, hey, this Brooklyn nine thing's kind of interesting.

[Willie Geist]

Let's Take up that cause.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. And it got proliferated a lot. And turn it, like, we got turned. It turned around so fast and picked up so fast that I think we found out, like, Saturday of that week that we were picked up. And the upfronts for NBC were that Monday. So I went from we're canceled to we're picked up to you're getting on a flight tomorrow to New York to walking through the airport and, like, people in the airport going, congrats on the show and being like, whoa, people know about this.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

And then all of a sudden, walking out on stage at the NBC up front on Monday. So it was. It was whirlwind. Ish.

[Willie Geist]

Yes. And so now do we have to give Mark Hamill a cameo somewhere in the season or Lin Manuel Miranda?

[Andy Samberg]

They all have an open invite. Anytime they're available and ready, they're welcome on our show.

[Willie Geist]

I see that. I think those would be a good walk on.

[Andy Samberg]

Except for Seth, obviously not a strong actor.

[Willie Geist]

No, you don't want. I've seen him in sketches. Keep him behind the desk. Keep in mind the deaths.

[Andy Samberg]

We actually. I think we may even have a couple of Seth Easter eggs this year.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, really?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Ooh.

[Andy Samberg]

Okay.

[Willie Geist]

That's a good little tease.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

So where is the show right now for the huge fans? Season five ends.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Where do we pick everybody up?

[Andy Samberg]

It ends with Jake and Amy's wedding, and Holt is gonna find out whether or not he's gotten the job as commissioner.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

And then Hitchcock and Scully are just kind of useless.

[Willie Geist]

We don't want to give too much away. But in the first episode, there's a honeymoon.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Which has some fun twists in it.

[Andy Samberg]

It twists and turns. Doesn't go maybe as. It's not quite as fun as they had hoped.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

But it's funny. It's a funny moon.

[Willie Geist]

It's funny. And we were just talking about this. You get your first bleep, which you could never have on fox.

[Andy Samberg]

Correct.

[Willie Geist]

The big moment.

[Andy Samberg]

Fox, bless him, kept us on for a long time. You can't do bleeps or blurs, which is kind of my bread and butter for anyone who knows my SNL work. I think we always have this convers of if I had the most on screen naked from the bottom down with a blur over me of anyone in SNL history.

[Willie Geist]

Has anyone looked into that?

[Andy Samberg]

I don't know. I think I definitely have the most bleeps because we would do those songs for sure. And they were all pretty bleepy.

[Willie Geist]

Right. But trying to Think maybe Will. I don't know. If Will Ferrell was ever nude, he would just wear, like, a thong. He didn't need the blur. Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

We reach it in the writers room for the Globes. Somebody brought up this really dicey old digital short called A Couple of Homies, which was me and Fred Armisen, but it's Will Forte keeps singing songs, narrating what's happening on screen. It's, like, shot horribly in one of the crappy dressing rooms, but it ends with Forte in the recording booth singing the songs. And then he turns around and leans against the wall and his full butt exposed. And it aired. And I was like, all right. Will showed his full naked butt on snl. I don't think anyone else in the history of the show did that.

[Willie Geist]

That's extraordinary. Yeah, that's historic.

[Andy Samberg]

It is, you might say. Yeah, it's like, when. What was it? And then NYPD Blue, right.

[Willie Geist]

Franz, Right.

[Andy Samberg]

Full butt. Dennis France.

[Willie Geist]

Pick the forte over the Franz. Maybe if I have to pick.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, they're both good. I don't like to pick between butts. I just like them all.

[Willie Geist]

This show, I mean, it reads when you watch the show, but it just looks like such a blast to make. You're all buddies.

[Andy Samberg]

You've known Chelsea since you were kids.

[Willie Geist]

How much when you started the show, just sort of assembling this super group of people you wanted to work with. How much fun was that?

[Andy Samberg]

It was a really interesting and fun process. I know that right out of the gate. Like, the first time I met with Mike Sher and Dan Gore, when they came by, I was recording a Lonely island album in la and they came by at our, like, schmancy rental by the pool, and they were pitching me Brooklyn 9 9. They were like, we don't know about casting yet. The one thing we know is we really want you and we really want Terry Crews. I was like, oh, my God, I love Terry. Will he do it? And they were like, we're not sure. We're talking about it. We're talking with his people. And I was like, oh, my God, if you can get him, that'd be incredible. And then the casting process. We did it with Allison Jones, who, I don't know if you know who she is, but she's just a genius casting director who has placed, like, everyone in the last three waves of comedy in television and movies. And, you know, she did the Office and Parks and Judd's stuff and, you know, all kinds of incredible projects. So she was the one who would be like, you know. Oh, there's this. This woman, Stephanie Beatrice, who's incredible. Oh, Melissa Famaro. Have you heard of her? She's great. She brought in all these really cool people that maybe we didn't even know about yet and was like, oh, you gotta check them out, Joe. I already knew. Cause I was a huge fan of the state. And then Andre. I don't know who brought Andre up, but as soon as that was breached, it was like, would he do it right? You know?

[Willie Geist]

Right, right.

[Andy Samberg]

Like, that would be hilarious. And just knowing. Just thinking about me and my energy that's so cartoony and doofy and, like, kind of bouncing around up against his stoicism and his, like, gravitas and bass, you know, it was like, oh, that sounds really fun. And even after he agreed to do it, when we had our first table read, you're not sure if it's gonna work, right? But Mike always likes to talk about how there's the first moment when Jake's like, oh, I'm the captain. Bleep, blurp, bleep. And then he's like, is that what you think I sound like? And the whole room just, like, fell out. And we're like, oh, thank.

[Willie Geist]

It's gonna work.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, it's gonna work. It's like the core story is intact, right?

[Willie Geist]

For sure. So does the show in season six on a different network change at all? Or is it just a through line from season five? The way you shoot it, the way.

[Andy Samberg]

You present it more that. More through line. The characters are gonna continue growing the way they have through the first five years. The show looks the same, you know, the tone is the same. I think we're gonna lean into doing a little more, like, what we call issues episodes, which is something we started doing in the last few years. But I think percentage wise, it'll be similar to the last few years, where it's not what the show is about, but when we feel like we have a really good take on something or there's something that's a little more of a social issue that we wanna talk about and feel, like, responsible to talk about as a show, we're gonna do it. And I think that's indicative of our times and probably what a lot of shows and people in creative realms are doing. So that's stuff that I'm really excited about, but also just making it funny and fun and sweet.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that because you guys have started to do that, where you take on racism or homophobia or police violence. How do you Fit that into a comedy where, as you describe it, is cartoonish at times, at least with your character. How do you. How do you walk that line?

[Andy Samberg]

Editing. No, the writers are great.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

And Dan's been really great. Dan Gore, he's been really strategic about it, where we'll talk about, like, the global subject that we're thinking of addressing or doing a story about, and then he'll make sure that we don't have to do that episode in a rush. So, like, we did an episode, the title of it was Moo Moo. Terry gets, you know, racially profiled in his own neighborhood. He's out of uniform, and it pisses him off rightfully. And we're all sort of talking about it. And that was an episode that we all knew we really wanted to do and thought would be really incredible. But it went through a lot of iterations because it didn't feel quite right. We wanted to stay true to the show. We wanted to do that episode and still have there be laughs. So it wasn't all of a sudden like a very special, you know, and betray the tone of what we do. But it also needed to give space and respect to the fact that this is a very real thing and it's awful. So they worked on it until it felt right, you know? And even in the edit, there were, like, funny things we lifted. Cause it was. It felt disrespectful to what we were talking about. And other scenes where it felt a little too dramatic and we had to try and figure out ways to make it a little lighter. So it's just trying to thread that needle, you know? And I feel like so far, everyone has done a really great job, especially that episode. And the episode where Rosa comes out to her parents as bisexual. That one, I feel, like, really affected people. I know for me, when I watched it, I was crying. Stephanie's performance was incredible. And, you know, that's super, super real stuff for a lot of people.

[Willie Geist]

Well, I think it says a lot about your show, too, that you have not only writers, but actors who can pull that off. So you can be hilarious one minute and then make somebody cry another with the wrong group of people.

[Andy Samberg]

It wouldn't work for sure. And when you're on set, you do multiple takes and you get different levels to protect. Because oftentimes I can speak for myself as a performer. If there's something intense and emotional, I'll go deep on it for a take. And then sometimes it's hard to cut from, like, in the same scene being like Da da da da da da. Oh, you know, like it needs to have that right flow to it. So you just try and make sure you protect yourself when you're cutting it together.

[Willie Geist]

We're so psyched the show's back.

[Andy Samberg]

Thanks. Me too. Me too.

[Willie Geist]

We're talking about SNL and the genesis of your interest in Saturday Night Live.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

I was telling you, I have a 9 year old son who's probably the way you were when you were nine.

[Andy Samberg]

Yes.

[Willie Geist]

The story goes that you would sneak to watch TV to watch professional wrestling, but then you'd come across SNL and that's how you sort of discovered it.

[Andy Samberg]

Is that right? Yeah. Saturday night's main event. Wwf.

[Willie Geist]

I'll get it. So many phones. So many phones. Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

The world runs on Duncan. But also phones.

[Willie Geist]

Who was your guy? Who was your wrestling guy?

[Andy Samberg]

I really like Junkyard Dog.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, I loved him.

[Andy Samberg]

I really liked Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

[Willie Geist]

Of course.

[Andy Samberg]

British Bulldogs. Jimmy Superfly Snuka.

[Willie Geist]

Top rope. Yep.

[Andy Samberg]

Rowdy Roddy Piper.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Hulk under the giant.

[Willie Geist]

Sergeant Slaughter guy.

[Andy Samberg]

Sergeant Slaughter. And then somehow he became a GI Joe character.

[Willie Geist]

He became a bad guy. They made his uniform. First he was camo, and then they made his uniform black.

[Andy Samberg]

So that's how you knew he was a bad guy. I did not like the Honky Tonk Man. No bad guy.

[Willie Geist]

Want hear something crazy? I was at WrestleMania 1 at Madison Square Garden. Get out. Yeah, yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

WrestleMania is when I learned the word pandemonium. Oh, I think it was WrestleMania 4. Is that Hulk? Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant was the main event.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

It's pandemonium at the Pontiac Silver Dome. I'll never forget that sentence for some reason.

[Willie Geist]

I wonder who said that. Was it Mean Gene Okerland?

[Andy Samberg]

Had to be.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. He died last week.

[Andy Samberg]

I heard, I heard.

[Willie Geist]

Sorry, I'm bringing this down.

[Andy Samberg]

No, no, not at all. He was the best.

[Willie Geist]

So we're. So we're gonna have a full wrestling podcast.

[Andy Samberg]

By the way, the wrestling thing, my favorite thing. When the ice cream truck would come.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

When I was a kid and we still lived in Oakland, the ice cream truck would come down our street and I would chase the ice cream truck because they had the WWF wrestling bar where it was cookie on one side and chocolate on the other side with vanilla ice cream in the middle. And the cookie side had like a chocolate stenciled wrestler on it. And I'd always be like, I hope I get Junkyard Dog. But I still. This day in my mind, I'm like, that's the most delicious treat that anyone could ever eat on so many levels. And I know if I was handed one now, it would be like a cardboard biscuit. Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

But it was delicious to a kid.

[Andy Samberg]

And it was my Venn diagram of ice cream and wrestling.

[Willie Geist]

Right. The two greatest things of your childhood.

[Andy Samberg]

If you just, like, stuck a garbage pail kit into the side of it, have been all my interests.

[Willie Geist]

It was also how I learned geopolitics, because when Nikolai Bulkoff came out with the Soviet flag, I learned we boo. The Soviet anthem.

[Andy Samberg]

Correct.

[Willie Geist]

If I. If you love America.

[Andy Samberg]

That and Rocky iv.

[Willie Geist]

Rock. Should we talk about. I can go deep on Rocky 4.

[Andy Samberg]

I'll talk about Rocky IV all day.

[Willie Geist]

Truly, it's so good. The speech at the end, the speech that. To me, there's Reagan, Gorbachev, the Pope, and then that speech that ended the Cold War. I've seen changes.

[Andy Samberg]

Maybe using us, we're not so different. And then everyone, like, slow clap of the country, the whole country of Russia.

[Willie Geist]

The fake Gorbachev guy slides out of his chair and stands up and he starts clapping for America.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

And then the generals are all, like, flustered, but then they have to stand up as he did. And the Cold War ended the next day.

[Andy Samberg]

That should have been the scroll.

[Willie Geist]

That's it.

[Andy Samberg]

The Cold War ended the next day, thanks to Rocky.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, my God. I don't even remember what we're talking about. Oh, snl.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. So do you remember your first experience with snl? Who was on the cast and when you fell in love with it?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. It was like Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman. Yeah, that.

[Willie Geist]

That group.

[Andy Samberg]

And I immediately loved it. I immediately. And I think shortly after Mike Myers showed up and then kept watching into the Sandler, Farley Spade, you know, Julia Sweeney. Just incredible. Incredible casts that were very formative for me. And then learning about it, my parents finally caught wind. I was watching it, and then they were like, oh, have you seen the earlier stuff?

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

And I was like, how long has it been on? You know, and then getting to see the original cast and then, like, the Eddie Murphy years. That stuff was big for me.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. And so did you have it as you. I mean, obviously, when you're that age, you don't know what you're gonna do for a living. But as you got older, did you have in your head somewhere? Man, I'd love to be on that show someday.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, you did. Yes.

[Willie Geist]

And was that a realistic thing to your mind, or was it sort of a fantasy?

[Andy Samberg]

It was always the thing that I was like, man, if I could do anything, it'd be that.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Andy Samberg]

But to me, it was like a little kid in Little League being like, I wanna be shortstop for the Yankees. Like, yeah, great. So does everyone. Right, right, right, right. And honestly, I didn't really think, like, when me and Akiva and Yorma, the guys I work with, we moved to LA and started doing comedy. I was doing standup and we were writing on a couple of award shows and making our own videos. I had, like, gone in for the prelim, like, Groundlings audition and kind of tanked it. And I. Right before we actually made a connection to get an audition for snl, I was pretty sure that it was not my path, really, where I was like, oh, there's people that are really good at sketch. Like, this isn't gonna be how it goes for me. Even though it's the thing I would most want. I'm just gonna do what we do. You know what I mean? And then randomly, because we got a job writing on the Movie Awards, the MTV Movie Awards one year. The first year, the host was Lindsay Lohan. And then they brought us back the next year, and it was Jimmy Fallon. And he brought all the SNL writers and Steve Higgins and Mike Shoemaker with him. And we just kind of all hit it off and had a great time. And he. And I think Higgins and Shue recommended us to Lauren based on that experience.

[Willie Geist]

And then you'd come back and do the audition for Lauren?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, yeah. And I had no audition. I had stand up. And it was all kind of meta and, like, very pleased with itself.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

But, you know, Miki and Yorma wrote my audition, like, the week before. I was like, I don't know. Who can I sound like? They want impressions? So all my impressions were like one sentence. I literally did Alan Rickman from Die Hard and the whole thing was just McClane. I was like, thank you. Moving on. I was like, just don't give them too much so they can't see through the cracks.

[Willie Geist]

Small doses.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, exactly.

[Willie Geist]

And was there. Didn't you do Jimmy or Sandler? Maybe you did Sandler?

[Andy Samberg]

No, I did Jimmy. I did Jimmy Fallon at a funeral.

[Willie Geist]

Which was, oh, man, this is so sad.

[Andy Samberg]

But I didn't even know I could do Jimmy. And then working for Jimmy on the Movie Awards, I did the temp track. They did, like, a mock up of the Batman opening thing. Me and my buddy John Solomon and a few other people wrote it. And so they needed to show it to Jimmy. Like, it'll be like this. So they were like, andy, can you do the temp. And I was like, oh, okay. I was like, oh, man. Hey, Batman, what's going on, man? And he was like, who's doing my voice? He sounds like me. He was like, that's really funny, buddy. I was like, ah, thanks.

[Willie Geist]

I love you. That could go either way.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. I know. When he first said he was doing my voice, I was like, not me.

[Willie Geist]

And do you. Do people laugh in those auditions? I've heard the SNL audition. I've heard both where it's just a dark room with no laughter, or you get a couple from the back.

[Andy Samberg]

I got a couple, and I'd heard you get nothing.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

And the one I always talk about that I specifically heard was Tina. And going in and still, I was such a huge fan of hers, and I knew her laugh from, like, interviews and stuff. And I was like, oh, shit. Tina Fey just laughed at one of my jokes. I'm so happy. Thank God. And it was the same thing with SNL audition, where I was like, I can't believe I get to walk into the studio. Like, that was the thing I was the most excited about. I wasn't thinking there was a chance I was gonna get it. And then after the first audition and people laughed, I was like, oh, shit, maybe I will. Maybe there's a chance. Because I saw some of the other ones where people didn't get laughs, even though I thought they were funny. So maybe they could slap me in somewhere, you know? But then I also saw Bill's that same day, and I was like, oh, no.

[Willie Geist]

Haters. A five tool player.

[Andy Samberg]

Oh, my God. Also, like, him and wig. If you watch their auditions, everything in their auditions aired on the show.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, is that right?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. You're just like, oh, they were ready to go, right? He did that Vinnie Videtchy character.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

His whole audition was that character. And then pivoting into different other things, and it was. I mean, he's a killer, both of them.

[Willie Geist]

So what's the phone call like then when you actually find out you're on the show?

[Andy Samberg]

I was told Lauren wanted to meet with me and could I fly to New York to meet with Lorne. So I wasn't told I got it. I was like, great. Probably figured he wants to be like, what's your vibe? And I could either be, like, a lunatic or normal. And then maybe he still wouldn't hire me, but who knows? But what I didn't know was they flew me and Bill out together. And Bill had already been told both of us Got it. Oh, I don't know why they told him and not me. Maybe they weren't supposed to tell him, or maybe they were supposed to tell me. Who knows? But he quickly realized when we met up at the airport that I didn't know and very sweetly, was like, well, I don't want to be the one to tell him and take away this huge moment. Like, I don't even know him yet. So he sat next to me the whole flight.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Andy Samberg]

Being like. And me being like, man, I wonder how it's going to go. Like, a little dumb. Dumb. And he was like, yeah, man, we'll see. I don't know. Little sweet little guy. And, you know, then you get there, and I went in to have my meeting with Lorne, and he was basically just like, so you think you could do this? And I was like, yeah. I mean, I would try my hardest. And he was like, and my hair at that time, by the way, if you see pictures of me in the beginning of snl, my hair was insane. And it was worse before I started.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, that was the cut down.

[Andy Samberg]

That was the cut down. And Lauren did ask me in that meeting, would you be willing to cut your hair? And I was like, yeah, I'll shave my head. I'll do whatever you want. He was like, okay, well, we're all gonna get dinner after, so you should come. And I was like, okay, great. And then I walked out, and all the people in his office. I think Lindsey Shookus was there and some other people, and they were like, so. And I was like, I don't know what happened. And they were like, you got it. And I was like, oh, okay.

[Willie Geist]

We never said it. Now, that's so funny, because I think Seth, you probably know better than I do, has a similar story where he was like, am I.

[Andy Samberg]

Am I on the show?

[Willie Geist]

And then he said, eventually Lauren was like, so we'll do this.

[Andy Samberg]

I was four years into working there, and I still wasn't sure I was on the show. I think, like, maybe I just started showing up and they didn't want to turn me away.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, my God. But, yeah, the. The first digital short, the first one that blew up Lazy Sunday, was in 2005. Like, fall 05, I want to say.

[Andy Samberg]

I think it was the Christmas episode.

[Willie Geist]

Christmas, okay. Christmas of 05. You know, you look at the timing of that, people forget YouTube was still a new thing.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. It was the first time we'd heard of YouTube.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. So it was like this confluence of something people weren't super familiar with. Yet in YouTube and this new way of showing comedy to the world.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Was that your way? Because you said you weren't good at the sketches and all that. Was that your way of like, okay, this is my lane on snl.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. I mean, we were trying to get on any way we could. We had had a couple of things air. I wouldn't say we were not getting anything on the show. Our first episode, me and Bill got on Update and went really well. So it was more a thing of like, that's what we were doing on our own before the show. If you look at like the old Lonely island stuff, it was a lot of like fake comedy, rap videos and, you know, goofy, surrealist pre taped sketches. So we were definitely sort of angling to see if we could start doing that because we really liked the pre tape aspect of it, that we could control it and control the timing and keep it tight and adjust after dress and make it shorter so that there was no flab on it. That's our M.O. is like, only stay in the idea as long as it's worth staying in kind of a thing. And they told us, you know, hey, if you can do some cheap stuff, run out and try it. You know, we're always looking for things to put in between sketches because if you're in a long act, they need a pre tape to switch over the set, right? So they're basically like, Lauren needs things to switch over the set. And we were like, great, that's where we want to live, right? And then we did one with Will Forte called Lettuce that aired and we were like, great. We got something on. It cost like 10 bucks, right? And I think we shot on like mini DV tape or something. And then the second one was Lazy Sunday.

[Willie Geist]

Well, that was the second one.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Andy Samberg]

Which was like in our heads just exploded. Like when it aired, we were like, hey, we got another thing on. That's really cool. And I remember that night, Smigel, Robert Smigel was like, that thing's going to be big. And we're like, really? He was like, why do you think.

[Willie Geist]

It caught on the way it did?

[Andy Samberg]

I couldn't say. I think for whatever reason, it was the right moment for that kind of joke. And obviously it birthed so much awfulness.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, greatness.

[Andy Samberg]

But so many other, like, hacky joke raps. And the one thing that we always would talk about is that we grew up listening to that music and really love and respect that music. And we always would try and make sure that when we were doing those jokes that the joke was about us or about something outside of what the music itself was. It was never like, isn't it funny if, like, white guys are rapping? Or, like, isn't rap funny?

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

Because to us, it's not. It's great. It's an art form just like any other. And it's like what we came up on. So I think a lot of other people after us that were like, hey, look what they're doing. That's really funny, who didn't have the same respect and love for it would do things. And it would be kind of the old joke of doing that.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

I'm saying out in the world. Not anywhere like SNL or anything, but just a lot of stuff on YouTube, basically.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, yeah. Right.

[Andy Samberg]

Where you're like, oh, no, this is. I feel conflicted now. Right, yeah.

[Willie Geist]

But yours was always homage. I mean, it was clear.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. We tried to bury a lot of details in all the stuff we did so that people would. People who knew would be like, oh, they know their stuff.

[Willie Geist]

So if you had to. I mean, people do D and A B. Right. I'm on a boat, Lazy Sunday. Because it's the original. Do you have a favorite? As you look back at the canon.

[Andy Samberg]

The Lonely island canon, I love having one. I love Jack Sparrow with Michael Bolton.

[Willie Geist]

Great.

[Andy Samberg]

I love Iran so far, the Ahmadinejad one. I love Mother Lover with Justin. I love Reba with Kenan.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, yeah, with Kenan.

[Andy Samberg]

That one is bonkers.

[Willie Geist]

It's so weird.

[Andy Samberg]

That's definitely one where, when it aired, we were like, well, we just put that on television. And I also just love Kenan so much. I was really happy to get to do one that really starred him. I just feel like he's so. Even though he's, like, hugely famous and everyone loves him, he still feels somehow underrated to me.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

I just think he's a genius.

[Willie Geist]

So that's a good point to sort of investigate how you guys operate that idea. Do a song about Reba McEntire and make it Kenan.

[Andy Samberg]

Kenan.

[Willie Geist]

Where does that even come from?

[Andy Samberg]

Kenan. And I think Emily Spivey, who's a writer, wrote a live sketch where Kenan played Reba at a photo shoot. And it. I think it went to dress and then got cut, but it was, like, our favorite thing ever. So we then said to them, hey, would you be cool with us doing that same idea, but as a song, we have an idea for it? And they were like, yeah, great. But I do wonder if they could Find that old Live Riva sketch. It's so funny. They got it somewhere, so we kind of poached it.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

But flipped it and made it a new thing with more energy. Yeah. He's so good.

[Willie Geist]

You figured he had the costume. Might as well just.

[Andy Samberg]

And also, it's a Rashomon where you see the two different perspectives.

[Willie Geist]

Right, right, right.

[Andy Samberg]

I have to keep saying that so that people will say it. No one was like, what a Rashomon.

[Willie Geist]

Are there things that. So you've, like, done everything you can possibly do in comedy? Season six of the show. Are there other things that you. You're such a creative guy. Are there things up on the board? You're like, I haven't had time to get to that yet, but I want to do it. Directing a movie, doing drama. Is there some other. Are you happy where you are?

[Andy Samberg]

I love doing comedy. It's all I ever wanted. I think there's definitely some movie stuff I want to do that maybe is a little more of a blend. Like, I did a movie with Rashida Jones called Celeste and Jesse Forever that I was. I had a really wonderful experience doing that. I wouldn't mind doing more stuff like that. It was. It was funny, but it also had more earnest dramatic elements to it, and I enjoyed that experience. We're gonna do live shows. The Lonely Islands. That's something that we always wanted to do and never did. And then we finally did it this past summer, and it was super fun. So we're gonna do more of that. I think.

[Willie Geist]

You're doing Bonnaroo, aren't you, this year?

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

That's amazing.

[Andy Samberg]

I said it on Fallon, but we're going on after Post Malone, so we're Post Post Malone.

[Willie Geist]

Even better the second time.

[Andy Samberg]

Even better the second time. Second time.

[Willie Geist]

Great. What's a live show like for Lonely Island? I mean, you get to obviously get the guest stars to come on.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah, we like everything with us. We really overloaded with content for it. We were working with this really awesome guy, Mike Diva, who has a great YouTube channel, and he created a lot of stuff for the screens behind us so that it feels new and kind of exciting. He does a lot of really incredible graphic work, and there's, like, a couple new little video clips. Not full music videos or anything, but things that are just for the concert kind of. But it's an incredible experience. I mean, the clusterfest show we did in SF, it was like 12,000 people.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Andy Samberg]

And, you know, for the last song we did I'm on a Boat and T Pain came out, and they, like, flipped the lights out, like at a real rock show. And it's 12,000. People know every word.

[Willie Geist]

Isn't that crazy?

[Andy Samberg]

And you're just like, this isn't right. Like, we loved it. It was so fun, but it felt so surreal and beautiful that that many people wanted to spend their time on something so stupid. Right? We were like, wow. Yeah. There are people that really like dumb stuff, you know, like, smart, dumb, intentionally dumb, which has always been. It's always hard to play that lane because it's so easy for people to write it off and go, that's dumb. And you're like, yeah, on purpose. Because what is anything?

[Willie Geist]

Right?

[Andy Samberg]

But I don't know. It was very satisfying. And to feel that energy coming back to us after so many years of doing it was really gratifying.

[Willie Geist]

I'm happy for you, man. Congrats on everything.

[Andy Samberg]

Thanks.

[Willie Geist]

Appreciate it. Next time, we do a full, like, an hour on Rocky IV and wrestling, and what if we do the nexus of those?

[Andy Samberg]

Consider it done.

[Willie Geist]

You know what I mean?

[Andy Samberg]

I mean, wasn't Mr. T in both? I feel like he was in Rocky 3.

[Willie Geist]

He was in. What's he in?

[Andy Samberg]

I'm just saying. The Rocky franchise. Oh, the franchise.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

I was going, didn't he do WWF?

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, he was at WrestleMania 1.

[Andy Samberg]

Exactly.

[Willie Geist]

And who else was there? Liberace. There's an amazing photograph of, like, Hulk Hogan, Cyndi Lauper, and Liberace.

[Andy Samberg]

Oh, right. Things Captain.

[Willie Geist]

The anthem or something. Oh, right. Yeah.

[Andy Samberg]

Captain Albana was in the Girls Just Want to have Fun video with the.

[Willie Geist]

Rubber band in his beard.

[Andy Samberg]

I love.

[Willie Geist]

There's so much to say.

[Andy Samberg]

Cyndi Lauper, my first celebrity crush.

[Willie Geist]

She was, wow. Oh, yeah, that's interesting. She's the greatest off that video. Girls Just Want to have Fun.

[Andy Samberg]

Just all of it. Both my sisters were obsessed with her, and I was just like, huh? She's the coolest person I've ever seen.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah, she was cool.

[Andy Samberg]

I still listen to that album all the time.

[Willie Geist]

True Colors is a great classic song. Forever.

[Andy Samberg]

There's a bunch of them, but it's a great song. She's so unusual, is one of the best pop records ever made.

[Willie Geist]

It really is.

[Andy Samberg]

And now that we have a daughter, it's just like, oh, yeah, this is in heavy rotation.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, is she into it?

[Andy Samberg]

Well, I think it's still me, but I'm trying to. I'm using her as an excuse to keep playing it.

[Willie Geist]

You'll learn to do that, too. They're kind of like, what's this Bieber doing on you guys? They're like, we don't like the Bieber was just like too late then to say sorry, guys. They're like, we're not listening to that. But that.

[Andy Samberg]

Where are you now? I still love that song.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Andy Samberg]

And the one, the big like Khaled collabo one was so good. That came out last year.

[Willie Geist]

He's good.

[Andy Samberg]

I know.

[Willie Geist]

He is the.

[Andy Samberg]

There's the. I'm the one. But then the follow up one was great too. No brainer.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. Speaking of that homage pop star had some great sort of Bieber. It did.

[Andy Samberg]

It did. I still have not seen him since that. I hope he really. Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

It's so funny. That movie's really funny.

[Andy Samberg]

Thanks. I was really happy with it. It feels like it's finding people a lot now. It's a tough thing putting out a mockumentary.

[Willie Geist]

Right, Right. Full length Lonely Island.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

Project.

[Andy Samberg]

Exactly. Exactly. But yeah, it turned out great.

[Willie Geist]

As long as we're talking about our 80s obsessions.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

We've covered wrestling, covered Cyndi Lauper, Die Hard and Jake's obsession, which again, not giving away too much, but in first episode of season six really comes. Comes together nicely.

[Andy Samberg]

And in the promo we shot, which is amazing.

[Willie Geist]

Right. Where does that come from? Is that from you? Real life Die Hard obsession?

[Andy Samberg]

I am obsessed with Die Hard, although I feel almost like a fraud saying it because my buddy Jorma is so obsessed with it that I'm like Fairweather compared to him.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Andy Samberg]

Where he's like. He's like Jake in earnest. However, I would say it's one of my favorite action movies of all time. It's incredible. I don't remember how it started on Brooklyn 9, whether it was something I pitched or whether it was just a joke that a writer wrote. But it just kept making sense to bring it back up and it. There's something about Jake Peralta's worldview that is almost synonymous with his love of Die Hard. Like his idea of why being a detective is a good thing to be and a positive thing in the world is connected to his view of John McClane and what he does in Die Hard. He wants his life to be a movie where he's an action hero and he's stopping bad guys from doing bad things to good guys.

[Willie Geist]

And he wants his wife to be Holly Gennaro.

[Andy Samberg]

He does.

[Willie Geist]

And all works out very nicely.

[Andy Samberg]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

But we'll leave that to episode one. Cool. Thank you.

[Andy Samberg]

Awesome.

[Willie Geist]

My thanks again to Andy Samberg for that conversation. You can catch new episodes of Brooklyn nine nine every Thursday at nine Eastern, eight Central on NBC. And thanks as always to all of you for tuning in to the Sunday Sit Down Podcast to hear more of our conversations with all of my guests, including recent ones with Jerry Seinfeld, J. Lo, Margot Robbie, Natalie Portman. Be sure to click, subscribe and listen for free for free every week. And of course, don't forget to tune in to Sunday Today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit Down Podcast.

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