The Messy Parts with Maryam Banikarim

Episode 6: Ana Gasteyer—SNL, Wine, Fame, and Staying Funny

Release Date: July 14, 2025
Guest: Ana Gasteyer

Episode Overview

In this candid episode, Maryam Banikarim is joined by actress, comedian, and singer Ana Gasteyer. Known for her iconic run on Saturday Night Live, standout Broadway performances (including Elphaba in Wicked), and television work (Suburgatory, American Auto), Ana opens up about the winding, “messy” path her extraordinary career has taken. Topics range from feeling like an outsider, the uncertain realities of fame and performing, transitioning from comedy to Broadway, juggling motherhood and ambition, and the value of creative community. Ana also shares advice for creators and those forging unconventional paths, interspersed with memorable anecdotes and sharp humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life & Discovering Her Path

• Musical Upbringing: Ana was raised in a classical music family. She played violin and sang, but didn’t initially envision a performing career.

  "I grew up in a very kind of traditional music family... but it wasn't something that I thought I would do. Exactly." (01:39)

• Northwestern Years: She chose Northwestern for pragmatic reasons—her parents’ insistence on a BA—and discovered improv and comedy through college theater, realizing these were her “people.”

  "The things I really got out of college were exposure to all kinds of different points of view..." (03:31)
  "The unifying principle of those people... They were all makers and doers. They were all motivated to not sit around waiting to get cast in something." (05:15)

• Outsider Perspective: Ana felt like an outsider at many points in her life—culturally, economically, and even within her artistic niches.

  "I've always... been an outsider... I think it actually just means you have a different and more interesting perspective." (07:25)

2. Comedy, Improv & SNL

• Finding Her “Tribe”: Improv comedy introduced her to like-minded creators who cared more about making their own work than waiting for permission.
• Groundlings to SNL: After honing her skills at the Groundlings in LA, Ana was recruited for SNL during their mid-90s cast overhaul (thanks in part to Will Ferrell’s referral).
• SNL Audition Process: The intense and unique SNL audition was a key moment; Ana prepared relentlessly and left knowing she’d done her best, regardless of outcome.

  "There have been a few auditions in my life where I've left everything on the table, where the win was not whether I got the job. It was whether or not I did what I could have done." (13:35)

• Navigating SNL Culture: Despite the thrill and creative ecstasy of the show, SNL’s atmosphere was competitive, high-pressure, and at times, isolating—especially as the first among her peers to juggle pregnancy and career.

  "You get a family every show. You get a family... but it is a miserable grind of a job. I've missed out on some things..." (20:57; 21:31)

3. Transitioning to Broadway & TV

• Nonlinear Career Moves: Ana transitioned from SNL to Broadway—a leap that was “not a natural transition” and generated skepticism, especially as a comedian.

  "All of them are worlds that are very hard to break into..." (16:31)

• Resilience in Rejection: She shares stories of not landing roles immediately, and how sometimes setbacks ultimately led to better opportunities and personal growth.

  "You don't know where it's going to play out or how. But it was such a perfect scenario..." (17:18)

• On Balancing Parenthood: Ana left SNL after six years, partly due to the impossibility of balancing new motherhood with the show’s demands—there were no models in place and no childcare support.

  "No one had ever had a baby there... There's no, like, child care... I wish it were easier for people." (19:10; 20:10)

4. The Importance of Creative Community

• Support Among Female SNL Alumni: In recent years, former female SNL cast members have built a support network—both personally and professionally.

  "We just started spending time together, and then we started having these, like, dinners and reunions and then these milestone birthdays that we celebrate together." (26:46)

• Community in TV & Theater: Ana cherishes ensemble work and the collective joy of creative collaboration.

  "I love the read through table. I love comedy writers, you know, all of that." (30:06)

5. Fame, Reinvention & Creative Agency

• Struggles with Fame: Ana confesses she dislikes the trappings of fame, focusing instead on the creative highs.

  "I don't really love the fame part of things. It's not very fun for me. But the creative part was incredibly intoxicating." (24:28)

• Willingness to Try New Things: From making jazz and holiday albums to producing one-woman shows, Ana regularly reinvents herself and seeks new creative outlets.

  "I like making things... I'm not very good at sitting around... For all of Saturday Night Live for 20 years, I was producing and writing, but I wasn't getting credited for that." (31:04)

• Advice on Agency & Confidence: She stresses that waiting for permission is pointless—declare your ambition and act on it.

  "Who are you waiting for to tell you that you're allowed to do this? You have to go do it. There's no..." (33:23)

6. Handling Rejection & Redefining Success

• Coping Mechanism: After a rejection, Ana gives herself one night to be upset, then moves on and regroups.

  "I give myself one really sad night with a giant bottle of white wine and a half a Xanax, and I sleep really, really well... And then the next day I wake up and I realize that I have other ideas and a really killer family and an amazing career that everybody wishes that they had." (00:00 & 36:50)

• Perspective on Balance: Borrowing Martin Short’s “pie” model—work, family, friends—she emphasizes that balance is personal and the mix may change over time.
• “Everything Works Out” Philosophy: Though she acknowledges it sounds cliché, Ana recognizes that sometimes life’s disappointments free her up for unforeseen (often better) opportunities.

Notable Quotes

• On Preparation and Agency:

  "There have been a few auditions in my life where I've left everything on the table, where the win was not whether I got the job. It was whether or not I did what I could have done."
  —Ana Gasteyer (13:35)

• On Being an Outsider:

  "I've always... been an outsider... I think it actually just means you have a different and more interesting perspective."
  —Ana Gasteyer (07:25)

• On Moving Past Rejection:

  "I give myself one really sad night with a giant bottle of white wine and a half a Xanax, and I sleep really, really well... And then the next day I wake up and I realize that I have other ideas and a really killer family..."
  —Ana Gasteyer (00:00; 36:50)

• On Not Comparing Herself:

  "If I could go back and talk to myself at 25, it’s so fucking irrelevant what anyone else is doing. It has nothing to do with my path. Nothing."
  —Ana Gasteyer (35:51)

• On Not Waiting for Permission:

  "Who are you waiting for to tell you that you're allowed to do this? You have to go do it."
  —Ana Gasteyer (33:23)

• On Female SNL Alumni Community:

  "We just started spending time together, and then we started having these, like, dinners and reunions and then these milestone birthdays that we celebrate together."
  —Ana Gasteyer (26:46)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• On Coping with Failure and Rejection: 00:00, 36:50
• Childhood & Finding Her Path: 01:33–05:20
• Discovering Comedy, Improv, and Her "Tribe": 05:20–07:22
• Groundlings, SNL Audition & Early SNL Experience: 09:44–16:28
• Transitioning to Broadway (Wicked): 16:28–19:07
• SNL, Motherhood, and Leaving the Show: 19:10–23:08
• Creative Community & Female SNL Support: 25:43–27:40
• Transition to TV, Range, and Self-Production: 28:49–31:37
• Advice for Creators & Young Women: 32:10–35:51
• Philosophy on Balance and Life's Curveballs: 36:50–42:35
• Rapid Fire Q&A: 42:35–45:09

Memorable Moments

• The SNL Audition Pep Talk: Ana’s perspective on leaving everything on the table and letting go of attachment to results—often leading, paradoxically, to success. (13:35)
• The “Really Sad Night” Routine: Her raw and funny ritual of indulging in sorrow post-rejection, before quickly rebounding. (00:00, 36:50)
• Female SNL Alumni Dinners: The inside scoop on the real sisterhood behind the scenes. (25:55–27:40)
• Practical Wisdom: Declaring your ambition out loud, making your own opportunities, and not benchmarking yourself against others’ visible wins. (33:23–35:51)

Tone & Language

The conversation is deeply honest, humorous, and unfiltered—Ana is self-effacing, whip-smart, and never shies away from the contradictions or challenges of her world. Maryam’s questions are equally thoughtful, blending empathy, practical curiosity, and lived experience.

Listener Takeaways

• Resilience means feeling the lows, then forging ahead.
• Don’t wait for permission—claim and create your story.
• Comparison is the thief of joy—focus on your own path.
• Creativity thrives in community; your “tribe” matters.
• Balance is personal and dynamic, not a fixed destination.
• Sometimes, what seems like a setback frees you for new, valuable life chapters.

For anyone navigating ambition, creativity, and the unpredictability of success, Ana Gasteyer’s messy parts—raw, witty, and human—serve as a refreshing reminder that it all matters, and it all counts.