Happy Birthday, Abby Elliott!

Happy birthday to SNL starlet Abby Elliott who turns the ripe young age of 23 today, and in the process puts every other 23 year old in the world to shame. 


Have a good 'un, girl!

Amy Poehler's "Smart Girls at the Party" Relaunches

So, SNL alum Amy Poehler has relaunched her website/series, "Smart Girls At The Party" at http://www.smartgirlsattheparty.com/

A Twitter account has also been set up at -
http://twitter.com/smrtgrls

The first episode of the second series profiles an engineer named Rachel. and there's also a cute song written by Amy Miles featured on there too. And as if that weren't enough, there's a poll where you can vote between pictures of Megan Mullally's and Nick Offerman's dogs! So, if you have any young sisters/girl cousins/whatever, show them this series!


Finally, I just want to say that I really like Amy Poehler's brand of feminism. 

Andy Samberg filming, "What's Your Number?"

Andy Samberg was spotted filming What's Your Number? in Boston this week. The romantic comedy stars Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Ari Graynor, Zachary Quinto, Joel McHale and others.


In other Andy Samberg news, Andy will be participating in the Ben Stiller Comedy Roundtable at this year's Nantucket Film Festival. The roundtable will also feature Stiller, Zach Galifianakis and Sarah Silverman and takes place this Saturday at noon. 

"Elliot Alagash" NY Times Review

I Love You, Beth Cooper writer Larry Doyle penned a review of SNL writer Simon Rich's novel "Elliot Alagash" for the NY Times. Sample quote -

"Yet the inevitable warm fuzziness doesn’t terribly undercut all the nasty pleasures previously provided, nor diminish expectations for the next bit of mischief. Mr. Rich (son of the New York Times columnist Frank Rich) is young still, with two other books already under his belt (both collections of extremely funny very short pieces) and nothing but promise ahead. If he were his own creation, he would need to be destroyed."


You can read the rest of it here -
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/books/15book.html?src=mv


Also, here's another great interview with Simon Rich -
http://therumpus.net/2010/06/ridiculously-rich-the-rumpus-interview-with-simon-rich/

Bobby Moynihan Q&A

Okay, so I just want to extend my enormous thanks to Bobby for agreeing to answer these questions and for putting so much time, care and effort into answering these questions. He went far and beyond what I could have ever expected - the answers are so insightful and for all us SNL nerds, it's a real treat to read! 
Without further ado, I give you the Bobby Moynihan Q&A! I hope you all enjoy it! (Most of it is after the jump, so click read more!)
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1. Could you talk about how you originally got into comedy? (What led you into it? Was it what you were always interested in pursuing?)

When I was a kid I wanted to be a cartoonist. Or at least draw comic books or make action figures. Then I started doing the youth summer theatre in my town. Mostly just to hang out with my friends at the diner after rehearsals. When college time came around I got into UCONN for Acting. So I went. I did mostly plays and musical theatre while I was there but we had to a final presentation for our senior year and we kind of did sketch's and then a roast. I think that was my first real jump into sketch comedy. Then when I came back to New York I saw an improv show at UCB. I loved it so much and I knew instantly that that was what I wanted to do. I signed up for classes the next day and I have been doing it ever since.

2. What was your audition like for Saturday Night Live? Did it feature any characters/impressions that have since been featured on the show?

My audition process was torture. It was 14 months in between the first time I auditioned and the second time because of the writers strike. The first time I auditioned I believe I did Hurley from Lost trying to open a jar of Dharma Initiative Chili, Turtle from Entourage. I did Mark Payne, and I did another character called Simply Victor that will never be on the show and a bit where I tap danced. The second time I auditioned I think I had a better handle on what they wanted  from me. I did like 13 short bits. I believe I did a character called "The Biggest Douche on the Subway", I did Nathan Lane for the National Hamburger Society, I did Snagglepuss at a swingers club, I did Jack Black at a funeral, I did a character called Mark Dark Narcoleptic Narc, I did Simply Victor again and Mark Payne. I also did other stuff that I am forgetting and when I write it out like that I don't know how I got on the show.

3. In your first show at SNL, you got your character Mark Payne on the air. How did you succeed in getting a character on the air in your first week and what was it like to feature so prominently in a sketch that early on?

Honestly, I have no idea. I think it was all a matter of timing and stupidity. I pitched my only good character right out of the gate. Not the smartest thing I have ever done. But it was the only thing I had that I knew really really well. I had been doing that character in a show with my sketch group Buffoons (with Charlie Sanders and Eugene Cordero) for three years so I felt comfortable with it. Everyone was very nice at my first read through and I was terrified. But it went well and it got picked. Still can't believe it. I also think it had a lot to do with the fact that Michael Phelps was hosting and he had just won like a million medals and he was exhausted. All he had to do in the scene was sit and not swim. If an actual actor hosted I don't think it would have seen the light of day. To this day  I still cannot understand the chain of events that led to getting that on the air in my first show. We did another one a few episodes later with Tim McGraw that I loved and another two, one with Rosario Dawson and one with Tracy Morgan, that got cut for time. The Tracy Morgan one was the Mark Payne origin story. A flashback to Tracy training Mark at Uno's. I love it more than anything. But it will never see the light of day. The Mark Payne saga is complete in my mind. I love that character and believe it is a big part of what got me on the show. The biggest  thrill of all was seeing Mark Payne in the opening credits sequence of the SNL in the 2000's documentary. I can remember the moment I saw it. I will never forget how thankful I was that I worked in Pizzeria Uno for 9 years too long.

Kristen Wiig in Gotham Magazine (PICTURES)

Kristen Wiig is featured in this month's Gotham Magazine and the article is online at -
http://www.gotham-magazine.com/celebrities/articles/queen-of-the-night

A few other pictures are included there too! Enjoy!

Seth Meyers will appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this Thursday alongside musical guests Blitzen Trapper! Set your DVR's!

After the jump are pictures of Andy Samberg at the EA Sports 2010 FIFA World Cup Balls To The Brits, Balls to The Yanks Event. Enjoy!

Saturday Night Live star Andy Samberg will be at Universal Studios Citywalk on Friday at 11:30 a.m. to help kick off EA Sports' "Balls to the Brits, Balls to the Yanks" event, during which Americans are invited to kick their custom messages from Los Angeles all the way to England in time for the U.S.-England World Cup match.

Attendees to the event, which begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m., will be provided with a portal to kick a soccer ball adorned with a custom message from CityWalk all the way to England, where event attendees in London’s Leicester Square catch and kick their messages back.

Event attendees will be invited to enter their desired messages via a computer kiosk and transmit it across the  pond by kicking a ball at a goal. Simultaneously in London, those messages will be printed onto soccer balls which will launch out of a live video billboard to be caught by London event attendees. Both events will be connected via two-way live Internet broadcast, while a large display screen will show real-time conversations taking place on Twitter.

Happy birthday to SNL wonderman Bill Hader who turns 32 today! 


You didn't hear it from me, but I hear he's celebrating in New York's hottest club "Beast" where, like, people dress up like clocks and draw numbers on their face and the only song the DJ plays is Tik Tok. And there's this, like, vomitorium that's like kind of Roman but also woman's prison-ish.


Have a good one, sir!

John Mulaney Tour Dates -

John Mulaney is performing in multiple cities this summer. Here are the show dates & a message from John himself -

Hey everyone. Hope you can make it to any and all of these shows this summer. Though I bet going to all of them would be financially unwise and ultimately a real drag. I love you and am in love with you. John

JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL CHICAGO JUNE 16-19 
Appearing with Ellen Degeneres, Aziz Ansari, Patton Oswalt and more. 
Get tickets and info here http://www.justforlaughschicago.com/justforlaughschicago/index.jsp

ARLINGTON, VA JULY 9 & 10 
I am returning to the Arlington Draft House for two shows. Loved it the first time. Hope all you DC, VA, MD and DDS people can make it. 
Get Tickets here http://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/default.aspx?page=home

SAN FRANCISCO, CA JULY 28-31 
Appearing at my favorite club: The Punchline 
Tickets here http://www.livenation.com/venue/punch-line-comedy-club-san-francisco-tickets/

SOLID SOUND FESTIVAL AUGUST 14 in North Adams, MA 
This festival is created by and will be featuring WILCO. Hot fish, that’s great! 
Tickets here http://solidsound.frontgatetickets.com/choose.php?a=1&lid=42284&eid=48962

Taken from fuckyeahjohnmulaney.tumblr.com

So, my Tumblr friend Beth attended a Q&A given by SNL writer Simon Rich last night. She posted a series of really interesting SNL-related tidbits from the talk that I simply had to share with you. I include them after the jump. Definitely read them as they are super-interesting. 


In other Rich-related news, it's his birthday today and he turns 26! Happy birthday, comedy wunderkind. 
Here's an article on Rich -
http://arts.nationalpost.com/2010/06/05/simon-rich-all-kidding-aside/


Also, Beth found out at the talk that Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman has acquired the rights to Rich's book Elliot Alagash and Rich is penning the screenplay for the adaptation. Young Rich is moving up in the world!
SNL-related info from Rich's talk after the jump. Special thanks to Beth for writing such a detailed post & allowing me to repost it here!

Hey guys,
So, big news! Cast member/UCB improviser/all-around nice guy Bobby Moynihan has very kindly agreed to answer some questions for the blog! I know, right?

So, faithful readers, I'm putting it out there - if you have any questions for Snookie  Bobby Moynihan, leave a comment with your question & I'll pick a few of the best to ask him.

Thanks,
-Amy

Will Forte Filming Episode of Parks & Recreation

According to show creator Michael Schur -

"Just finished day 2 of shooting a #ParksandRec episode with Will Forte. It's so much effing fun it should be illegal."

Will Forte joins the ranks of fellow SNL stars Fred Armisen and Andy Samberg who both guest-starred in the NBC comedy in the second season.  Parks and Recreation returns to NBC mid-season. 

Bill Hader at Conan O'Brien's New York tour stop

So, as you guys may have known, Conan O'Brien brought his Legally Prohibited tour to Radio City Music Hall last night. As one could have predicted, the guests that showed up were pretty stellar - Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Paul Rudd, John Krasinski and SNL's Bill Hader. Here's a video of Bill Hader's appearance at the show last night. SPOILER ALERT - he briefly channels Stefon.