A Bunch of ‘SNL’ Cast Members Share Their Audition Stories with ‘The New York Times’

David Itzkoff of The New York Times has an excellent new piece out today called “The God of SNL Will See You Now,” in which 22 past and present SNL cast members, including Will Ferrell, Chevy Chase, and Kristen Wiig all tell their nerve-wracking audition stories. From waiting for hours in Lorne Michaels’s office (Fallon: “I was sitting there with Lorne’s assistant for three hours, and I’m like, ‘Whenever he’s ready, I’m here.’ And she’s like, ‘You know, Chris Farley waited for eight hours.’”) to auditioning in 30 Rock to zero laughs (Ferrell: “There’s a point where I’m rolling around on the ground, in complete silence, playing with cat toys. And I’m thinking: Oh, it’s over.”), it’s full of interesting stories and anecdotes from how some of the biggest names in the show’s history landed the job.