Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim on ‘Challenging’ Environment at ‘SNL’
Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim Reflect on Their Time at “Saturday Night Live”
After departing from “Saturday Night Live” prior to Season 51, Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim opened up about the work environment at the legendary late-night sketch show.
During a conversation on Nwodim’s “Thanks Dad” podcast, Nwodim discussed how the “SNL” cast spends a significant amount of time together in close quarters, writing and rehearsing, which can either foster strong bonds or lead to tension within the group.
Sharing her perspective, Nwodim shared, “To have to share such an intimate space together for hours on end on Saturdays and Thursdays and Fridays, whenever we were rehearsing, yeah, it made us close quick. But it doesn’t have to work that way. It could also not make you close. It can make you not like each other. It can make you feel whatever mutually, ‘I’m sharing a space with this person.’ But I’m so grateful we got so close.”
Gardner chimed in, expressing her gratitude for the friendship she and Nwodim developed during their time on the show and commended their ability to navigate their egos without letting it affect their relationship.
“I’m so honored that we worked so hard there, and then we also worked on our friendship so hard, which wasn’t hard, by the way,” Gardner shared. “I just mean we’re human, so we have egos, we want things for ourselves, we want to succeed. There weren’t a lot of times we were able to succeed the way we wanted at the exact same time.”
Nwodim acknowledged the challenges of feeling like the “SNL” cast is “winning together,” which contributes to the complex dynamics of working on the show. Despite this, she praised Gardner for her positive presence in what can be a demanding environment.
She added, “But I’m like, if you can leave — in a place where it can get so competitive and you can become so self involved, if you can leave and be still remarkably lovely and such a light and still pouring into other people like you, I think you succeeded.”
Gardner announced her departure from “SNL” on Aug. 28 after a stint of eight seasons, while Nwodim bid farewell on Sept. 12 following her seventh season. The cast saw significant changes before Season 51, with Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and Michael Longfellow exiting the show. Ben Marshall from Please Don’t Destroy was promoted to the main cast, Martin Herlihy transitioned to the writing staff, and John Higgins departed from the show.
