Over the past decade or so, Saturday Night Live has relied on certain cast members to do the bulk of the heavy lifting. And Aidy Bryant has been a go-to staple since becoming a full cast member in Season 39. Whether the character is male or female, Bryant has always brought her goofy sensibility, sharp physicality and comedic timing. The SNL star knows how important laughter can be during such challenging times, too, and she recently explained how "depressing" times had a positive impact on the series’ latest season.
Season 46 was a huge year for Saturday Night Live, as the veteran sketch comedy series scored multiple Emmy nominations, including an Outstanding Supporting Actress nod for Aidy Bryant. The season featured a few viral moments, including Bryant’s Ted Cruz impersonation. The SNL star opened up to Entertainment Weekly about the sketch comedy’s environment during the pandemic, and it's actually in sharp contrast to the vibe viewers probably got while watching the show. The actress said about going for laughter during the awkward period:
In a weird way, it's maybe the opposite where it was so challenging and stressful and kind of depressing at times behind the scenes, that then, in reaction to that, the dumbest, silliest, goofiest sketches or ideas felt like, ‘Whatever, why not? Let's do it.’ Even Ted Cruz wearing Cancun braids, the goofier the better. We were just up for it because we were searching for joy.
Aidy Bryant’s description of the late-night comedy’s on and off-screen environment is interesting, as it would seem the cast was able to channel the grim circumstances around them in order to produce immensely funny material. Going for all the way with silliness and goofiness, while skewering today’s culture, is true to the SNL brand, so that does make sense. Of course, there's more here. This situation is a keen reminder that even though stars like Bryant, Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson are working hard to entertain us, they're still feeling the weight of the world's current situation just as much as we are.
There was more for the actress to celebrate besides her nomination for the late-night sketch show. Aidy Bryant became a double nominee by scoring an Outstanding Lead Actress nomination for her recently-concluded series, Shrill. She also revealed to EW that being a double nominee solidifies her differing abilities as a performer. But while she was excited about her nominations, Bryant was even more excited for the Primetime Emmys to recognize those behind the scenes. With the success she's having, it's great that she's using her time in the sun to highlight the work of others.
Knowing Aidy Bryant and SNL put their feelings aside to provide joy to viewers is enough to make one that much more appreciative of their efforts. Bryant certainly gave her all in both of her shows, and I have no problem saying that she definitely earned those Emmy nominations.
While Shrill has ended its run, viewers can still catch the comedy series in its entirety on Hulu, while we wait to see if Bryant is returning for Season 47 of Saturday Night Live, which premieres October 2 on NBC.
