Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th Season on NBC this year, which will extend into the 2025 TV schedule. As new SNL hosts and musical guests get added, it's only natural that the stellar current cast look back on memorable moments. Main cast member Heidi Gardner, who has become quite the familiar face every Saturday night, recently did just that. Known for being somewhat stoic while in character, Gardner notably broke last season during the show's viral Beavis and Butt-Head sketch and, now, the comedian is explaining what happened.
This particular sketch from Season 49, written by Mikey Day, saw the writer and fan favorite host Ryan Gosling dress as cartoon characters Beavis and Butt-Head. Everything was going relatively well, until suddenly, the ever-reliable Gardner broke character in a laughing fit. She recently told Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast host Amanda Hirsch that she is still baffled by the moment to this day:
I've thought about this a lot, because I found it a big source of pride that I never break, even though it's so loveable and likable, I don't know why I would need to use it as a crutch. But I'm just so character, or I'm like stick in your character, stay [in character.]' And also, in that one, I was the straight man, and it's like you really want to get out all the information for all the fun stuff around you to happen. But I will say, because I was like 'Why did I break so hard?' Some of it is, Mikey and I sit next to each other at table [reads]. He's like a brother to me, he makes me laugh constantly. I'm like 'OK, I have that relationship with Mikey.' But then I was like 'I don't know why...I get that he's funny, I laugh at him all the time, and I haven't done it on TV. Why did I do it?'
The effect was almost immediate, like letting the air out of a balloon. Once the Hustle alum broke, the rest of the cast, including guest host Ryan Gosling, struggled to get through their lines, with the exception of 22-season vet Kenan Thompson.
It’s not uncommon for an SNL cast member to crack a smile or two during a performance. It's a small acknowledgment of the silliness going on before regaining their composure and moving on. Still, it's understandable why Heidi Gardner would break upon seeing co-star Mikey Day as Butthead, considering that wild viral look. The Shrinking actress now seems to think the environment was just ripe for this sort of break, almost as if it were out of her control:
I was watching the old Debbie Downer sketches where everyone would famously break...they're so good, but also it's like everyone is around a table and they're all seeing each other about to break. They know, they can all feel it happening. And I do think maybe the audience in Beavis and Butt-Head, like the actual studio audience, could feel it coming to a swell, because they were seeing Ryan and Mikey.
The SNL writer is most likely referring to the infamous group break during the Disneyland Debbie Downer sketch with Lindsey Lohan. Only Lohan managed to pull herself together at the very end of the sketch before walking off, most likely to laugh off screen. Both this Debbie Downer sketch and Season 49’s Beavis and Butt-Head sketch received similar attention, where in almost everyone agreed the complete breaks by cast members really made the sketch hilarious. So it’s safe to say this sketch has earned its place as one of the best unexpected SNL moments.
I have to say, these past few years, the cast has been churning out consistently hilarious content, spearheaded by people like Heidi Gardner, Mikey Day, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman and Sarah Shurman. They all have such great chemistry and ability to build off each other, almost to a fault. As for Gardner, she explained exactly what happened in the moment that triggered the laughing fit:
And I just don't think anyone has ever had to blindly look back at something that shocking. I had to do something where I was surprised by… and I had seen him before in rehearsal, but they amped up the makeup. So, I was coming in blind and I look back to see my very good friend look like that.
Since the fall premiere, SNL has seen its fair share of viral moments like this one, and it’s shaping up to be another memorable season. I’m quite excited for this talented new cast to collaborate with the SNL legends they bring back for the 50th Anniversary Special, set to premiere next year.
In an ideal world, fans would possibly see Heidi Gardner partner up with Rachel Dratch to write a special Debbie Downer skit, or maybe Beavis and Butt-Head will make appearances in the inevitable Jeopardy! sketch. Regardless, it may not matter how much pride Gardner takes in staying in character, as she may not have a choice in breaking with the stacked cast of comedians we are sure to see on the screen.
The SNL 50th Anniversary Special will air on February 16 on NBC and will be available to stream with a Peacock subscription. Also, new episodes of Saturday Night Live are still airing on the eponymous night at 11:30 p.m. ET on the same network.
