Tina Fey has been in the comedy world for a long time. From her start doing improv in Chicago, to being a cast member and head writer at Saturday Night Live, to 30 Rock and beyond, the Emmy winner has become an icon of the genre. Even with her success, she’s never shy to credit others who helped shape her career like Lorne Michaels or Amy Poehler. Now, Fey has revealed a quip by Steve Martin that has stuck with her in both positive and negative ways, and how it shaped her view on public appearances.
The SNL Five-Timer sat down on Amy Poehler’s new podcast, Good Hang, to promote her new Netflix show, The Four Seasons. The two comedy legends chatted about their changing perspectives as they’ve become prominent figures in their field and told stories about their SNL days and other creative projects. Fey specifically mentioned Steve Martin and how the comedian shaped her view on comedy, and how one interaction with Martin on SNL became a prominent memory because of how it impacted her attitude towards performing. She said:
Something I think about a lot, and I fall short of it constantly, but a million years ago, I was a writer still at SNL and I remember Steve Martin came to do something on the show. He wasn't hosting, but he came to the show and he had just been on Letterman the night before. And I said, 'Oh hi, how you doing? Oh my gosh, you were so funny on Letterman last night.' And he just very matter-of-factly said, 'Oh, well, you have to kill every time.' And that has haunted me every day since.
This echoes a school of thought that a lot of comedians have talked about over the years. When the public has a certain viewpoint of a comedian and their on-stage persona, they likely expect them to be in that zone all the time, whether it’s meeting them in person or seeing them on a talk show. They are always expected to be funny and charming, and if they present differently, or jokes don’t land, it can negatively impact their career.
Fey pointed out that this differs from what is expected of actors on talk shows, who can skate by a bit easier. She explained:
And he’s right. Like, oh right, if you’re a beautiful actress from like Melrose Place, whatever, you can just go on and be like, ‘Uh, I went to the store once.’ But if you’re a comedy person, you have to kill every time! Oh god.
This is definitely a lot of pressure, and admittedly an unfair expectation especially when someone is just being interviewed.
However, it also makes a lot of sense. If you are on a talk show promoting a comedy special or stand-up tour, audiences want to think you’re funny so they check out your project. It’s why a lot of comedians will try to integrate their stand-up jokes into a talk show conversation to enhance the segment. People expect less from actors who are promoting a project that isn't based on their personal sense of humor.
While this was probably an off-the-cuff remark after one of Martin’s many SNL appearances, it clearly struck a chord with the 30 Rock star, who seemingly has been thinking about this for years.
Even if it has “haunted her” as she claims, you would never know it based on her own talk show appearances over the years. Fey is always witty, charming, funny, and seemingly relaxed in the environment. Like Martin, she “kills” every time, and it seems effortless, even though it likely requires much more brain power than it appears.
The Only Murders in the Building's star's words to the Mean Girls writer may have been chilling to hear, but it's clearly worked. Fey’s comedy career has flourished since she got this piece of advice all those years ago.
Whether it’s because of her charismatic talk show appearances, or just simply raw talent, Tina Fey continues to thrive. You can see her in her latest project, The Four Seasons, when it premieres for those with a Netflix subscription on May 1, 2025. For more information on other buzzy titles heading to the streamer this year, make sure to consult our 2025 Netflix schedule.
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