Entertainment Weekly
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Meryl Streep has no trouble memorizing lines, but on Saturday Night Live, cue cards are part of the process—even for legendary actors.
When she appeared on SNL50 as the mother of Kate McKinnon’s character in the fan-favorite “Close Encounter” sketch, Streep was reminded she didn’t need to memorize her lines.
In a recent episode of the Hey Dude… The 90s Called! podcast, SNL cast member Mikey Day—who wrote the sketch—shared that he had to encourage the Oscar winner to not rely on her instincts.
“She was almost memorizing it by habit,” Day said. “And we’re like, ‘There’s cards.’ I’m actively telling her to go against the instincts that made her the best actress of all time.”
“Close Encounter” features McKinnon as Colleen Rafferty, a woman repeatedly abducted by overly handsy aliens. Day has co-written all nine iterations of the sketch.
For the 50th anniversary, McKinnon said it was her dream to include Streep. Day revealed that Close Encounters of the Third Kind director Steven Spielberg was also supposed to appear but was cut due to time constraints.
As for Streep’s role, Day said the choice was easy: “She has to be her mom so she can manspread, smoke a cigarette, and just kind of be nonplussed. It was surreal.”
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