Michael Che recalled the most nerve‑wracking moment of his 11‑year tenure at Saturday Night Live.
In Netflix’s new documentary Being Eddie, Che shared one episode stands out above all others for sheer pressure: December 21, 2019 show hosted by Eddie Murphy.
He revealed Murphy’s first time back on the SNL stage in 35 years was “the most tense start to a show I’ve ever been a part of.”
“It was like scary almost, like this had to go well and we would be letting down Eddie Murphy if it was bad,” said Che.
Murphy rose to fame on SNL between 1980 and 1984.
He is credited with carrying the show through a rocky ratings era.
Murphy had cut ties with the program in 1995 after a joke at his expense.
His return was therefore monumental both for the cast and for fans.
Che explains that SNL boss Lorne Michaels wanted Murphy’s opening monologue to feel personal.
The star was, however, cautious.
To ease the moment, Michaels invited back Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, and frequent host Dave Chappelle to join him on stage.
They were the comedians who had all been inspired by Murphy.
Current cast member Kenan Thompson later joined them creating a historic tableau of comedy icons.
