Kristen Wiig Says 'SNL' Pressure Left Her Feeling Creatively Drained

Kristen Wiig may be remembered as one of "Saturday Night Live"’s most effortlessly funny performers, but behind the scenes, the longtime cast member says the pressure to constantly create something new nearly got the best of her. The 52-year-old comedian opened up about hitting a creative wall during her seven-season run on "Saturday Night Live," revealing she once felt like she had completely run out of ideas. Wiig joined the show in 2005 and remained until her departure in 2012, earning four Emmy nominations and returning multiple times as a guest host. But during a recent appearance on "Las Culturistas," hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, Kristen Wiig admitted the job wasn’t always as seamless as it looked on screen.

Kristen Wiig recalled how even the audition process left her questioning whether she had anything left to give creatively, a feeling that only intensified once she was on the show.

“I auditioned twice and I remember when they had me come back for the second one, I was like, ‘I like did everything. I did everything. I literally did every character that I have,’” she said on the podcast. “And three seasons in, having a breakdown, ‘I've done every voice. I have nothing.’”

Yang admitted he related to that feeling, sharing that he experienced similar doubts during his own second season on the NBC sketch series.

According to Kristen Wiig, collaboration played a major role in helping her move past the mental block.

“That’s how you feel,” she explained. “And then that's that hump you get over with also the help of other people being like, ‘Can you play blah blah blah?’ And you're like, ‘Well, we’ll see.’ And then you end up trying or doing it. It doesn't always work. And then you just like find new things.”

Over time, Kristen Wiig said she had to rethink how she approached character creation altogether. “And then you find other ways to find characters," she said. "Like it became not just vocal, right? It became like physical.”

She cited her “Don’t Make Me Sing” character as an example of that shift. “The ‘Don't Make Me Sing.’ That came from just standing like that,” she said, placing her hands on her waist. “Let's just do something that someone stands like this,’ because I was like, ‘I'm out of things to do.’”

Yang also brought up one of Wiig’s most memorable characters, Rebecca LaRue, noting that the sketch didn’t initially land during dress rehearsal. “I would say at dress, I was shocked, and I'm just saying this. I don't think it really played. And then, on air, I don't know what you guys did,” Yang said.

Kristen Wiig credited the lackluster dress run for pushing her to fully commit when it mattered most. “It’s probably because it didn't play. I was like, ‘I'm gonna go for it,’” she said.

Yang praised her ability to pivot quickly, adding, “But you figured it out! Within 45 minutes to an hour! That's incredible.”

“I don't remember that,” Wiig replied.

Rogers, however, didn’t hesitate to give his verdict, admitting, “It's my top three characters that you've done on the entire show.”

Kristen Wiig’s reflections on creative burnout struck a chord with Bowen Yang, who has been open about his own complicated relationship with "Saturday Night Live," including the fact that he once considered leaving before ultimately deciding to stay. Yang officially signed off from "Saturday Night Live" after a seven-season run, making his final appearance during the show’s December 20 broadcast in an emotional sketch alongside Ariana Grande and Cher.

Three weeks later, Yang addressed his departure on the January 7 episode of "Las Culturistas," where he explained that while he’d previously thought about leaving sooner, he’s grateful he stayed as long as he did. “This is honestly what's behind it: It's time. You would do seven seasons, and then you would scoot,” Yang said at the time.

He went on to acknowledge how external factors, including the pandemic and shifting entertainment industry, have changed what longevity on "SNL" looks like. “COVID and the current media landscape, the current entertainment ecosystem, is so turbulent that people have completely valid reasons for staying longer, or, in a lot of cases, don't have the privilege of staying on as long as they would like to,” he explained.

Ultimately, Yang said he’s at peace with how his journey on the show ended. “I have this very beautiful thing where I get to say that I stayed on exactly as long as I wanted to," he admitted.

For Bowen Yang, much like Kristen Wiig, the experience was defined not just by the laughs, but also by knowing when it was time to move on.