Ariana DeBose on the SNL sketches that didn't make it to air, why the show is 'a beast' compared to Broadway

At just 31 years old, Ariana DeBose has years of live stage experience from the many Broadway shows in which she's starred — Hamilton, Bring It On: The Musical, Motown: The Musical, Company, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (for which she received a Tony nomination) — but hosting Saturday Night Live in January, she admits, was "a beast."

"Nothing but my Broadway experiences could have prepared me for Saturday Night Live. It's the only thing that prepares you because you are moving in real time. You're making decisions and changes in real time," explains the West Side Story star and 2022 Oscar nominee, speaking to EW's The Awardist podcast. "We started with 40 scripts on a Wednesday, narrowed it down, went into pre-records, rehearsed every sketch. Cut some sketches as we're going. You're working with the writers. People are coming at you all the time. You're just constantly pivoting. And then even during the live show, you're pivoting more. It never stops. And I was like, I must be an adrenaline junkie because I love live performance."

Among those 40 scripts were some that DeBose can't seem to forget, including a "movie sketch with Bowen Yang" and "a Judge Steve Harvey skit that Kenan [Thompson] absolutely just killed. But that one, that will end up on television, I know. Just with a different host — and no hard feelings, you guys."

One of DeBose's highlights was her opening monologue, where she shared the stage with Kate McKinnon for a little song-and-sit-on-stools number. "She is a legend in her own time, in my opinion, and I've loved her work for such a long time," DeBose says of the veteran SNL cast member. "I was kind of surprised that they were like, 'Oh, let's have Kate do something with Ari.' I was like, 'What?' I don't even know how to finish that sentence.' She's so just very creative. It was really cool to watch her in process. And we actually laughed. I think I might have made her giggle every once in a while. And I was like, if you can make a comedian of that epic proportion giggle, then you're okay. You're doing all right in the world. Clearly, I enjoyed it, because I won't shut up about it."

Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best films.

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