‘SNL’ Star Sarah Sherman Cares More Than You Think

One thing you’ve done since the beginning is mercilessly roast Colin Jost on Weekend Update. How do you keep that fresh?

If I didn’t find it fun, I wouldn’t keep doing it. At first it started out as just me, and then we kept it fresh by evolving and having it be different characters. That was how I was able to train myself to play characters too, because sketch comedy was so modern to me. It was my way into being like, “Oh, I can play this crazy meditation guru.” I played Colin’s son, I played Nosferatu, but I had a basis or comfort level with, “I know I can always go back to calling Colin a racist pedophile.” He sits there laughing the whole time.

A year ago, I had my own news segment with a bunch of graphics and stuff, and then this year I experimented with doing current-events stuff. I did a character that was his financial adviser freaking out about the stock market crash. It makes everything that’s crazy more grounded, because I’m interacting with him. So if I can keep using roasting Colin as a base to springboard into insanity in fresh modern ways, why not?

What do you remember about how this tradition with him started?

Well, it was all Colin’s fault. When I first joined the show, I had written a bunch of things down for a table read—I just didn’t know about sketch comedy, and so he told me, “You should come on Weekend Update as yourself.” At first I was like, “Oh, that’s so presumptuous.” I didn’t know you can just go on TV as yourself. It felt even funnier—after him being so kind, like, “Hey, I want to give you an opportunity to try being on the show for once”—to repay him by just making fun of him for living in the Hamptons. I called him a groomer or something. But the only reason it’s fun is because he is sitting there laughing.

You seem so comfortable now on the Update desk. Would you ever think about doing it more firmly as a host?

Of course, I would love to. Are you kidding me?

Would you have thought that four years ago?

No. I would never have seen two people sitting at a desk in suits and been like, Oh, I should probably do that. I’m obsessed with Norm Macdonald, but that’s the thing, they’re all so effing good at jokes. To even think for one second, I can do what Norm Macdonald did—what am I, insane?”

But you sound more comfortable with the idea now.

It looks so fun. I’ll do anything that’s fun.

What felt most meaningful to you about being a part of the SNL50 special?

I just assumed I wouldn’t really be in it. We’re like, “Oh, it’s the 50th anniversary. It’s going to be every famous comedian from all time in this.” I assumed I would come in for one second and be like, “Here’s your water, ma’am.” So the fact that I got to do even more than “Here’s your water, ma’am”? Awesome. It was just crazy. Paul McCartney was there. I was like, “Yo.” This is a tough job. And as you’ve seen by this interview, you’re tired, sleep-deprived, and you’re feeling insane. It was a good touch-down reminder that it is worth it, because I got to meet Paul McCartney. I went up to him and I was like, “I have your hair from the Wings era. And I was the Temporary Secretary in the shower this morning.” And he was like, “All right. Cool, cool.”