Let’s be real for a second. If you’re sitting there thinking there’s some secret website or an "Apply Now" button on the NBC homepage for the most famous sketch show in history, you're going to be disappointed. Getting an audition for Saturday Night Live is basically like trying to get a meeting with the Pope, except the Pope is Lorne Michaels and he only wants to see you if you're already the funniest person in a three-state radius.
It’s a weird, opaque process. Most people think you just send in a tape and hope for the best. That’s not how it works. Not even close. If you want to know how to try out for Saturday Night Live, you have to understand that the "tryout" actually starts years before you ever set foot in 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It's about being in the right rooms at the right time.
The Groundlings, Second City, and the UCB Pipeline
If you look at the cast list from almost any era of the show, you’ll notice a pattern. They don't just pluck people off the street. SNL has "scouting" grounds. Think of it like the MLB. You don't just walk onto the Yankees; you play in the minors first.
For SNL, the minors are places like The Groundlings in Los Angeles, Second City in Chicago, and the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in New York. This is where the producers and scouts—people like Lindsay Shookus or even Lorne himself—actually go to find talent. They watch the showcases. They see who is killing it in the Main Company. If you aren't performing at one of these top-tier improv theaters, your chances of getting noticed are statistically near zero.
It’s a grind. You spend years taking classes, moving up from Level 1 to Level 5, hoping to get into a Sunday Company or a touring company. It costs money. It takes time. But this is the most common way to get on the radar. When a scout sees you in a showcase and likes your "vibe," they might ask for a reel. That's the first real step.
The Character Reel: Your Five-Minute Life
So, let's say a scout actually notices you. They’ll ask for a tape. This isn't a "best of" your stand-up set. It’s a very specific format. Usually, they want about five minutes of original characters and impressions.
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Basically, you need to show range. You can’t just do one funny voice. You need a celebrity impression that is spot-on, a "weekend update" style character, and something totally weird that only you can do. Bill Hader famously got his spot because of his Vin Diesel impression and a character named Stefon that was still in development. You have to prove you can fill a slot in a sketch, not just tell jokes.
Why Stand-Up is the Alternative Route
Not everyone comes from the improv world. Look at Pete Davidson or Leslie Jones. They were stand-ups. If you’re a stand-up, the path of how to try out for Saturday Night Live looks a bit different. You need to be a regular at the major clubs: The Comedy Cellar in New York or The Comedy Store in LA.
Lorne Michaels is known to frequent the Comedy Cellar. He sits in the back, eats dinner, and watches sets. If you’re the person everyone in the industry is talking about—the "it" comic of the moment—the show will find you. But even then, they’ll often ask you to come in and do characters. Even the best stand-ups often fail the SNL audition because they can't "turn off" their own persona to play someone else.
It’s a different muscle. Stand-up is about being you. SNL is about being anybody else.
The Audition on the Iconic Stage
If you pass the tape phase, you get the call. The call to come to Studio 8H. This is the stuff of legend. You stand on that famous stage, the same one where Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy stood, and you perform for a mostly empty, silent room.
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It’s famously terrifying.
Lorne Michaels usually sits in the dark. He doesn't laugh. He’s not being mean; he’s just evaluating. You have about five to seven minutes. Most former cast members, from Tina Fey to Jimmy Fallon, describe it as the most high-pressure moment of their lives. You’re performing your best bits to a room of people who have seen everything. They aren't looking for "good." They’re looking for "undeniable."
What They Are Actually Looking For
Honestly? They are looking for holes in the current cast. If the show just lost a guy who does great political impressions, they are looking for a political impressionist. If they lost a "quirky girl" archetype, they are looking for that.
- Originality: Don't do a Christopher Walken impression unless it is the best one ever done in the history of mankind. They've seen it.
- Speed: Can you switch characters in ten seconds?
- Vibe: Do you look like someone who can handle the 100-hour work weeks?
There is also the "Writer-Performer" factor. If you can write your own sketches, you are ten times more valuable to Lorne. They don't just want actors; they want creators who can churn out content at 3:00 AM on a Tuesday.
The Myth of the "Open Call"
Occasionally, you'll hear rumors about open calls. Back in the day, maybe. Now? It’s almost unheard of. Occasionally, the show might do a specific search for a certain demographic or skill set if they feel the show is lacking, but these are still usually targeted through agencies and known comedy hubs.
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If you see an ad online saying "SNL Open Casting Call - Pay $50 to Apply," it is a scam. 100%. Don't do it. The real path involves getting an agent or getting into a reputable comedy school. Period.
Behind the Scenes: The "Showcase" System
Sometimes, instead of bringing everyone to 8H, the producers will hold a showcase at a theater like iO Chicago or UCB. They’ll invite 10-15 of the best performers from that city to do their best five minutes. It’s a "pre-audition." If you kill it there, then you get flown to New York.
It’s a funnel. Thousands of people are in the improv schools. Hundreds make it to the top levels. Dozens get seen by scouts. Maybe ten get a real audition. Maybe two get hired.
Actionable Steps to Actually Get Noticed
If you’re serious about this, you can't just wish for it. You have to treat it like a career in law or medicine. It takes years of specific training.
- Move to a Hub: If you aren't in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, your chances are essentially zero. You need to be where the scouts are.
- Enroll in a Pipeline School: Start at The Groundlings, Second City, or UCB. Take it seriously. Don't just show up; be the person who writes the most, stays the longest, and helps others with their sets.
- Develop Five Original Characters: Don't wait for the audition to create them. You should have five characters that are "TV-ready" right now. They should have distinct voices, physicalities, and "hooks."
- Film Yourself: Start a YouTube or TikTok channel, but don't just do "content." Do high-quality character work. Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman were already making waves with their online presence before they got the call.
- Get an Agent: You eventually need a "point of entry." Most SNL auditions are funneled through agencies like CAA, WME, or UTA. You get an agent by performing well in the showcases mentioned above.
It’s a long road. Most people who "try out" for SNL have been working at it for a decade. It’s not about a single lucky break; it’s about being so good for so long that they eventually can’t ignore you. You have to be okay with the fact that you might do everything right and still not get it. But if you don't start at the bottom of the improv or stand-up ladder, you aren't even in the game.
To make it to 30 Rock, you have to be the funniest person in your hometown, then the funniest person in your comedy class, then the funniest person in your city. Only then do you get to stand on that stage and hope Lorne Michaels cracks a smile.