Lorne Michaels Jokingly Put Immense Pressure On Will Ferrell Before His SNL Debut

Even though "Saturday Night Live" has endured for 50 years on NBC, there have been several instances where it was nearly canceled, and other times when the show took a comedic spill and had to regroup. In the mid-90s, not only was the show in danger of being canceled due to a decline in quality and ratings, but it was also contending with the departure of longtime cast members Phil Hartman, Melanie Hutsell, Rob Schneider, and Julia Sweeney, as well as featured player Sarah Silverman, heading into season 20 in September 1994.

While new cast members added in season 20 included Chris Elliott, Janeane Garofalo and Laura Kightlinger, with Morwenna Banks, Mark McKinney, and Molly Shannon added during the season's run, the show eventually saw breakout star Mike Myer leave midseason in January 1995. 

Following the May 13, 1995 season 20 finale, cast members Ellen Cleghorne, Kevin Nealon, Michael McKean, Chris Elliott, and Laura Kightlinger left the show on their own terms, while Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Morwenna Banks, and Jay Mohr were all let go.

That paved the way for showrunner Lorne Michaels to completely revamp the "SNL" cast for the show's 21st season, beginning on September 30, 1995. That's when America was introduced to the man who would become one of the most beloved comedy stars of all time: Will Ferrell.

But Ferrell's debut was met with trepidation, not just from the audience and critics, at least at first, but from the blossoming comedian himself, especially after a bit of playful pressure put on him from Lorne Michaels. 

In 2025, "Saturday Night Live" celebrated 50 years on the air. Not only was there a star-studded anniversary special packed with memorable moments, but there was also an incredible "SNL 50" concert filled with outstanding performances and hilarious bits, as well as a series of documentaries looking back at "SNL" in unique ways. One of those documentaries was squarely focused on the beloved "More Cowbell" sketch, featuring an enthusiastic Will Ferrell clanging the cattle instrument host Christopher Walken delivering one of his most quotable lines in the history of his career. And that's where we learn an amusing tidbit about the debut of Will Ferrell on "SNL."

At the beginning of season 21, Will Ferrell joined the repertory cast of "SNL" along with Cheri Oteri, Darrell Hammond, Jim Breuer, David Koechner, and Nancy Walls, with Chris Kattan and Colin Quinn also coming on board as featured players late in the season. Returning cast members included Norm Macdonald, Mark McKinney, Tim Meadows, Molly Shannon, and David Spade. So the new roster of talent slightly outnumbered the veterans, and "SNL" had a lot of work to do to get audiences on their side.

In that season 21 premiere, Will Ferrell is actually the first cast member we see on screen, ushering in what will eventually become a beloved era of "SNL." The comedian recalled a hilarious comment just before the show began when Lorne Michaels walked by and playfully told him, "No pressure, but the whole show is riding on you." Ferrell knew he was joking, but as soon as the stagehands started counting down to the live show, he really started to feel the pressure — so much that he actually flubbed some of his lines as a news anchor talking about the O.J. Simpson trial. 

Though it wasn't Ferrell's fault, the season 21 premiere received middling reviews. In fact, Ferrell recalled an Entertainment Weekly review of his debut episode naming him as "most annoying newcomer." That's mostly in response to Ferrell's "get off the shed!"-shouting father in a sketch that he actually used in his audition, one that's pretty well-liked today and even became a recurring character. 

Rather than let it rattle him, Ferrell had a placard made with this new honor, and put it on the door of his office. But even better than that, Ferrell would ultimately have the last laugh, literally and figuratively. 

As we all know, Will Ferrell would go on to become one of the best "SNL" cast members of all time. Not only would his dimwitted portrayal of George W. Bush become an iconic caricature that skyrocketed the political satire of "SNL" to new heights, but he was also half of several recurring comedic duos, including the Spartan cheerleaders and Morning Latte with Cheri Oteri, the Roxbury guys with Chris Kattan, the musical Culp couple with Ana Gasteyer, the Clarvins (or the "Lovahs") with Rachel Dratch. 

Ferrell also broke out on his own with hilarious impressions of Harry Caray, Jacob Silj and his Voice Immodulation Syndrome, and one-offs like Gus Chiggins the old prospector, angry boss Mr. Tarkanian, and martial artist Terry Ganter. That's to name just a few of the hilarious, memorable sketches he did over the years.

Of course, perhaps the one that everyone knows best — so much that the sketch's central premise has become part of the pop culture zeitgeist — is the famous "More Cowbell" sketch, which arrived in April of 2000, during the show's 25th anniversary year. By this point, "SNL" had turned everything around and become must-see TV every time there was a new episode. Ferrell's George W. Bush was always the talk of the water cooler, and he and the rest of the cast had found a wonderful rhythm that turned everyone into stars. If this is the result of being named the most annoying new comer, then we should all be so lucky to be so annoying.

This just goes to show you that sometimes the burgeoning talent at "SNL" just needs time to cook. You might catch bad episode of "SNL" every now and then, or even just a dud of a sketch with a new cast member still learning the ropes, but that's no reason to write off the entire series. If you do, then you might miss the majestic rise of the next great comedy star like Will Ferrell.