SNL's Seth Meyers: 'Weekend Update' vs. 'The Daily Show'
The New Yorker - ACURA AT SIR Stage 37
With Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, Kenan Thompson, and Kristen Wiig. Moderated by David Remnick.Fred Armisen is entering his ninth season on "Saturday Night Live." His characters include Barack Obama, David Paterson, the home-design enthusiast Nuni, the Native American comic Billy Smith, and Prince. His film credits include "Confessions of a Shopaholic," "The Rocker," and "The Promotion." He began his career as a musician in the Chicago post-punk band Trenchmouth and as a member of Blue Man Group.Seth Meyers is entering his tenth season on "Saturday Night Live," which premièred in 1975 and has won twenty-one Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards. This is his fifth season as head writer, and his fifth as an anchor of "Weekend Update." He began his career at ImprovOlympic, in Chicago, and the Boom Chicago Theatre, in Amsterdam, and toured Europe with his show "Pick-Ups and Hiccups." In July, he hosted the ESPY Awards.Andy Samberg is entering his sixth season on "Saturday Night Live." Before joining the cast, he and Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, who are now "SNL" writers, formed the group "The Lonely Island." Under that moniker, the trio is responsible for the "SNL" digital shorts, including the Emmy-winning "Dick in a Box." They also received Emmy nominations for their music and lyrics for the digital shorts "Motherlover" and "Shy Ronnie."Jason Sudeikis is entering his sixth season on "Saturday Night Live." He joined the show as a staff writer in 2003. His characters include Vice-President Joe Biden, an angry boom-mike operator, and one of two "A-holes." He had a recurring part as Floyd on "30 Rock" and has appeared such films as "What Happens in Vegas," "Going the Distance," and "The Bounty Hunter." He began his career at ComedySportz, in Kansas City.Kenan Thompson is entering his eighth season on "Saturday Night Live." He has played Bill Cosby, Al Sharpton, Charles Barkley, and Star Jones, and appears regularly as Deandre Cole, the host of "What Up with That?" He made his television début on Nickelodeon's "All That," and later starred in the spinoff series "Kenan and Kel." His films include "Snakes on a Plane," "Good Burger," and "Fat Albert."Kristen Wiig is entering her sixth season on "Saturday Night Live." She has earned two Emmy nominations for her work on the show, playing such characters as the Target Lady, the Lawrence Welk singer Dooneese, the one-upper Penelope, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Suze Orman. Her upcoming film projects include "Bridesmaids," which she also co-wrote with Annie Mumolo, Greg Mottola's "Paul," and Andrew Jarecki's "All Good Things." Her previous film credits include "Knocked Up," "Adventureland," "Whip It!," and "Extract."David Remnick is the editor of The New Yorker.