Rachel Dratch Spills the Behind-the-Scenes Secret of SNL’s Funniest Trainwreck!

 

Rachel Dratch on the Best Compliment She Still Gets About Debbie Downer

I’ve been obsessed with Saturday Night Live since I was a kid watching its very first season. That original cast of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players had me hooked, even when some of the jokes went over my head. It felt like I was getting a weekly peek into an exclusive club—one I never dreamed I’d actually be part of someday.

My first night at SNL was surreal. It was the 25th-anniversary show, and I suddenly found myself in a tiny makeup room alongside Dan Aykroyd, Lily Tomlin, and Elvis Costello. That was just the beginning of many “pinch me” moments—meeting my comedy idols, watching my favorite bands perform from just a few feet away, and hearing Don Pardo announce my name every Saturday night. Absolute dream come true.

Of course, the job wasn’t just about the excitement. The real challenge was coming up with sketches and characters. There was no way to predict which ones would take off. Some, like the Boston Teens (which I wrote with Tina Fey), were inspired by people I knew from growing up in Massachusetts. The Love-ahs, which Will Ferrell and I wrote together, were loosely based on a college professor of mine—with some added gross-out humor just to crack each other up. One of my personal favorites that flew under the radar was Abe Scheinwald, a washed-up Hollywood producer who really should’ve retired years ago and was always eating coleslaw.

But hands down, the character people still bring up the most is Debbie Downer. Everyone seems to know someone like her. Honestly, I think there’s a little bit of Debbie in me too—I just have a better filter! Paula Pell and I wrote the first Debbie Downer sketch back in 2004, setting it at Disney World. As we were writing, we kept making the sad trombone sound as a joke, and eventually, we thought, What if we actually put that sound in the sketch? It killed at the table read, but even then, you never know. A sketch can do great in rehearsal and still get cut or fall flat in front of a live audience.

But that particular sketch—with Jimmy Fallon, Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler, Horatio Sanz, and Lindsay Lohan—made it to air, and it blew up in the best way possible. It spiraled out of control almost immediately because we all started cracking up—which we really try not to do. But something about that dramatic zoom-in on my face as I struggled to keep it together just made it even funnier. To this day, people tell me they watch that scene whenever they need a laugh, and honestly, I can’t think of a better compliment.

SNL has been such a massive part of my life, ever since I was a kid glued to the screen. I still vividly remember sketches from those early seasons, so actually getting to be part of the show will always feel unreal to me. It’s the ultimate dream job for a comedian. And right now, more than anything, it’s comforting to know that everyone at SNL, past and present, is still working hard to keep people laughing.