Pete Davidson and Jason Sudeikis recently shared candid insights into how they spent their earnings from Saturday Night Live in an interview with New York Magazine. The comedians reflected on their “biggest indulgences” after receiving their first paychecks from the iconic NBC late-night sketch show.
Davidson humorously responded to the question by highlighting the modest pay for new cast members: “Do you guys know what they pay us? It’s like three grand an episode, so I think I got dinner.”
Meanwhile, Sudeikis, who began as a first-year writer on SNL, revealed that his income didn’t allow for extravagant spending. “I mean, you don’t really make enough money to make big purchases,” the Ted Lasso star admitted. “So, I think New York rent was probably the biggest purchase I made after writing on SNL the first year.”
Other SNL alumni also shared how they managed their early paychecks. Cheri Oteri recalled splurging on a couch, which she became fiercely attached to: “I’ve gotten it reupholstered three or four times.
Pete Davidson
I remember a designer coming over in tears, saying, ‘Oh, those arms are too high. We’re going to get rid of that couch.’ I said, ‘Oh no. No, you’re not. Not today, Satan!’”
Bowen Yang recounted a different kind of splurge, treating himself to a pair of Gucci shoes from Saks Fifth Avenue. “The kind that everyone got,” he said, before laughing, “and the kind that I wouldn’t feel super cool wearing out now.”
Even SNL veteran Julia Louis-Dreyfus reflected on an early indulgence. “I bought a pair of shoes that were out of my budget,” she admitted, estimating the price at $75. “It felt like a lot at the time.”
These lighthearted anecdotes offer a look into the early days of some of SNL’s biggest stars, revealing that even comedy legends started with humble spending habits.
