Legendary ‘SNL‘ Writer Jim Downey Finally Steps Out of the Shadows
New York, NY – For decades, Jim Downey was the quiet force behind some of Saturday Night lives most iconic moments. Now,the notoriously private writer is beginning to share his stories,offering a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the show during its 1990s heyday.
Downey’s influence was immediately apparent after joining SNL as a writer in 1993, quickly recognizing the comedic potential of then-new cast member Norm MacDonald. “Adam Sandler knocks on my door and goes, ‘I want you to see this guy. He’s so funny, he scares the shit out of me. He’s, like, the funniest person I’ve seen in years,'” Downey recalled. Sandler’s enthusiasm led Downey to invite MacDonald to join the writing team, despite resistance from Roseanne star roseanne Barr, who initially hesitated to lose MacDonald from her show’s staff. Barr ultimately gave her blessing when MacDonald expressed his desire to perform.
MacDonald’s early SNL work included a deliberately unconventional “Andy Rooney” segment, where he simply read addresses from envelopes. “he did an Andy Rooney piece that was one of the bravest pieces of comedy, where he’s going, ‘This is a letter that comes from Toledo, Ohio. This is a letter that comes from Denver, colorado,'” Downey explained. “He didn’t care about the fact that half the audience was going to be entirely bewildered.”
In 1994, following Don Ohlmeyer’s arrival at the network and a decision to remove Kevin Nealon as Weekend Update anchor, Downey championed MacDonald for the role. “Nealon’s gone. Who’s going to replace him?” Ohlmeyer asked during a network meeting. Downey advocated for macdonald, but faced strong opposition from a network executive who specifically cited the “Andy Rooney” segment as evidence of macdonald’s unsuitability. “I don’t know if any of you saw this guy Norm MacDonald doing Andy Rooney, and he’s just reading addresses off envelopes,” the executive reportedly said. Downey responded, “Well, funnily enough, we were on the subject of who should do Update, and I think Norm MacDonald.” The executive, Downey recalled, reacted with exaggerated disbelief.
