Reese Witherspoon Reflects on the ‘Responsibility’ of Hosting SNL Post-9/11
Reese Witherspoon is reflecting on her poignant Saturday Night Live hosting debut, which occurred just weeks following the September 11 attacks.
“I would rate that zero stars. Definitely not recommended,” Witherspoon, 49, remarked about her hosting experience during her appearance on the Monday, November 3 episode of Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast.
Witherspoon shared that she was initially set to host the season’s second episode, rather than the season opener, which was canceled due to the attacks.
“[SNL creator] Lorne Michaels called me and said, ‘I really need you to come. I really, really need this. Rudy Giuliani is going to be here. All the firefighters are coming. Paul Simon is going to perform,’” the Morning Show actress recounted. “‘I just need you to bring a little lightness and remind America that we need to laugh again and revive our national spirit.’”
At just 24 years old when she hosted SNL on September 29, 2001, Witherspoon admitted to feeling immense pressure before her appearance.
“I had a baby, a 1-year-old. I was a new mom, and my biggest movie had just come out that summer,” she noted, referring to her daughter Ava, now 26, and her 2001 hit movie Legally Blonde, which she starred in with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe.
Although Michaels, now 80, assured her it was “OK” if she “didn’t want to do” the show, she felt compelled to honor her commitment, particularly during such a challenging time.
“But we went through with it. And it turned out well. Plus, it was Amy Poehler‘s first show, along with Seth [Meyers],” she added.
Witherspoon confessed that she “totally left [her] body” during the episode and didn’t return to SNL for nearly 15 years, with her second hosting stint occurring in May 2015 during season 40.
“It’s not the show’s fault. The pressure was just too much for a 24-year-old,” she concluded.
The September 29, 2001 episode swapped its usual cold open for a performance from Paul Simon, who sang “The Boxer” in the presence of several FDNY firefighters. Michaels was there alongside former NYC Mayor Giuliani, who urged the show to move forward despite the tragedy. Alicia Keys was the musical guest for that week.
In 2023, Meyers, 51, reflected on the post-9/11 episode marking his SNL debut.
“When your first SNL is just weeks after 9/11 in New York City, you quickly realize that no one else is worried about what you’re feeling,” he said on “The Great Creators With Guy Raz” podcast. “It could have felt monumental, but in a healthy and right way, it became manageable and small to navigate how to do sketch comedy in front of a live audience given what we all just experienced.”
Poehler, 54, has also reminisced about her experience, stating on the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast in March that she felt comedy would never be the same.
“The entire country seemed to think, ‘We’ll never laugh again. Comedy’s finished,’” she recalled. “I remember thinking, ‘I understand, yes, I respect that, but …”
O’Brien, 62, responded, “There was a famous article stating that irony is dead, like nothing will ever be ironic again. Except … it’s simply a part of human nature. Whether it’s the wildfires in Los Angeles or 9/11, we get hit hard, we’re stunned, and then we pick ourselves up and continue doing what we do.”
