Jim Gaffigan Talks SNL Nerves and Playing Tim Walz

Jim Gaffigan felt a lot of nervousness before making his debut on Saturday Night Live (SNL), especially since he hadn't seen a script before the show. Leading up to the November election, Gaffigan appeared in several sketches playing Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' VP pick. However, the night before his first live appearance, he still hadn't received the script, which left him anxious about how things would go.

He shared on Late Night With Seth Meyers that he was contracted to perform in five sketches but had only attended one table read, which was due to the script not being finished. Gaffigan had no idea how last-minute the SNL production process was, and on the night before the show, he called the team asking if there was a script ready. He joked that his discomfort with cold reads was because he “didn’t know how to read.”

Meyers, an SNL alum, explained that this chaotic schedule is typical for the show, especially with political sketches. He humorously mentioned that sometimes the cast is just told to “read what Wally holds up,” referring to the show's long-time cue card supervisor, Wally Feresten.

Despite the lack of preparation, Gaffigan successfully performed in several sketches, including one where he formed a bromance with Bowen Yang, playing JD Vance, and another featuring a Family Feud game between political candidates. Even after several appearances, Gaffigan admitted that the pressure of performing live on such a famous show didn’t get any easier.

The experience was amplified by the online feedback from the massive audience. Gaffigan quickly learned that within 24 hours, his sketches were seen worldwide. Depending on the social media platform, feedback ranged from harsh criticism to praise, with some declaring his performance perfect.

Gaffigan also shared how a white lie from his manager helped him land the role of Tim Walz. While in the UK, his manager falsely told producers that Gaffigan had been sending videos of his Walz impression. This prompted Gaffigan to quickly record an audition tape, using his brother's Chicago accent as inspiration, which ultimately helped him land the role.