David Schwimmer Opens Up About His “Big Mistake” On Saturday Night Live

David Schwimmer had his share of awkward moments when he hosted Saturday Night Live in 1995, and he’s finally opening up about the experience. During a chat on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on January 13, the 58-year-old Friends star revealed that his first foray into the iconic sketch show didn’t go as planned.

“There was one big mistake I made,” David admitted to Stephen. “I was the first in the cast of Friends to be invited to host Saturday Night Live, and it was a huge honor. It was 1995, just a year after the show aired.”

“I really didn’t get to arrive at SNL until Thursday, two days before the Saturday show. And when I walked into the writers room, the entire writers room looked at me as if I had just slept with their mom… They were not happy to see me and I had no idea,” he explained.

What David didn’t know was that hosts are expected to arrive on Monday to collaborate with the writers and prepare for the live show. “No one told me,” he said, “and for years I had no idea why.”

Despite the rocky start, David managed to get through the week, though he admitted the experience left him “traumatized.” However, the SNL team hasn’t completely written him off. David was invited to the show’s 50th-anniversary special in February. Still, he’s unsure if the invitation was heartfelt.

In his words: “It’s been 30 years and I’m thinking, ‘Well maybe they forgot? That they don’t like me?’ Or it’s just some intern that’s tasked with emailing everyone who’s ever hosted.”

“I don’t know what to do,” he added.

David has come a long way since his SNL mishap. Most recently, he starred in Goosebumps: The Vanishing, the second season of the Disney+ series. While filming, he faced another challenge: performing a stunt that left him feeling sore.

“I get spun on the stool sitting at my desk and yanked forward. I didn’t really hurt myself, but the next day I was like, ‘Oh, I’m no longer 22,'” he explained.