Sylvester Stallone a long standing iconic action movie actor has also showcased a talent for comedy and his career had both big achievements along with challenging moments. A behind the scenes experience while on Saturday Night Live demonstrates one part of the journey.
Sylvester Stallone on Saturday Night Live
While filming "SNL" Stallone was asked by then new writer Tina Fey to enunciate more as she struggled to understand his speech. This note resulted in her giving her first critique and his handling of the critique shows the person he is on set. He had recently host ed on the series and showcased his ability for comedy by playing up mannerisms and characters he has famously been a part of.
Tina Fey's Debut and Feedback
Tina Fey who was a new writer in 1997 on Saturday Night Live got an instruction to tell Stallone to "enunciate more”. That action would be delivered to the actor on his speech during a specific segment. Due to the nature of Stallone’s past character roles the production staff wanted more clarity when he delivered lines of a different format. Her experience shows that it was important for her to learn what types of challenges that position would entail.
Stallone's Reaction
When Fey gave her suggestion Stallone did not have a poor reaction he was accepting and even stated this may have not been the first time for such a critique of his communication style. He accepted the criticism openly demonstrating that as someone new she was being listened to despite her lack of time in the industry at the moment.
Behind the Scenes at Saturday Night Live
Fey shared insights about her time at Saturday Night Live highlighting its competitive structure while also mentioning unique challenges the show could offer. These anecdotes are from the documentary " SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night ”. She speaks of how new writers faced many challenges.
The Competitive Atmosphere
The competitive culture in the writers room is an ongoing dynamic, The writers had a habit of criticizing each other in an environment with very high stress levels. Rewrites often happened fast paced with intense critique after each session. These were times for all to push each other.
Stallone's Versatility
Even though he was being asked to enunciate his speech more Stallone also showed all his strengths when working as he moved between roles such as Judge Dredd and Rocky with their speech patterns. His work showcases ability as an entertainer while also being a professional.
Balancing Action and Comedy
The “SNL” appearance came from an actor who showed great versatility. By appearing as a host shows he is also committed to bringing a sense of comedy with his presence which compliments his other areas of production. Many know of him from dramatic action films but he is known to deliver strong performances in whatever medium he approaches.
Tina Fey's Progression on SNL
Fey had to learn fast to adapt to the unique format which also provided her growth through tough scenarios which was necessary for career growth. After facing tough challenges in her role as writer it has since earned her roles as a cast member and return host making her a well established part of their history.
Later Roles and Success
Tina Fey also was one who later joined the show as a performer showcasing the depth in talent and that she also was one to keep an eye on as an upcoming talent. She returned many times as host, gaining her a spot in the shows elite group called The Five Timers Club highlighting how beloved she is by the show itself.
Key Takeaways
- Sylvester Stallone was asked to enunciate by Tina Fey while hosting “SNL” a comical request from his role play from film.
- The actor did not get offended by this request and received it as good professional constructive critique.
- The "SNL" writers environment was fast paced which encouraged competition among colleagues to elevate their scripts.
- Tina Fey used her time with this particular situation as an educational moment that made her grow both as a performer and within production.
- Stallone shows flexibility to take on comedy that requires a lot of physical movement and the use of voices to create a character while on live television.