Kevin Nealon shades SNL performers who break character

2 days ago 3

Ryan Gosling hosted his fourth episode of Saturday Night Live on March 7. Ryan is infamous for breaking character during just about every sketch he’s in, but he’s so endearing that you can’t help but laugh along with him, even if the sketch isn’t funny. When he hosted in 2024, he made Heidi Gardner break during the Beavis and Butt-Head sketch that he did with Mikey Day. It went viral and resulted in them reprising their roles at The Fall Guy premiere. During Ryan’s most recent appearance, the sketch that went viral involved Ryan playing a high school teacher with cast member Ashley Padilla as the principal. They catch kids passing notes in class and read them outloud. The notes had been changed since Ryan and Ashley rehearsed them. Needless to say, hilarity ensued as they both ended up breaking character by laughing.

Kevin Nealon was on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995. He was the Weekend Update anchor from 1991 to 1994. Since leaving, he was in Happy Gilmore and Weeds and has also done a lot of stand-up comedy. After watching Ryan on SNL, he had something to say about new era SNL castmates breaking character. *Spoiler* He doesn’t like it.

One “Saturday Night Live” alum isn’t laughing about stars who break character during sketches.

Comedian Kevin Nealon, who was a cast member on “SNL” from 1986 to 1995 and anchored “Weekend Update,” took to X to weigh in on the show recently seeming to lean into encouraging cast members to laugh and break character.

“I never broke character on ‘SNL,'” he said. “I knew how much time the writers put into those scripts. You don’t want to be the one who throws it off.”

He continued, “[Creator] Lorne [Michaels] doesn’t like when the cast breaks. Even if the audience laughs, it doesn’t work for the sketch.”

Nealon didn’t name any names or say what inspired his post, but it came after a giggly “SNL” episode hosted by Ryan Gosling on March 7. The “Project Hail Mary” actor is known for having difficulty staying in character on “SNL,” and one sketch on his latest episode seemed to embrace that and even encourage laughter.

[From USA Today]

I get where Kevin is coming from. He’s of the SNL generation where Lorne was super strict about breaking character and views it as unprofessional. Plus, the former cast member that was most famous for breaking is Jimmy Fallon. It was funny when he did it during the “Cowbell” sketch, but it really did get annoying at times.

That said, the Gosling/Padilla sketch genuinely seemed designed to make them laugh. New SNL writers are likely following entertainment news via social media. They know that Ryan is infamous for not being able to keep a straight face. Getting them to laugh at what the writers came up with was the whole point of them changing what the notes said. Instead of getting upset, they leaned in. The times have changed since Kevin was on SNL. I agree that sometimes, the cast breaking character can distract from a sketch, but overall, it also gets the audience to laugh along.

I never broke character on SNL. I knew how much time the writers put into those scripts. You don’t want to be the one who throws it off.

Lorne doesn’t like when the cast breaks. Even if the audience laughs, it doesn't work for the sketch.

If I could get through the…

— Kevin Nealon (@kevin_nealon) March 24, 2026