Robert Smigel is back—and as always, his stories don’t disappoint.
The Saturday Night Live legend, original Late Night with Conan O’Brien head writer, and the voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog returns to Inside Late Night this week for an extended, wide-ranging conversation with Mark Malkoff, diving deep into his years at SNL, his writing philosophy, and what makes great sketch comedy work.
Among the highlights: Smigel reflects on the collaborative process behind some of the show’s most beloved sketches, from Steve Martin’s “Not Gonna Phone It In Tonight” cold open—still his personal favorite—to writing “You Like-a the Juice?” with Jason Alexander, a sketch he admits began with little more than a single comedic premise before going meta to land its biggest laughs.
He also revisits the fiercely competitive (and occasionally political) culture of the writers’ room, explaining why he once pushed to remove writers’ names from scripts during table reads—a move designed to eliminate bias and give every sketch a fair shot.
Smigel offers candid thoughts on fellow writers, including high praise for Jim Downey, whose political sketches he credits with redefining SNL’s voice in the late ’90s, and weighs in on the perennial “greatest cast member” debate.
The conversation also touches on:
- Losing sketch ideas—and sometimes entire scripts—to the internal dynamics of the show
- The challenges of writing from outside SNL later in his career
- Why subtle, character-driven comedy remains his personal favorite (even if broader material defined much of his output)
- And his admiration for Ashley Padilla, whom he calls one of the show’s most inspired cast additions in years
Beyond SNL, Smigel discusses his new podcast, Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends, premiering May 8. The show flips the traditional format, inviting guests like Bob Odenkirk, Dave Attell, and David Letterman to help real callers punch up everything from wedding speeches to eulogies—with hilariously unexpected results.
Smigel also previews this week’s Night of Too Many Stars benefit at the Hollywood Bowl, featuring a stacked lineup that includes Jon Stewart, Adam Sandler, Steve Carell, and Sarah Silverman.
Click the embed above to listen to Robert Smigel’s full conversation with Mark Malkoff now, or find Inside Late Night on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
