Barry Katz has managed some of the biggest names in comedy—including Dave Chappelle, Tracy Morgan, Jim Breuer, Darrell Hammond, and Dane Cook. This week on LateNighter’s podcast Inside Late Night with Mark Malkoff, he opens up about his behind-the-scenes role in one of the most pivotal eras in Saturday Night Live history.
Focused largely on the mid-1990s, Katz details how he got not one but two of his stand-up clients hired in 1995 (Breuer and Morgan), how he helped his clients navigate the highs and heartbreaks of SNL‘s audition process, and how he helped shape careers that would go on to define late-night comedy for decades.
Among the topics discussed:
- The fierce behind-the-scenes battle to get Tracy Morgan re-added to the SNL audition lineup after being cut
- Jay Mohr’s unusual SNL audition (he jogged to it in sweatpants), and how not signing a contract extension led to his breakout film role in Jerry Maguire
- The origin of Darrell Hammond’s audition tape—and how his first cold open as Ted Koppel mirrored the reel Katz helped him prepare
- Why Katz believes success on SNL depends as much on navigating systems and politics as it does talent
- Dane Cook’s rejected audition—and how he eventually returned as host, with Katz lobbying behind the scenes for his monologue material
- Stories of discovering young Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Brad Williams, and others—and how he saw their potential before anyone else
- Lessons in resilience, persistence, and the “art of the FedEx envelope” when it comes to breaking into late night
Click the embed at the top of this post to watch our conversation with Barry Katz now, or find Inside Late Night on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
