Saturday Night Live has served as a showcase for a vast array of comedic actors over the course of its 50-year history, and Taran Killam is one of those stars. The veteran comedian was a cast member for six seasons and, in that time, he delivered some truly memorable performances. Not everything Killam tried on the show worked, however, which is natural for any performer. It would seem, though, that there was one bit he would use involving one of his career accomplishments, which made EP Lorne Michaels put his foot down.
It’s likely that most fans know Taran Killam for his performances in comedic films and TV shows. However, he also has a major dramatic credit under his belt in the form of the 2013 historical drama 12 Years a Slave (available with a Hulu subscription), in which he played con man Abram Hamilton. Killam brought up his supporting role in the Steve McQueen-directed flick during his appearance on the Fly on the Wall podcast, which is on YouTube. He then explained how it factored into a running gag he came up with:
Well, I did a bit for almost an entire season, where I would start to pitch the host on an idea. I was like, 'Well, I know you're in a movie with a plane, so that's great, and I thought we could play pilots because, you know, when I was in 12 Years a Slave, what I found about the process that was most rewarding...' and then I would go real indulgent.
The Amanda Show alum seemed to be playing on the “stuffy actor” archetype for those bits, which sounds funny. And, to be completely serious, I could understand if the star was seriously enthused about being part of that movie. After all, 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture along with several other major awards at the Oscars in 2014. It seems the comic’s idea was initially received well, but it didn't last the whole season as he explained to podcast hosts David Spade and Dana Carvey:
It got some chuckles at first, and then it was terrible. And then [SNL writer] Bryan Tucker had to tell me, 'Don't do that anymore. Lorne has said something. Don't do that.'
Lorne Michaels has earned a reputation for not mincing words whenever he doesn’t care for something. For example, he apparently hated SNL’s “Lamps” sketch, which was panned by a few people behind the scenes. Michaels didn’t even care for recurring sketches for a time, but it was veteran host Buck Henry who changed his mind about that. When it comes to the 12 Years a Slave mentions, I can understand Michaels’ feelings, as it’s definitely a bit that seems like it could wear out its welcome over time.
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Of course, those actor/host segments collectively just made up a small bit of Taran Killam’s tenure on Saturday Night Live, which began in 2010. He played characters like Jebidiah Atkinson and Jonathan Cavanaugh-san as well as impressions of celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Liam Hemsworth. Killam was ultimately let go from the show in 2016 and, at the time, he was unsure as to why. Lorne Michaels later chalked up the decision to a need for changes to be made to the show at that time.
Nevertheless, Taran Killam did manage to leave his mark on the show, even if that 12 Years a Slave-inspired bit didn’t have long-term appeal. In any case, watch Killam’s work by streaming past Saturday Night Live episodes on Peacock. Also, tune in tonight, Saturday May 17, at 11:30 p.m. ET to see the latest SNL host, Scarlett Johansson, headline the Season 50 finale.