Chris Colfer was all however a family identify for greater than half a decade because of his function as Kurt Hummel on Fox’s Glee. Whereas the musical TV present arguably peaked years earlier than it will definitely resulted in 2015, the glory days of the primary few seasons (now streaming with a Hulu subscription) resulted in Colfer touchdown a spot on Saturday Evening Stay again in 2011. Now, greater than a decade later, the singer/actor mirrored on his episode of NBC’s comedy mainstay alongside music legends Paul Simon and Lindsey Buckingham… and what he needed to maintain telling himself.
The SNL episode that includes Colfer aired towards the top of Season 36 again in 2011, with Ed Helms internet hosting and Paul Simon as musical visitor. (You may stream it now with a Peacock subscription.) Whereas the then-Glee star did not even have any traces, highlights of his sketch embrace Kenan Thompson singing, Invoice Hader taking part in Lindsey Buckingham, after which the actual Lindsey Buckingham approaching stage as Lindsey Buckingham. Trying again on the expertise when talking with Vulture, Colfer stated:
It was an entire secret who was in these seats till I confirmed up at that rehearsal. They didn’t inform me any particulars till I truly arrived within the studio — I needed to be escorted proper on the stage to my seat. I didn’t also have a script. Nicely, I didn’t want one, in fact, as a result of I wasn’t saying something. After which I turned to my left and it’s Paul Simon. After which I turned to my proper, and it’s Lindsey Buckingham ready within the wings of the set.
Not often was Glee a warmer commodity than 2011, with Chris Colfer successful a Golden Globe for Greatest Supporting Actor in addition to incomes an Emmy nomination as Excellent Supporting Actor. Nonetheless, being on one in every of tv’s most talked-about reveals filled with memorable musical covers did not imply that Colfer was totally ready to work with legends like Simon and Buckingham.
An added complication? Paul Simon and Lindsey Buckingham are such music icons that Chris Colfer in fact already knew sure particulars about their lives, together with Simon’s marriage to the late Carrie Fisher and Buckingham’s infamously tumultuous relationship with Stevie Nicks. The Glee actor needed to maintain reminding himself what not to carry as much as both of the business legends, as he shared:
How on earth did I get right here? I couldn’t say something. I froze. I keep in mind considering at that second, Chris, don’t ask any questions on Stevie Nicks or Carrie Fisher. I needed to repeat that to myself over and again and again in my head. Paul Simon most likely thought I used to be a seat filler.
On condition that Chris Colfer did not even have any traces within the sketch, Paul Simon may need actually thought he was a seat filler if he wasn’t a Glee viewer, however Colfer not getting to talk was truly a part of the punchline of the complete sketch. Have a look:
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Alas, identical to Invoice Hader’s model of Lindsey Buckingham, Chris Colfer simply did not get an opportunity to talk on Diondre Cole’s (Kenan Thompson) present. Truthfully, I’ve to shout out Thompson for his work within the sketch, contemplating how a lot singing he did in entrance of Paul Simon, Lindsey Buckingham, and a Glee star! The longtime SNL star is thought for a lot of issues, however a music profession isn’t one in every of them.
It stays to be seen if Chris Colfer will ever get one other shot on Saturday Evening Stay. After greater than 100 episodes of Glee from 2009-2015, he hasn’t tackled one other sequence common function. He did seem in two episodes of Scorching in Cleveland, Completely Well-known: The Film, and voiced a personality in 4 episodes of Netflix’s Ridley Jones. If you wish to revisit his Glee days for the highs and lows of Kurt Hummel’s journey, all six seasons can be found streaming on Hulu now.