On Gawker, Tim Grierson suggested that it will be one closer to Sandler than, say, Murphy, arguing that Samberg is just too nice for the kind of anger-tinged comedy Murphy produced back in the 80s. Many have long speculated what kind of post-SNL career Samberg will have. "Well," deadpanned the hoodie-wearing Samberg, staying in character. Just as hip-hop stars were eager to work on Samberg's record because his fondness for the genre was so palpable and his cool/nerd appeal so widespread in America, the normally publicity-shy Zuckerberg himself appeared on SNL in a highly-publicised appearance, alongside not just Samberg but also Jesse Eisenberg who, of course, portrayed Zuckerberg in the film, The Social Network. Samberg was never really an impressionist on SNL, as so many of the show's cast members are, but his best known impression was probably Mark Zuckerberg, who he portrayed as a barely articulate hoodie-wearing nerd. His duets with Justin Timberlake, including Dick in a Box and Motherlover, were, justly, internet sensations. This last one was nominated for a Grammy, competing against the likes of Jay Z and Rihanna, meaning that the song was up against precisely the kind of music it was satirising, albeit in a clearly loving way. Their album which they released last year, Turtleneck and Chain, featured spot-on hip-hop parodies, including the brilliant I Just Had Sex featuring Akon, Jack Sparrow featuring Michael Bolton and I'm on a Boat featuring T-Pain. These awards were for his properly hilarious SNL digital shorts and musical work with his band, the Lonely Island, which includes him and his two best friends from school, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, who also, rather endearingly, worked on SNL alongside him. He's been straining at the leash for some time, appearing in high profile comedy films, such as I Love You, Man, in which he stole scenes as Paul Rudd's younger brother, as well as being nominated for a Grammy and winning an Emmy. Samberg's departure from SNL was not a surprise. Judging from the trailers, it won't cause the folks at Cannes too many regretful moments at not having awarded it the Palme d'Or, but it will keep Sandler's many 18-34-year-old American fans happy this summer in air conditioned theatres. His latest film, That's My Boy, opens in the States this Friday, co-starring fellow ex-SNL-er Adam Sandler as the man who fathered him when he was a teenager. Whereas Mike Myers, say, made the leap easier for himself by making a movie out of his best-loved character (Wayne's World), Samberg is clearly looking to go beyond the usual career path of SNL alumni (read: slapstick movies) by starring, it was recently announced, in a six-part British series to run on BBC3 later this year called Cuckoo, executive produced by Ash Atalla (The Office and The IT Crowd).Įven more cleverly, while Samberg makes a hopefully credible name for himself in Britain, he is keeping his profile high in a reassuringly predictable manner in the US. Moreover, his immediate post-SNL plans suggest that he might just be as canny with his career as he is with writing satirical hip-hop songs and spinning a comedy persona. The most recent departee from that show, the Muppety-faced, appealingly goofy Andy Samberg, 33, suffers from neither of those problems. There are any number of reasons why an SNL alumnus might not live up to expectations, ranging from laziness to simple lack of audience appeal. For every Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Will Ferrell and Chevy Chase, there are dozens and dozens whose names are barely remembered in America, let alone elsewhere (Fred Wolf, anyone?). The path from Saturday Night Live, that comedy petri dish that has been an American TV institution since 1975, to Hollywood success is not quite as assured as its high profile alumni might suggest.
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