John Mulaney Shares Fred Armisen’s SNL 50 Prank On Martin Short | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

I want to pay you another compliment. because that's the kind of guy I am. And. this comes from the heart. I went to the. SNL. Comes from the heart with no eye. contact. I know. I know. I got to pay. you a compliment. That's how we do it so. much. I'm sorry. And. you're going to look at this rubber. coaster. Solid guy. There we go. Look at. that. Look at that. Um, it's so Irish. And it is St. Patrick's Day today. Hey, happy St. Patrick's Day. And guess what? I'm not doing this intentionally. I I. I'm not a fan of St.

I'm not a kiss me I'm Irish guy. People. are always giving me for not. wearing green and I always It's not a. statement. I just completely forget. So. I'm wearing statement. You think it's a. statement? I'm sure it's a statement. Um. I wanted to compliment you because I. went to the SNL 50th and I know that you. were uh a creative force, a writer. behind the SNL 50th along with some. other fellows. Uh was it Simon Rich? Yeah, Simon was back too. and Emily. Spivey, Paula Pel, James Anderson was. working. I have to say I thought the.

show was great. I had good seats. I. didn't know anything that was going to. happen and I think enough time has gone. by and I loved my time at Saturday. Saturday Night Live, but I needed All of. us have war stories. All of us have some. form of PTSD from that the intensity of. that time of our lives that all this. time went by and I came back and I just. had a blast. I I loved it. I loved.

talking to everybody. I enjoyed the. show. I thought it was really well. written. I thought it was paced really. well. I was stunned at how much content. there was. I just I mean from beginning. to end I mean granted recurring sketches. and things that had been done before or. and the like but there was so much new. performance like it wasn't there they. showed a couple they showed the uh um. Schiller's reel with John Belalushi.

They showed a couple filmed pieces but. that was it. They showed a few. commercial parody montages. That's. right. There were very few montages. It. was mostly and that was mainly to make. acts and get, you know, like set. transitions. Yeah. So, it was it was it. was a lot of new It was a lot of new. material. I had a great seat to watch. Eddie Murphy do two of the sketches he. was in. My seat was just looking right. into it. And I maintain if he's not the. most talented.

uh person to ever grace Saturday Night. Live, I I don't know who it would be. He's becomes. He became Tracy Morgan. I watched him. He I watched him getting ready. Band's. playing. They're counting down. We're. getting to within 30 seconds. His face. is still completely neutral. He walks. He gets behind the podium where they're. going to play Jeopardy. And uh he picks. up his controller and then I saw his. face morph and he became Tracy Morgan.

with like 3 seconds to go. And then he's. in a scared straight sketch. Yeah. Which. is in the exact same position. And he. was mesmerizing to watch me. And I I. I'm I'm stunned by him. I really am. And. also it felt like a lot of Saturday. Night Live on display in one moment, which is he says he's uh all the way Ray. cuz he never does anything halfway, but. his hair is braided on one half and then.

sticking up. And it was like that. dumbass funny joke that Jo wrote. Then. the hair department made that wig. specifically for that. It looks perfect. And the sketch starts and it's just sort. of like a broad touch and then he has. that joke. It was just a lot of things. Every department hard at work on like oh. it was the funniest dumbest joke. I had. an absolutely lovely time and this was I. think a week and a half or something.

before the Oscars and I didn't have time. to go and this something in me said you. have to go. I got my ass there and just. loved it and loved getting to talk to. Lauren and tell him I hope some of this. is sinking in Lauren and what you've. achieved. I want that for you. getting. to talk to so many people from over the. years, some of whom. worked on my late night show for a while. when we were rock center and then and.

then drifted back to SNL. But I thought. it was a triumph and wow. I mean, I. can't imagine everything that went into. putting that show together. Well, what. was fun was from my perspective, months. out there was Radio City, nothing. Saturday, and then the broadcast on. Sunday. And um I talked to Lauren and. he'd tell me a couple things that were. going to be at Radio City. Mhm. And then. he would tell me um and Sunday I think. it's Paul and maybe one other detail.

just for months, right? Um and then Paul. exactly. You never know. He broke a. broom in half and said, "Fight it out.". And they they both won. They both won. Which Paul? The one who had a partner. that they didn't get along. That still. doesn't help. Wait, real quick. Speaking. of Paul McCartney, I have to I feel bad. because one of the two participants. should break this joke, but right after. the 50th, Marty Short did the end of the.

show, you know, the good nights. He had. introduced uh uh McCartney and then he. was doing the good nights and thanking. everyone and thank and thanks Paul. McCartney and it's big applause and all. crazy. And then right after uh the. credits are done, Fred runs up to Marty. and he goes, "Dude, what did you say?". And he goes, "What? What?" He goes, "You. said Tony McCartney.". And Marty goes, "What?" Oh, oh my god. Damn it. And he was like, "You said Tony. McCartney." That's fantastic. It's such.

a good bit. It's such a good bit because. I would immediately believe that. because, and this isn't true Armison, who would lie about that? Exactly. And. when you're speaking in a setting like. that live on TV, you really do feel. slightly disconnected. It just all feels. like air coming out of you. And yeah, dude, you said Tony McCartney. So messed up. and Tony McCartney and everyone's still. kind of applauded, but it's like Marty. lost his mind. Did he tell him right.

away? I'm just kidding. I'm not sure how. long. Probably right away. They probably. still haven't told him. It's why he's. gone into seclusion. Um,