There aren’t too many comedians who “pray” they don’t get hired for Saturday Night Live — but, then again, there aren’t too many comedians like Joy Behar.
On the most recent episode of the Behind the Table podcast, The View co-host revealed that she once auditioned for the long-running sketch comedy show back in 1975.
“There was a period I tried to get on, because I had this funny character that I did,” she told The View’s executive producer Brian Teta. “I had to audition for [SNL creator] Lorne Michaels. He never laughed.”
She continued, “After I was done, he said, ‘That was funny.’ I said, ‘You didn’t laugh,’ and he said, ‘I don’t want to laugh because then you’ll think you have a job.’ I said, ‘That’s okay, don’t worry about it.’ I didn’t even want the job, to tell you the truth.”
Teta reminded Behar that Michaels is famous for not laughing during auditions. However, she said it was still “a little depressing to have to audition for somebody and they don’t laugh.”
It all worked out in the end, though, as Behar was glad she didn’t get hired.
“I was so not ready for the stress of a job like that, that I prayed that I didn’t get the job,” she said. “And I didn’t!”
Instead of joining original cast members Chevy Chase, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd at Studio 8H, Behar went on to forge a successful comedy career. She also appeared in Hollywood movies like Manhattan Murder Mystery and shows like Baby Boom, before securing her longtime spot as a co-host on The View.
Behar first joined the Barbara Walters-created program when it debuted in 1997 — and she remained until she was reportedly fired in 2013.
“When I was fired the last time from this show, people said to me, ‘Were you OK with that?’ And my answer was, ‘I was happy,’” Behar said during a February 2023 episode of The View. “Because all my friends had left already. So there was no reason to stay anymore.”
Fortunately, her exit was short-lived as she returned to the hit daytime talk show in 2015.
The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.
