13 More Behind-the-Scenes Beginnings of Iconic SNL Characters

After being on the air for nearly half of a century, you know that there are even more iconic characters from SNL than just the ones we at Cracked already covered? Whether it is an ongoing character or just one distinct performance within a single sketch, comedy fans debate and laugh about several great characters from Saturday Night Live. But how did the writers come up with them? What’s the story behind the creation of such oddball roles for this late night sketch show?

What's up with Keenan Thompson’s Diondre Cole? What happened at Target that inspired Kristen Wiig’s Target Lady? Tom Hanks’ performance as David S. Pumpkins? “Any questions?” YES, PLENTY! Don't fret - we got you.

Some of these characters were lifted from real life experiences, imagined after a few different drafts of a sketch, or just manifested out of pure desperation. Here are some of the origin stories behind your favorite SNL characters.

13

A THEME SONG OBSSESSION LED TO WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? KENAN THOMPSON CRACKED.COM HE JUST CAN'T STOP SINGING IT. THOMPSON SAYS ABOUT HIS IDEA FOR DIONDRE COLE. I FEEL LIKE IF WE MADE THE MOVIE VERSION, IT WOULD HAUNT HIM WHILE HE WAS SLEEPING AND SH*T.' THAT CHARACTER HOOK, PAIRED WITH A PREACHER'S SUIT AND AJHERI CURL, LED TO ONE OF SNL'S LONGEST RUNNING CHARACTERS. — Rolling Stone

12

ANEX A DOG AN ORLANDO STRIPPER: MANGO CHRIS KATTAN CRACKED.COM ONE INSPIRATION WAS AN ANGRY RUSSIAN GIRLFRIEND WHO WOULD SHOUT KATTAN, I KILL YOU! A SECOND WAS KATTAN'S DALMATION, WHO PERFECTED A COY, OVER-THE- SHOULDER GLANCE. THE MONIKER 'MANGO' CAME FROM A STRIPPER KATTAN OGLED IN ORLANDO-- HE JUST LIKED THE DANG NAME. — Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon YouTube

11

HEY GIRL, IT'S FROM THE HEART-IT'S A D CK IN A BOX SAMBERG/TIMBERLAKE CRACKED.co WE GREW UP WITH THAT '90S R&B SOUND so WE HAD THIS IDEA ABOUT GUYS WHO WERE STILL STUCK IN THAT ERA, SAYS TIMBERLAKE. THEN IT WAS 'HOW DO YOU GET AWAY WITH THEM BEING IDIOTS?' THE BEST WAY WAS FOR THEM TO BE AS GENUINE AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THE GIFT THEY WERE GIVING BUT NOT TOTALLY AT FULL WIT. — Live from New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests

10

JIM BREUER HATED GOATS BUT BECAME GOAT BOY JIM BREUER CRACKED.COM THE WHOLE GOAT BOY CHARACTER STARTED OUT BECAUSE I PRETENDED I HAD TOURETTES, BREUER CONFESSES. WE'D GO INTO A BAR AND I'D ASK FOR A <BLEET> >WEISER CUE MORE GOAT NOISES. THE BARTENDER WOULD PAY FOR BEERS IF BREVER AND HIS BRAYING FRIENDS WOULD DRINK OUT OF SIGHT IN THE CORNER. — 303 Magazine

9

BEWARE THE BULGES OF TWO WILD AND CRAZY GUYS MARTIN/ACKROYD, CRACKED STEVE HAD THIS CHARACTER, THE CONTINENTAL GUY, SAYS ACKROYD, AND I HAD THE 'SWINGING' CZECH WHO WAS TRYING TO TALK LIKE AN AMERICAN, TRYING TO HAVE THE ACCENT, THE CLOTHES. so WE TOOK HIS CONTINENTAL GUY AND MY CZECH GUY AND WE FUSED THEM INTO THE CZECH BROTHERS. — Live from New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests

8

TARGET LADY WAS BASED ON AN ACTUAL... TARGET LADY KRISTEN WIIG Fan Fan 20- ox CRACKED.COM WIIG CREATED THE CHARACTER FOR THE GROUNDLINGS. SHE DIDN'T LEAVE WHILE SHE WAS CHECKING ME OUT BUT IT WAS JUST HER VOICE, SAYS WIIG. THERE WAS JUST SOMETHING EGGY ABOUT IT. LIKE SHE HAD EGGS IN HER THROAT. NO WORD ON WHETHER SHE ATE HALF AN ALMOND FOR ENERGY. — Bravo

7

DENY, DENY, DENY WAS THE KEY TO NATHAN THURM MARTIN SHORT CRACKED.COM THERE WAS A HEAD OF MAKEUP THAT YEAR, SAYS SHORT. YOU'D SAY, 'MARION, I LOOK A LITTLE PALE DON'T I?' AND SHE'D SAY, 'I KNOW THAT. YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT? I'M A MAKEUP ARTIST, I WOULD KNOW THAT. SHE ALSO CHAIN-SMOKED. SHORT PUT A WIRE IN HIS CIGARETTE so THE ASH WOULD NEVER FALL OFF. — The Wrap

6

THE EVOLUTION OF EMILY LITELLA GILDA RADNER CRACKED.COM THE OH, THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT NEVER MIND ENDING WAS CUTE FOR ABOUT A YEAR, SAYS WRITER ALAN ZWEIBEL. BUT HE AND GILDA WANTED TO TRY SOMETHING NEW. ON LITELLA'S NEXT APPEARANCE, JANE CURTIN ATTACKED, CALLING HER AN INSULT TO THE INTEGRITY OF F JOURNALISM. EMILY LITELLA'S ONE-WORD REPLY: BITCH. — Live from New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests

5

GASTEYER'S SNL AUDITION INCLUDED DELICIOUS DISH GASTEYER/SHANNON CRACKED.CO GASTEYER BASED THE SKETCH ON PUBLIC RADIO SHOWS 'THE SPLENDID TABLE' AND 'GOOD FOOD.' HER SECRET TO TALKING LIKE AN NPR HOST? JUST TAKE YOUR TIME BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO REALLY NOT WORRY ABOUT ANYONE INTERRUPTING YOU, EVER. HER PARENTS LOADED UP ON THE BEN & JERRY'S 'SCHWEDDY BALLS' EDITION. — NPR

4

A DAVID S. PUMPKINS ANY QUESTIONS? TOM HANKS GRAGKED.com THE SKETCH WAS WRITTEN IN LATE- NIGHT DESPERATION. I THINK NAMES AND SUITS ARE FUNNY, SAYS MIKEY DAY. I JUST REMEMBER THINKING, DAVID PUMPKINS. HE'S GOT PUMPKINS ON HIS SUIT. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THE COUPLE'S QUESTION: WHY ARE THEY HERE? THE WRITERS' ANSWER: THIS GUY'S WEIRD AND WE'RE ONBOARD. — Vulture

3

NO BREAKFAST, ONLY CHEESEBURGER CHEESEBURGER BELUSHI/ACKROYD. CRACKED.COM WRITER DON NOVELLO WAS INSPIRED AFTER GOING TO THIS BILLYGOAT TAVERN JUST TO HEAR THE GUYS GOING 'CHEESEBURGER CHEESEBURGER CHEESEBURGER. WE HAD A LIVE GRILL , THEY WERE REALLY MAKING CHEESEBURGERS. NOVELLO GOT ONE OF THE GOOD OFFICES AFTER THE SKETCH TOOK OFF. — Live from New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests

2

OTERI KNEW THEY HAD A HIT WHEN SHE SAW A FRIDGE MAGNET FEATURING THE CHEERLEADERS FERRELL/OTERI, SPART ART CRACKED.COM I WAS A CHEERLEADER IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I WOULD STOMP MY FEET AND CLAP WHILE WAITING FOR MY TURN, SAYS OTERI. AND THEN WILL STARTED DOING IT REALLY SERIOUSLY. THEY TURNED IT INTO A SKETCH, DECIDING THAT THE DUO'S SPARTAN SPIRIT WOULD GREATLY SURPASS THEIR CHEERING TALENT. — Hollywood Reporter

1

SHE'S TAKING THE KIDS TO HER SISTER'S ANGEL EVERY - BOXER'S GIRLFRIEND HEIDI GARDNER CRACKED.COM IT WAS WHEN THAT JAKE GYLLENHAAL RACHEL MCADAMS MOVIE CAME OUT, SOUTHPAW. IN THE PROMO, SHE SAY 'YOU'RE NOT THE FIGHTER, I'M THE FIGHTER.' I'M LIKE THINK AMY ADAMS SAID THAT TWO YEARS AGO IN THE FIGHTER.' AND THEN YOU GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM AND IT'S THE SAME SCENES, EVERY TIME. I JUST GOT EXCITED. — Conan YouTube

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