Marc Maron Revealed How His Failed ‘SNL’ Meeting Eventually Led To ‘Closure’

No one can be good at everything, and Marc Maron is no exception. Sure, he can make people laugh until their stomachs hurt while delivering his stand-up take on the “Rapture,” and it’s hard imagine anyone else pulling off his GLOW role. Maron also delivered a wonderful performance alongside Andrea Riseborough in the (unexpectedly controversial) To Leslie (now on Netflix) and of course, he’s never afraid to get a little profane on his WTF podcast.

At one point in time, however, Maron went for an SNL gig, and it didn’t work out. He moved on and didn’t know that hearing the “why” aspect would be useful, but he felt a lot better once that information came directly from Lorne Michaels. On a previous WTF episode, Michaels explained that he met with Maron because he has an original voice, and “I think you were ready.” However, “I learned early on that if you bring people in and there’s no real spot for them.” Then Michaels elaborated with a comparison to David Spade’s rough SNL onboarding. Via Entertainment Weekly:

“Writers will always go to whoever came through for them on the last show … Unless you play some other kind of part, or unless you bring some other kind of voice that’s clear and can withstand those first five or six shows when the audience is less than friendly.”

Following this discussion, Maron expressed how much of a “great experience” he had during the chat. “Not only did I get closure, not only did I — by this point, I didn’t even know if I needed it, but it was great to have it.” He added that Michaels is a “great guy,” and considering that the co-creator has been cranking out SNL magic (with a hiatus from 1980-85) since 1975, he clearly knows how that magic is best made. And Maron went on to carve out a very popular and enduring podcast (and much more) while enjoying long-term success in his own right.