Former ‘SNL’ Star Taran Killam Says Donald Trump ‘Struggled to Read’ at 2015 Episode Table Read
It’s safe to say that former “Saturday Night Live” star Taran Killam is not a big fan of Donald Trump. And while that may be a sentiment shared by much of the country, Killam’s dislike appears to stem from some unique interactions — including of the professional variety — that didn’t sit too well with him. In a new interview with Brooklyn Magazine (via Vulture), Killam opens up his experience working with the now-President during his November 2015 hosting stint. It didn’t go so well.
When asked about his experience, Killam explained, “It was not fun, and most of the cast and writers were not excited to have him there. I didn’t get the feeling that he was excited to be there, and it felt like a move for ratings from both sides.”
Trump hosted the show on November 7, 2015 — he had previously hosted the NBC comedy mainstay in April of 2004, so he was no stranger to the ins and and outs of the series — just as his presidential campaign was really ratcheting up.
It was a move that was widely criticized by more liberal-leaning fans of the show (and, it seems, actual members of its staff), though it did earn “SNL” very strong ratings (EW reported at the time that the Trump-hosted ep saw the series “[jump] to its biggest overnight rating since 2012…’SNL’ had a whopping 6.6 household rating on Saturday night, easily beating the season’s previous high: the 41st season premiere last month, hosted by Miley Cyrus and with a guest appearance by none other than … Hillary Clinton. In fact, Trump’s overnight rating was 47 percent higher than the Miley/Hillary episode”).
When asked if the then-candidate was unpleasant to be around, Killam continued, “What you see is what you get with him, really. I mean, there was no big reveal.”
The actor and newly minted director, who left “SNL” at the end of that same 2015-2016 season, added, “He struggled to read at the table read, which did not give many of us great confidence. Didn’t get the jokes, really. He’s just a man who seems to be powered by bluster.”
READ MORE: Watch: From Clinton to Trump, ‘Saturday Night Live’ Has a Politician Problem
And, just for good measure, Killam added, “Yeah, well, the president is a moron.”
Killam is currently starring in a limited run on “Hamilton” and is expecting to release his directorial debut, the action-comedy “Why We’re Killing Gunther,” later this year.
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