What happened to Steven Spielberg's cameo in the SNL50 sketch?

Mikey Day had to cut Steven Spielberg's cameo from the "Close Encounters" sketch in the SNL50 anniversary special due to time constraints.

How did Mikey Day feel about cutting Spielberg's part?

Day felt "uncomfortable" and "awkward" about having to remove Spielberg's appearance, saying he "spiraled into an awkward abyss" with the legendary director.

What happened when Mikey Day told Spielberg's assistant about the cut?

Day relayed to Spielberg's assistant that his cameo had been cut, but Spielberg apparently thought the entire sketch had been removed, leading to another awkward exchange.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Mikey Day's Awkward Encounter with Legendary Director Spielberg

Mikey Day's Awkward Encounter with Legendary Director Spielberg

8 Nov

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Summary

Mikey Day had to cut Steven Spielberg's cameo from SNL50 sketch
Day felt "awkward abyss" and "uncomfortable" about the situation
Spielberg was unaware the whole sketch was not cut

Mikey Day's Awkward Encounter with Legendary Director Spielberg

In the lead-up to the SNL50: The Anniversary Special that aired on November 8, 2025, comedian Mikey Day had originally planned to feature a cameo by legendary director Steven Spielberg in a "Close Encounters" sketch. However, due to the show running long, Day was forced to cut Spielberg's appearance from the final broadcast.

This decision left Day feeling deeply uncomfortable and awkward. "Everyone loves Steven Spielberg. I love this man so much. He's so important to me and so many people," Day raved on The Tonight Show. But with the show running over time, the team had to make the tough call to remove Spielberg's part, leaving Day "spiraling into an awkward abyss" with the iconic filmmaker.

The awkwardness continued the next night at an event honoring SNL creator Lorne Michaels, where Day relayed to Spielberg's assistant that his cameo had been cut. Spielberg apparently thought the entire sketch had been removed, leading to another uncomfortable exchange where Day felt he couldn't correct the misunderstanding. "A normal person would've gone, 'Oh really? I don't think so. Yeah, I think you might've heard wrong.' But I just went, 'Oh no, it was cut? Nooo!' It was so awful," Day recounted.

Despite Spielberg's cameo being cut, the "Close Encounters" sketch still featured a star-studded lineup, including appearances from Meryl Streep, Pedro Pascal, Woody Harrelson, Jon Hamm, and fellow SNL alum Aidy Bryant.

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