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SNL Writer Lies to Spielberg About Sketch Cuts for 50th Anniversary
7 Nov
Summary
- SNL star Day wrote a sketch inspired by Spielberg's Close Encounters
- Spielberg was supposed to make a cameo but was cut due to time constraints
- Day lied to Spielberg, pretending the whole sketch was cut
In November 2025, SNL writer Chris Day shared an awkward story about having to cut a cameo by director Steven Spielberg from a sketch for the show's 50th anniversary special. Day had originally written a sketch loosely inspired by Spielberg's iconic film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the legendary director was supposed to make a cameo at the end playing himself.
Spielberg came in to rehearse his part, but the cast was later informed the 50th anniversary show was too long and they had to cut entire minutes from sketches. "And we're like, 'I think we have to cut Steven Spielberg,'" Day recalled, explaining that Spielberg's cameo was an added element. Devastated, Day then proceeded to lie to Spielberg about it, pretending the whole sketch had been cut rather than just his cameo.
The situation became even more uncomfortable when Day saw Spielberg at a celebratory event the next night. Spielberg asked about the sketch, and instead of telling the truth, Day awkwardly went along with the lie that the entire sketch had been cut. "It was so awful," Day admitted, though he took solace in knowing the incident was likely a minor blip for the legendary director.
