Home / Arts and Entertainment / SNL's Debbie Downer Sketch Breaks Actors on Live TV
SNL's Debbie Downer Sketch Breaks Actors on Live TV
10 Oct
Summary
- Rachel Dratch's Debbie Downer character became a beloved SNL staple
- Dratch and co-stars struggled to keep straight faces during live performance
- Dratch flubbed a line, causing cast to break character and laugh uncontrollably
According to a recent interview, actress Rachel Dratch, who performed on Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006, had a memorable experience with her beloved Debbie Downer character. Dratch revealed that during the original 2004 Debbie Downer sketch, which aired in an episode hosted by Lindsay Lohan, her co-stars Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz repeatedly burst into laughter while rehearsing the segment.
Dratch said she tried to keep the cast focused, telling them "I feel like this could work! Keep it together, guys." However, her own nerves got the better of her during the live performance, as she flubbed one of her lines. This caused Dratch to break character and start laughing, which then set off the rest of the cast. Fallon unsuccessfully tried to stifle his chuckles, while Sanz was brought to tears of laughter.
Despite the on-air mishap, Debbie Downer quickly became one of Dratch's most popular SNL characters. She reprised the role several times over the next two seasons before leaving the show in 2006. Dratch has continued to bring back the iconic pessimistic character in subsequent SNL appearances, including in 2010, 2020, and during the show's 50th anniversary special in 2025.
