Well, isn’t that special?
There used to be a time when Saturday Night Live was actually worth staying up for. I know that sounds like an absurd proposition and a waste of good sleep now, but back in the day, the show was dripping with top-shelf talent and unforgettable characters.
One of the most famous, even now, is “Church Chat.” Even though it debuted in 1986, most people of a certain age can recall the famous tagline, “Well, isn’t that special?” The skit, created by comedy legend Dana Carvey, was his first big hit on the show, and he knew immediately it was his ticket to the big time.
Which is exactly why he wouldn’t let a certain superstar comedian anywhere near it.
Robin Williams was at the height of his comedic fame in the late 1980s, and during one hosting gig, Carvey was approached about having Williams in the skit. Despite being friends, he declined.
During a recent episode of his Fly on the Wall podcast, Carvey talked about Williams and the Church Lady.
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Dana Carvey told a story on the most recent episode his Fly on the Wall podcast about how he wouldn’t allow Williams to perform in the iconic “Church Chat” sketch because he feared that his best character couldn’t hold her own against Williams’ charisma. “I was just afraid of it,” Carvey said of Williams’ unmatched ability to steal a scene.
Williams’s manic, often chemically induced frenzy and stream-of-consciousness comedy likely would have been no match for Enid Strict, aka the Church Lady.
Carvey was smart enough and self-aware enough to know not to go toe-to-toe with a heavyweight like Williams on live television. While it might have provided one of the top moments in SNL history, it also could’ve derailed Dana Carvey and the Church Lady both.
“He was a really good friend, but he really wanted to do ‘Church Chat,’” Carvey told his co-host David Spade and guest Jason Sudeikis. “This was in the early days, this was my golden ticket. And I was very careful.” Carvey worried that Williams’ enthusiasm for the sketch would overflow, saying that “if Robin got so excited,” then the Church Lady could be forced to take a back pew.
Though Williams and Carvey were friends, it was still a difficult decision to turn down arguably the biggest name in comedy at the time. Carvey continued:
“It was heartbreaking, but you know we got past that and we were (friends),” saying of his protectiveness of his protestant prize, “In those days, your (character) was very precious. I wanted to keep it quasi-real, in a sense.”
It is understandable that Carvey didn’t want Williams touching the skit. Robin Williams was a once-in-a-lifetime talent whose quick wit and brain worked at speeds normal humans can’t conceive of.
Carvey would go on to be Garth in the Wayne’s World SNL spin-off and have a successful movie and television career himself. Who knows what might have happened had he let Robin Williams upstage his signature role?
We will never know, but you certainly can’t blame Enid Strict or Carvey for not wanting to find out.
Featured image screen grab from embedded YouTube video