‘What Is Happening?’ SNL’s Mikey Day Still Can’t Believe He Gave Meryl Streep Acting Advice

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During the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live, Meryl Streep made her debut, an event that had been highly anticipated for months. Amazingly, cast member Mikey Day is still in awe that he provided acting suggestions to her during rehearsals. As a long-time writer and performer on the show, Day was deeply involved in the sketch Streep starred in, and surprisingly found himself advising her to act against her natural tendencies and not overprepare so much.

As a diehard movie enthusiast, I took a trip down memory lane recently on the Hey Dude… The 90s Called podcast, hosted by my old pals Christine Taylor and David Lascher from our Hey Dude days. You see, I was the guy behind the scenes who co-wrote those alien abduction sketches where Meryl Streep graced us with her presence. When you pen a sketch at SNL, you’re not just the writer; you’re also the producer, working tirelessly with all departments and actors to bring it all together for the big show.

In this phase, he collaborated with Streep, who seemed to be taking on more responsibilities than many other cast members and hosts. She was learning her lines and immersing herself in her character so deeply that Day suggested she might want to consider using the teleprompter instead. Here’s a snippet of his comment…

At SNL, you frequently interact with well-known individuals and it’s become routine for me, but occasionally there are a few who leave me thinking, “What on earth is going on?” Meryl Streep was exceptional in her performance, and she became so immersed in the character that she seemed to be memorizing the lines instinctively. I found myself urging her to resist her natural tendencies, which have made her one of the greatest actresses ever. I kept saying, “You can read it… Just remember. The cue cards are right there.

1) It’s clear throughout Day’s narration that he found the incident quite humorous. Despite her 21 Oscar nominations and being renowned as one of the greatest actresses, she was in an unusual situation: he felt empowered to discuss a unique aspect of acting with greater credibility because she hadn’t appeared on SNL before. Occasionally, life can be quite peculiar.

You can watch the sketch in question below…

Although I may not be an expert on the level of Mikey Day, I’ve seen hundreds upon hundreds of episodes of SNL, featuring various hosts and celebrities, and it seems that the secret lies in wholeheartedly accepting whatever the content offers. The most successful hosts are those who dive headfirst into the deep end without hesitation and enjoy every moment, regardless of the material. Streep exhibits this perfectly in this instance. She spreads out as widely as McKinnon, diving into the absurdity and clearly relishing the experience – which is exactly what viewers want to see.

Regarding Day, he’s carved out quite an impressive career path for himself. He has been associated with Saturday Night Live in some form for over a decade and currently hosts the widely popular Netflix show “Is It Cake?”. He also frequently takes on supporting roles in films and does a lot of voice acting work. His recent Beavis and Butt-head sketch with Ryan Gosling received a lot of buzz, but nothing beats the cool factor of Meryl Streep seeking your advice on acting.

At present, Saturday Night Live (SNL) is taking a break during the summer months, only to resume again in the upcoming season as it begins its 51st run. There remains uncertainty regarding which cast members will be back, but Day has indicated his intention of returning. Here’s hoping he gets the opportunity to collaborate with even more acting greats!

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2025-06-29 17:07