Seth Meyers

Meyers says being head writer of SNL is the title he is proudest of.

“the thing I'm proudest of is the fact that I was the head writer on SNL”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 46:29

Meyers praises Chris Parnell's dry, effortless delivery.

“But Chris Parnell was just a metronomic delivery system for information that he would do in a way”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 33:40

Meyers recounts Mike Shoemaker advising him to write ensemble scenes rather than sketches built around himself.

“What you should do is you should try to think of group scenes where you can score, but it's not like a Seth sketch”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 30:57

Meyers says Lorne Michaels should have hired him as a writer rather than as a cast member.

“Lorne made a mistake and should have hired me as a writer. He hired me. He hired me as a cast member”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 29:56

Meyers says Lorne Michaels gives too much weight to candidates' experience living abroad or playing sports.

“he gives way too much credit to living abroad and athletes”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 27:57

Meyers says he hopes to still be hosting late night in five years and is not tired of it.

“I would love to say in five years from now, I'm still doing late night. I have no, I'm not tired of it at all”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 55:54

Meyers says doing his show benefits his mental health as an outlet for anxiety.

“So my mental health is a lot more locked in when I have the show as a way to sort of like, you know, anxiety dump”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 51:33

Meyers says his show tapes in the afternoon and skips post-mortems, a schedule that allows family life.

“we tape. our show at four in the afternoon. Right. And we don't do a post-mortem”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 48:52

Meyers relayed Steve Martin's observation that hosts only spend time with young people because of their jobs.

“He goes, you only hang out with young people because you have this job”

Strike Force Five: Ep 13: Strike Force Five Returns to Celebrate Stephen Colbert (May 13, 2026) · Listen from 0:47

Meyers calls Alex Baze, his Late Night head writer, the greatest living joke writer.

“He's the greatest living joke writer. He's incredible. And so he's our head writer”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 47:30

Meyers says Lorne Michaels correctly predicted it would take him 18 months to figure out his late-night show, which clicked when he moved the monologue to the desk.

“I remember Lauren said, it'll take you 18 months to figure it out”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 45:48

Meyers says he persuaded Lorne Michaels to let him anchor Update alone the night Amy Poehler went into labor.

“I think if you don't let me do it alone tonight, it will just look like you don't think I can do it alone”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 40:45

Meyers says Shoemaker advised him to play the Update anchor as patient and delighted with guest characters rather than frustrated.

“I think the audience doesn't like that you don't like them. He was basically like, I think you should try to play this as sort of patient and delighted”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 38:27

Meyers says Boom Chicago in Amsterdam gave performers far more stage time than they would have had in Chicago.

“once you got there, you were performing way more than you would in Chicago”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 27:07

Meyers argues that someone treating entertainment as a plan B will be far behind those for whom it is plan A.

“anybody whose plan A is your plan B is going to be so far ahead of you by the time you decide”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 24:24

Meyers says talking football with his son and father is trivial in content but creates real connection.

“Because it's just empty nonsense, no calorie conversation, but the connection is real”

SmartLess: "Seth Meyers" (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 15:59