Sarah Sherman
Episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler · June 16, 2026 · 1 h 13 min
Amy Poehler talks with SNL cast member Sarah Sherman about her Long Island childhood, Chicago DIY comedy, five seasons at SNL, and her HBO special.
Summary
Amy Poehler opened the episode with a conversation with comedian Mitra Jouhari, a longtime friend of guest Sarah Sherman, who recalled meeting Sherman in 2015, described her roots in Chicago's DIY music and performance-art scene, and supplied questions for the interview, including about Sherman's childhood musical theater roles, her biggest bomb, and her dream disgusting practical effect.
Sherman, having just finished her fifth season on Saturday Night Live, discussed growing up on Long Island with a teacher mother and a father in the garment business, her April Fool's-themed bat mitzvah, and casting herself as a Russian tsarina in the chorus of a school production of Into the Woods. She described being rejected from a Northwestern sketch group, founding the Chicago show Helltrap Nightmare under the name Sarah Squirm, and bombing her first SNL audition. Poehler praised Sherman's innate confidence, while Sherman said she considered her sketch range limited and admired Ashley Padilla's inside-out character work.
The two discussed Sherman's Weekend Update appearances attacking Colin Jost, which she said were his idea, makeup head Louie Zakarian's rapid prosthetics, Lorne Michaels asking her to drop the name Squirm, and SNL stress dreams, including one Sherman's Jungian dream analyst interpreted. Sherman recounted bombing while opening for Adam Sandler and recruiting John Waters for her HBO special Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh via a hand-drawn letter. They closed by discussing what makes them laugh, including The Real Housewives, Home Movies and the podcast Hollywood Handbook, and the safety of teasing among trusted collaborators.
Chapters
- 0:05
Introduction
Amy Poehler introduces Sarah Sherman and friend Mitra Jouhari.
- 2:14
Mitra Jouhari on Sarah
Jouhari recalls meeting Sherman, describes her comedic persona and offers interview questions.
- 11:25
Food wall and feet
Sherman arrives and the pair banter about food-themed shoes and feet.
- 15:07
Wrapping season five of SNL
They discuss Poehler's hosting week, table reads and how the show has diversified its voices.
- 22:03
Long Island childhood
Sherman describes her family, her father's garment business, Uncut Gems and her bat mitzvah.
- 27:32
The Russian tsarina
Sherman recounts inventing a character in the chorus of Into the Woods, and Poehler praises her confidence.
- 30:13
Chicago and Helltrap Nightmare
Sherman describes rejection at Northwestern, Chicago's DIY scene and her early performance-art comedy show.
- 36:57
Auditioning for SNL and working outside in
Sherman recounts her failed first audition via Charna Halpern and her struggle with character work.
- 43:01
Weekend Update and Louie Zakarian
They discuss Sherman's Update pieces with Colin Jost and the SNL makeup department's feats.
- 50:10
Stress dreams and therapy
Both share SNL stress dreams and Sherman describes psychoanalysis.
- 55:21
Opening for Sandler and the HBO special
Sherman describes bombing on Adam Sandler's tour, the Squirm name, and recruiting John Waters.
- 1:03:10
What makes them laugh
They discuss Real Housewives, soaps, Home Movies, Hollywood Handbook and teasing as intimacy.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Amy Poehler
Poehler argues that SNL has smartly returned to being a variety show with a wide range of voices and styles, rather than a homogenous one.
“the show has smartly remember that it is a variety show with a million different voices and different styles”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman says she does not believe she would have been hired at SNL during Poehler's era.
“this is not even to say it's self deprecatingly said that with an accent. I don't think I would have gotten on the show”
- Amy Poehler
Poehler says an innate confidence is what distinguishes successful SNL performers, and that Sherman has it.
“there is an innate confidence about you that, and I say that because I want you to know, to me, that's like the, what distinguishes people on SNL right away”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman attributes her apparent confidence to having bombed so often that nothing worse can happen on stage.
“I think I am so used to bombing, even though it sounds like I crushed my first time at bat”
- Amy Poehler
Poehler argues that loving, supportive parents create a scaffolding that lets people take creative risks.
“If you have parents who are like, you're great, that really creates a scaffolding for the rest of your life”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman recounts that Lorne Michaels, who pitches her animal-costume Update bits, told her he could tell she was loved as a child.
“after I did, I think, a squirrel or some fucking animal, he said, when you did that, I could tell you were loved as a child”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman says that watching Ashley Padilla's inside-out character work made her feel she had been approaching characters wrongly by starting with costume.
“I feel like I've been doing it all wrong for like six fucking years because I'm like, oh, what if the wig is weird?”
- Amy Poehler
Poehler tells Sherman she believes Sherman is a good actor who fears success more than failure.
“I think you're not afraid of the failure. I think you're afraid of the success because I actually think you can do it”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman says moments in her special that seem improvised are actually fully scripted.
“so many things even in my special are like, people are like, oh, my God, you're like loose and riffing. That's all written down”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman says her Weekend Update appearances as herself were Colin Jost's idea at a time when she wasn't getting sketches on the show.
“But then Colin was like, why don't you come on update and do like your yourself and”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman praises makeup head Louie Zakarian as enthusiastic and never refusing a request.
“But by the way, he's having so much fun. Like, he never says no”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman says her greatest SNL anxiety is failing to find a collaborator on writing night, which she considers worse than bombing on live TV.
“Bombing trying to get someone to write a sketch with you is a fate worse than death”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman recounts that her Jungian dream analyst interpreted pooping in a dream as embarrassment about putting work out.
“my Jungian dream analyst at the time said that when you poop in a dream, grouse, it's like you're putting work out there and you're embarrassed”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman says she bombed often opening for Adam Sandler because audiences had come specifically to see him.
“They are there to see Adam Sandler. Not Long Island Presents, Sarah Sherman, someone they don't know who's sweating up there”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman recounts that Lorne Michaels asked her to drop the stage name Squirm when she was hired, and she agreed immediately.
“we think squirm is a little distracting. And I go, say no more”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman recounts that John Waters agreed to appear in her special by phoning her after receiving her illustrated letter.
“a call from an unknown number, Baltimore area code. Hey, Sarah, it's John Waters. I'll see you on set”
- Sarah Sherman
Sherman credits SNL with making her career and special possible.
“If I didn't have SNL, I would be a random crazy person”
- Amy Poehler
Poehler says teasing within a family or trusted group is a sign of intimacy and safety.
“i love a family that teases each other i that to me is a sign of intimacy yes and it's a sign of safety”
People
In the conversation
- Amy PoehlerAmerican actress, comedian and podcast host, formerly of Saturday Night Live
- Sarah ShermanAmerican comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member, formerly known as Sarah Squirm
- Mitra JouhariAmerican actress, writer and producer, co-creator of Three Busy Debras; some later lines under this label appear to belong to Sarah Sherman
Discussed
- Lorne MichaelsCreator and executive producer of 'Saturday Night Live'
- Colin JostAmerican comedian, writer and longtime Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchor
- Adam SandlerActor whose Happy Madison company greenlit The House Bunny
- John WatersAmerican filmmaker who appeared in Sherman's HBO special
- Louie ZakarianHead of the Saturday Night Live makeup department
- Charna HalpernCo-founder of the iO improv theater in Chicago
- Ashley PadillaAmerican comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member, Groundlings alum
- Patti HarrisonAmerican comedian and actor
- Tom SixDutch director of The Human Centipede films
Topics
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From the publisher
Sarah Sherman knows that you can't show your feet for free. Amy hangs with the 'Saturday Night Live' star and talks about why we need a fourth 'Human Centipede' movie, playing a Russian tsarina in her school's production of 'Into the Woods,' and what her Jungian dream analyst told her about pooping in a dream. Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Mitra Jouhari and Sarah ShermanExecutive producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-BermanFor Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel LovellFor The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; social producer Bridget Geerlings; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat SpillaneOriginal music: Amy Miles Palmolive Ultra removes up to 99.9% of grease leaving your dishes sparkling clean. Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.