Celebrity
SNL’s Paula Pell Says Her Size Kept Her Off Camera: Claims She Was ‘Too Plus‑Size’ for the Show’s Preferred Aesthetic
Paula Pell reveals she suspects her plus-size body prevented her from becoming an SNL cast member despite writing iconic sketches like Debbie Downer from 1995 to 2013.
Comedy icon Paula Pell is opening up about why she spent years behind the scenes instead of in the spotlight. The talented star worked as a writer on Saturday Night Live from 1995 until 2013, but she was never promoted to an official cast member. During the Tuesday, May 19 episode of Amy Poehler‘s Good Hang podcast, Pell, 63, confessed that she believes her body shape kept her from appearing on live cameras. The actress explained her theory regarding the decision. “Well, I don’t wanna assume… I’ve heard here and there little things,” Pell shared, adding, “but I do suspect that I was a big lady. I was a big plus-size person.”
When Pell first stepped into the studio in 1995, television completely lacked body diversity. She noted that while “Roseanne Barr-like people” were starting to pop up, she did not fit the environment’s visual vibe. “I was just not of the aesthetic of that place whatsoever,” Pell remembered. She never actually auditioned for the program, but instead met with creator Lorne Michaels while working at Disney World. After flying to New York, she endured a two-hour wait before Michaels arrived and immediately began chatting in the middle of a sentence. Though a formal offer was never extended, she somehow joined the writing staff.
Despite her initial fears, Pell went on to craft legendary bits like “Debbie Downer,” “The Spartan Cheerleaders,” and “Aunt Linda.” Still, she was intimidated by her position. “Even though I’d written short stories, I don’t know how to do any of this,” she admitted, confessing she was “so afraid to ever show any desire to perform.” Pell described herself as a submissive “Catholic girl” who strictly followed regulations, constantly “making the pie and then giving all the pie away.”
Poehler commended her colleague’s work ethic, noting that other performers frequently requested Pell to make brief cameos as teachers or parents. Fortunately, Pell found the confidence to act later in life, scoring roles in 30 Rock, A.P. Bio, Big Mouth, Mapleworth Murders, and Girls5eva, while also penning Sisters, Bridesmaids, and Kim Kardashian‘s The 5th Wheel. Today, she is happily starring in Peacock’s The ‘Burbs with Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall. “It’s why I’m so gloriously happy to be able to perform later in my life because I finally let that out of the cage,” Pell declared.
