Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps Writing for 'SNL' with Sam Jay
Apr 9, 2026
Sam Jay, Emmy-nominated comedian and former SNL writer who created Pause with Sam Jay, talks about starting stand-up late, her surprising SNL audition and writing routine, choosing her HBO show over cast life, and identity riffs on nationality and belonging. Conversation is playful, candid, and full of behind-the-scenes anecdotes.
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Late Start To Stand Up After Health Crisis
- Sam started stand-up late at 29 after a period of illness, moving, and family loss, having tried once at 21 and failed.
- Hospitalization and lupus diagnosis redirected her back home, where renewed focus led her to try comedy seriously.
Dyslexia Influenced My Creative Path
- Dyslexia shaped Sam's relationship to writing; she liked writing but struggled with grammar and sentence structure.
- This made her cautious about long-form writing and pushed her toward stand-up and sketch formats she could voice.
How A Bar Blessing Helped Win An SNL Job
- Sam Jay auditioned for SNL doing stand-up rather than characters and felt underconfident going in.
- She left 30 Rock briefly, drank tequila with two older Black women who blessed her, then auditioned and later got a writing offer.