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Amy Poehler lucked out when it came to the star she shared a dressing room with at SNL50: The Anniversary Special.
During an appearance on Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, the Saturday Night Live alum, 53, revealed one of the highlights of the weekend celebration in February was getting paired with Meryl Streep.
“There were so many people that people had to share dressing rooms,” she explained. “So I was sharing my dressing room with Meryl Streep. Just like a fan. I took a picture of the door that said my name and Meryl Streep and it was really cool.”
The comedian — who joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2001 and departed eight seasons later in 2008 — added that Streep was putting in all the prep work for debuting on the sketch comedy show.
“She was getting ready for her sketch and really rehearsing it,” she recalled. “And I remember thinking, ‘I never rehearsed as hard as Meryl Streep is in this one moment.’ I was like, ‘Don’t overthink it! Just be loud!'”
The hard paid off when Streep, 75, took the stage for a sketch featuring Jon Hamm as a Space Force officer and Aidy Bryant as a doctor evaluating the alien abduction experienced by a trio of friends played by Woody Harrelson, Kate McKinnon and Pedro Pascal.
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Of course, SNL fans will remember the gag is part of a recurring sketch in which Bryant, 37, and McKinnon, 41, have previously appeared. On the special, Streep played McKinnon’s mom, Colleen Rafferty Sr.
Streep wasn’t the only star that Poehler mingled with during the taping.
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“It was a night of famous alumni and people. I sat down and turned to my left and it was Jack Nicholson,” she shared of the legendary actor who introduced Adam Sandler during the celebration. “I was like, ‘Of course. My old friend, my dear friend Jack Nicholson.'”
“I think when those things happen, I just go with it. I just say, ‘Of course Jack Nicholson is here. Of course, my comedy heroes are here,'” host Conan O’Brien said, to which Poehler replied, “I mean, you have to fake it!”