Andy Samberg fondly recalled how Amy Adams refused to do a Saturday night live song with The Lonely Island because of its raunchy theme and the film it was meant to be parodied. Saturday night liveThe best sketches often parodied pop culture media and real-world events, such as the recurring Celebrity Danger! skit or the show’s mature take on the character Gumby. Some of his most memorable sketches were done by the comedy trio The Lonely Island, consisting of Sandberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone.
Speaking of Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast episode 32 (via Variety), Samberg recalled how, at one point, they were going to do a sketch alongside Adams imitating his 2007 fantasy film Enchanted. The sketch would see her reprise her role as Giselle and Samberg play Robert, having the two become an elderly couple on a picnic. One is stung by a scorpion and, as he dies, he sings about how he didn’t experiment much in his sex life. However, Adams turned down the idea because of how many children looked up to her character at the time:
I’m not going to go into great detail about it, but it was a song that would have been a duet with me and Amy Adams, and it was very dirty. It was basically like we were both really old and we were having a picnic, an elderly couple, and one of us got stung by a scorpion. And then I’m dying or something and the only regret on my deathbed is that we didn’t explore things more sexually in our lives, and it’s a great anthem about that.
She said, ‘That’s really funny. I can’t do this. Girls are so obsessed with ‘Enchanted’ right now. They will find out and it will be a scar for them. I just can’t mix it up right now.
Adams and Samberg later participated in the play “Hero Song”, where it is stolen by someone who is later mercilessly beaten by a superhero. The Lonely Island member realized how important it was to eliminate the Enchanted song after witnessing firsthand how much the girls looked up to their co-star. Check out more of what Samberg had to say below:
Within five minutes, a mother and her daughter approached and the look on the little girl’s face when she saw Amy Adams, I thought, ‘Oh, she was so right.’ And it was very instructive for me. It’s not something I’ve thought about in our line of work, you know what I mean? Like, she really has an obligation and a responsibility to those kids, and she took it very seriously. And I remember being really impressed by that.
What Amy Adams Rejecting SNL’s Enchanted Song Meant for the Show
It turned out to be a good idea
[H]ad Adams did the play with Samberg and the rest of The Lonely Island, it may have resulted in a parody that felt too soon, especially considering how many kids looked up to the lead actor for his performance.
Enchanted was a huge success for Disney, grossing $340.5 million at the box office against a budget of $85 million, while also receiving critical praise for its family-oriented story and Adams’ performance. She would later return to the cast of Disenchanteda Disney+ sequel that saw many reprising their roles from the original film. Unfortunately, the film didn’t perform well critically, but it didn’t negate the success of the original, nor the fond memories of the lead actors’ performances as Giselle.
However, if Adams had done the play with Samberg and the rest of The Lonely Island, may have resulted in a parody that felt too soon, especially considering how many children looked up to the lead actor for his performance. Although she believed the play was funny, her refusal to do it also emphasized how important it was to her that girls who looked up to her character not get the wrong impression when they were very young. While a parody might work over a decade later, it may have received backlash when it was considered Adams’ best role.
Our Take on Adams Rejecting the Sassy Enchanted Song
Hero Song was a better direction at the time
Although there was some potential for the cheeky Enchanted The song Samberg proposed to her, “Hero Song” was a better direction at the time because of how fast-paced her role was. Although Saturday night live could have involved music in her upbringing, the best direction really was to ensure that her performances didn’t ruin the image she had with children. It was a positive decision that may have also helped her career, considering the major roles she has since landed and will likely sign in the future.
Source: Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast (through Variety)