(Updated with new information from Dan Aykroyd’s reps.)
“Saturday Night Live” icon Dana Carvey has frequently returned to Studio 8H this season to play President Joe Biden, and even revived his famed Church Lady character in December. So why wasn’t he seen on Sunday’s “SNL50: The Anniversary Special”?
Variety has learned that Carvey had been struck with a “bad flu” and was too under the weather to attend. That would explain why he wasn’t there, but his buddy (and podcast partner) David Spade did participate. It’s likely Carvey (who was an “SNL” regular from 1986 to 1993 but has guested many times since then) will share more on what happened when the duo release the next episode of their podcast “Fly on the Wall With Dana Carvey and David Spade,” which normally comes out on Wednesdays.
Because he had been so active recently on this season of “SNL,” and he’s arguably on the Mount Rushmore of “SNL” cast members, Carvey’s absence was noticable. Other notable “SNL” alums who didn’t appear included Bill Hader (a cast member from 2005 to 2013) and original star Dan Aykroyd (1975 to 1979).
According to a rep, Hader was unable to make the event due to a “longstanding scheduling conflict.”
Aykroyd’s decision to bow out was due to “prior commitments,” according to his rep. The rest of the surviving original “Not Ready for Prime Time” cast was in the building: Garrett Morris, who appeared on stage; Laraine Newman, who was in a pre-taped sketch; Jane Curtin and Chevy Chase.
Aykroyd had posted that day on X: “Cracking a Head with pride at having been a co-founder of SNL along with everyone we were together with in those four years, five decades ago. This telecast is as historical as the next moon landing. Comedy stars of our age all gathered under the aegis of America’s greatest.”
But in a November interview with the AV Club, Aykroyd had spelled out some conditions for his involvement: “It depends on how I can serve. Let me put it that way. How I can serve them best. How I can serve Lorne and the whole enterprise best. That’ll determine whether I go or not.”
Others missing were two “Weekend Update” alums: Colin Quinn and Dennis Miller. Quinn had posted on his X account that he was performing standup in Raleigh, N.C., on Feb. 16, the night of the “SNL” special.
