When you grow up in a comedy family like Abby Elliott did, the dream gig is obvious. Saturday Night Live. For Abby, getting that call to join SNL felt like stepping right into her family’s legacy. Her dad, Chris Elliott, made his mark there. Her granddad, Bob Elliott, shaped comedy for decades. She was next in line.
But what nobody tells you about SNL is how scary it can feel behind the laughs. Abby recently opened up about what it’s really like working there. Every week felt like a test. If you got a sketch on the air, you could breathe. If you didn’t, the fear crept in. After three weeks without a sketch, she’d think, “Am I next?”
That fear caught up with her. Abby said getting fired was the worst thing that could happen. And then it happened.
The Comedy Kid Who Found Her Own Way
Abby didn’t set out to do exactly what her dad did. She tried drama first. But comedy pulled her back in. She joined improv legends The Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade. That path led her to Studio 8H, the famous home of SNL.
She carved out her spot as the show’s go-to impersonator. If you watched her time there, you probably remember her versions of Angelina Jolie or Rachel Maddow. She knew how to get a laugh just by raising an eyebrow.
At one point, Abby even asked Lorne Michaels if she could leave. Then she panicked and asked to stay. Lorne decided it was time for her to go. She left in 2012, the same season Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg stepped away too. A whole new crew took over.
Abby didn’t look back for long. She realized sketch comedy wasn’t her final stop. It got her in the door, but she knew she wanted to try something else.
How Abby Landed On The Bear
Abby didn’t disappear after SNL. She bounced around sitcoms, picking up roles that felt right. She starred in Fran Drescher’s show Indebted and did plenty of guest spots. But it was The Bear that changed everything.
Fans love her as Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto. She plays the sister who tries to keep the whole chaotic kitchen family grounded. She’s not there to be the loudest or wildest. She’s real. She’s warm. She feels like someone you know.
Last year, her work on The Bear landed her in good company at the Golden Globes. She didn’t win. Elizabeth Debicki took it home for The Crown. But Abby got to see her name next to Meryl Streep and Christina Ricci. Not bad for someone who once thought getting fired was the end.
Abby says she learned what she needed to learn at SNL. It didn’t break her. If anything, it proved she could handle the worst and keep going. That’s the part that makes people root for her. She’s still here. Still making people laugh. Still doing it her way.
