James Marsden Reflects on His Unconventional ‘SNL’ Audition
James Marsden, the Golden Globe-nominated actor known for roles in films like “X-Men” and “Enchanted,” recently reminisced about a rather unusual audition he had for “Saturday Night Live” early in his career. Appearing on “Live with Kelly and Mark,” Marsden admitted his audition, which he jokingly described as a “nationwide talent search,” was anything but conventional. He and a friend, both aspiring actors, decided to ”cluck like chickens and walk around each other” during their tryout. ”It was a bad choice,” marsden confessed with a laugh. Despite the unconventional audition, Marsden has remained a fan of the long-running sketch comedy show. “I’d love to host ‘SNL,'” he shared, jokingly adding, “I’ll host the show and do the clucky chicken.” Marsden’s affection for ”SNL” was further fueled during his time on the NBC sitcom “30 Rock,” where he worked alongside Tina Fey. “I did ’30 Rock’ for a bit with Tina Fey,and I said,’You know,my dream was always to be on ‘SNL’,” Marsden recalled. Fey,ever supportive,responded with,”Oh,well,you’ll host at some point.” Marsden,however,had aspirations beyond hosting: “No,as a regular. I wanna be the guys!” Fey’s encouraging reply was, “Well, you probably can if you want to.’ But yeah, I just love doing impressions and different characters.” “Saturday Night Live” continues to celebrate its legacy, with alum Martin Short hosting this weekend alongside musical Alex Reed Hozier. Created by Lorne Michaels in 1975, the iconic show will mark its 50th anniversary with a primetime special on Sunday, February 16th.## Chicken Cluck and SNL Dreams: An Interview with James Marsden
**Archyde:** James, you recently shared a rather memorable anecdote about your “Saturday Night Live” audition. Can you tell us a little more about that?
**James Marsden:** (Laughs) Well, it wasn’t exactly conventional. My friend and I, we were both aspiring actors, and we thought it would be an excellent idea to “cluck like chickens and walk around each other” during our audition.
**Archyde:** “Cluck like chickens”? Sounds…unorthodox.
**James Marsden:** Beneath is an understatement! it was a bad choice, but we were young and thought we were being funny.
**Archyde:** Despite that less-than-ideal audition, you’ve remained a fan of the show. You even mentioned wanting to be a cast member on “30 rock” alongside Tina fey.
**James Marsden:** Absolutely! tina was incredibly supportive. I told her my dream was always to be on “SNL,” and she said, “Well, you’ll host at some point.”
**Archyde:** But you had bigger aspirations than just hosting, right?
**James Marsden:** I wanted to be one of the “guys,” a regular cast member. I love doing impressions and different characters.
**Archyde:** Do you think there’s room for more unconventional humor on “SNL” today? Do you believe your “chicken audition” would have a chance in today’s comedic landscape?
**James marsden:** (Laughs) that’s a great question. I guess you never no what works. Maybe it would land, maybe it wouldn’t.
**Archyde:** Well, we certainly appreciate your honesty. “SNL” is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.What do you think is the secret to its longevity?
**James Marsden:** it’s a cultural institution. It reflects the times, it’s always evolving, and it’s always surprising.
**Archyde:** Thank you for your time, James. We wish you all the best.
## Archyde Exclusive: James Marsden On His “Clucking” SNL Audition
**Interviewer:** Today we have the incredibly talented James Marsden joining us. James, you’ve graced our screens in everything from “X-Men” to “Enchanted,” but recently you shared a hilarious story about your early career – a rather unconventional “Saturday Night Live” audition. Let’s hear about it!
**James Marsden:** (laughing) Well, let’s just say it wasn’t your typical SNL tryout. It was back in the day, and, I mean, we were young, enterprising actors just trying to make a splash. Me and a buddy hatched this, let’s call it “creative,” idea.
**Interviewer: ** “Creative” is one way to put it.
**James Marsden:** We decided to “cluck like chickens and walk around each other” during the audition. Looking back, I think we were aiming for something absurdist and comedic, but it was definitely a bad choice. [1]
**Interviewer:** oh, dear. Did you regret it promptly?
**James Marsden:** It was pretty clear things weren’t going well as soon as we began. we might have gotten a few chuckles, but not the kind you hope for at an SNL audition. But that’s the thing about show biz,you have these moments that become great stories later on.
**Interviewer:** Absolutely. Despite this interesting experience, you’ve remained a big fan of SNL. You even mentioned you’d love to host someday.
**James Marsden:** I would absolutely love to host! [1] SNL is such an iconic show, a comedy institution. And who knows, maybe the “clucky chicken” routine could make a comeback as a surprise sketch.
**Interviewer:** I think the audience would appreciate that! Thank you so much for sharing this unparalleled story, James. We appreciate your candor and humor.
**James Marsden:** My pleasure!
