SNL's Chloe Fineman Praises 'Phenomenal' Jean Smart for Powering Through Season 50 Premiere Despite 'Feeling Sick'

Mar. 15, 2025

Chloe Fineman (left) and Jean Smart on ‘SNL’.Photo:Will Heath/NBC via Getty

Will Heath/NBC via Getty

Chloe Finemanis giving a behind-the-scenes look at what went down ahead ofJean Smart’s debut hosting gig on the season 50 premiere ofSaturday Night Live.

“She’s phenomenal and really funny,” Fineman began. “She did a very unusual thing that I totally respected, which was she was feeling sick, and so we have a run-through before dress rehearsal, and she had that mask on. And the writers would say all her lines, and she was miming, I swear to God, for, like, six hours. And everyone was freaking out.”

Chloe Fineman (left) and host Jean Smart on ‘SNL’.Will Heath/NBC via Getty

Adding that Smart “comes from the theater,” Fineman said she understood why the actress decided not to speak while preparing for the live show.

“That’s so normal to be on vocal rest, [but] the meltdown that was happening,” Fineman revealed. “And I was, like, just trust, she is a genius. And then, not a word was spoken, then at dress rehearsal, she has to sing, and it was just like there she is. And it was a flawless. It was perfect. It was perfect. It was perfect.”

Fineman also shared that she took a tip from Smart after they had a conversation about a skit.

“You don’t really wanna memorize, but Jean Smart kind of looked at me, and she’s like, ‘You don’t memorize it?’ And I was like, ‘No,’” Fineman explained. “And she was like, ‘Why not?’ And I was like, ‘You know what? You’re right, Jean Smart.’ And she really made me be like, ‘Oh, yeah. I probably should really put 100% more effort into this thing."

“So I got up really early,” she added.

Jean Smart.Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty

Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty

The chaos comes with the job, Fineman said, joking that it is rare for the cast to get much sleep during prep for Saturday nights.

“This Friday was nuts because — I wasn’t in the cold open — but I think people left work at like 1 AM, 2 AM Friday, and then we did this Spirit of Halloween video, so my day Friday was, like, 7 AM till midnight,” she explained. “And then I got up at 9 because you wanna learn everything as best you can and what is even in the show or what gets cut.”

She continued: “The day is like, leave the house at 11:30 in the morning, and then come home at 4:30 in the morning.”

Chloe Fineman attends the “Despicable Me 4” New York Premiere on June 09, 2024 in New York City.Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Dia Dipasupil/Getty

TheMegalopolisactress recalled working with Smart previously but joked that the interaction wasn’t too memorable.

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Saturday Night Liveairs at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

source: people.com