Andy Samberg reveals details of rejected Golden Globes comedy bit featuring bizarre on-stage stunt
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Andy Samberg recently shared details about a comedy bit that was cut from the 2019 Golden Globe Awards—an idea he was particularly excited about but that the network ultimately rejected.
During a recent podcast appearance, the comedian and actor revealed behind-the-scenes details of the scrapped sketch, which featured an on-stage pee prank inspired by a memorable scene from 'A Star is Born'.
Despite meticulous planning, the bit never made it to air, leaving both Samberg and his co-host Sandra Oh disappointed, as per Entertainment Weekly.
Andy Samberg drew inspiration from 'A Star is Born' for the rejected Golden Globes comedy bit
During a recent episode of 'The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers' podcast, Andy Samberg revealed the inspiration behind the rejected comedy bit, which was drawn from Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's 2018 film 'A Star is Born'.
In the movie, Cooper's character, Jackson Maine, has a notorious moment where he urinates on stage at the Grammys, a scene that inspired Samberg’s idea for the sketch.
The concept was simple: Samberg, dressed as Jackson Maine, would perform a similar act at the Golden Globes alongside Oh.
"We were gonna do our version of it where Sandra and I would come out and I was dressed like Jackson Maine," Samberg explained. "And she was like, ‘Our next category is bubbling'. I would be like, ‘Yo. Did we win? Did we win, baby?’ And then she's like, ‘Oh, no. He's been drinking again.’"
The joke relied on Samberg’s character being excessively intoxicated, echoing Maine’s fall from grace in the film.
The sketch was fully planned and even rehearsed, with Samberg donning a custom rig in his pants designed to simulate the peeing scene from the film.
However, the execution of the prank didn’t go as intended during the rehearsal, ultimately leading to its cancellation.
Andy Samberg was frustrated with decision to cut the comedy bit from the Golden Globes
According to Andy Samberg, the bit made it through the planning stages and was even choreographed on stage.
However, during the rehearsal, the "pee rig" set up in Samberg's costume malfunctioned, preventing them from executing the visual gag they had envisioned.
Despite attempts to troubleshoot the issue, the network ultimately decided to cut the bit from the show, expressing concerns that it was too inappropriate for the event.
"The pee rig didn’t fire at our one rehearsal," Samberg said during the podcast. "Then the network basically killed it, because they were like, ‘It's too lowbrow. We don't wanna do that on the Globes.’"
Samberg, recognized for his offbeat and absurdist humor, was visibly frustrated by the decision, particularly since he felt the Golden Globes were already far from a highbrow affair.
"And I'm like, ‘Yeah? The Globes are super high-brow? Everyone's drunk and looking at their phone the whole show. I really don’t think it’s gonna matter,’" he added, criticizing the network’s reasoning for cutting the joke.
To make matters worse, Samberg’s costume for the bit didn’t exactly aid the situation.
He shared a humorous anecdote about the technical difficulties, explaining that the water-resistant pants he was given meant he was soaked even when the pee rig failed, but no one could tell.
"Also, they gave me pants that were, like, water-resistant. I’m not kidding," Samberg explained. "They’re like khakis that were water-resistant, so it didn’t show up, and everyone was like, ‘It didn’t work!’ And I was like, ‘Well, I’m soaking wet!’"
