Posted in: HBO, NBC, Netflix, TV | Tagged: anthony michael hall, exclusive, interview, robert downey jr, saturday night live, snl, Susan Downey

SNL: Anthony Michael Hall on RDJ Bond, Sketches, "Singularity" Update

Anthony Michael Hall (Trigger Warning) spoke about his time on SNL with Robert Downey Jr., developing the series Singularity, and more.

The 1985-86 cast of Saturday Night Live might be arguably one of the worst in the NBC late-night variety series' history, but it also the one that features the show's only Oscar winner in Robert Downey Jr, who won for 2023's Oppenheimer. Also featured in that season was fellow Brat Pack member Anthony Michael Hall, the youngest cast member in the series' history joining at 17.  The two would forge a lifelong bond that graduated to films starring in classics like Weird Science (1985), Back to School (1986), Less Than Zero (1987), and Johnny Be Good (1988). While promoting his upcoming Netflix film Trigger Warning, the Reacher star spoke to Bleeding Cool about the secret to his longevity in Hollywood, his favorite SNL sketch with Downey, the exclamation point that largely gutted the cast in the SNL season 11 finale, and an update on their ongoing developed series Singularity and how a certain HBO series may have undermined it.

Anthony Michael Hall on Favorite SNL Memories with Robert Downey Jr.

Bleeding Cool: How do you describe your secret to longevity in Hollywood?

I'm glad you asked. I would say, "Tenacity," Tom. I decided to become unstoppable and mix that with spiritual work, like my faith. I regularly exercised and practiced, and my faith was an important factor. I preface everything with that. The work ethic, I started when I was a little boy in 1976, I did a play with Steve Allen called 'The Wake.' Here I am at 56. I can't do the math, but it was 40-something years ago, and I'm grateful, Tom. I can't say it was all planned. You go hand-in-mouth as an actor; you must earn each job and work at it. To your question, it's becoming unstoppable, at least in your mind. You don't want to get haughty with it or egotistical. "Believe in yourself" is when belief becomes an active verb in your life. When you're banking on yourself, going in for something like you do as a writer, but you also stand by your passion, work it, cultivate it, and grow.

Robert Downey Jr and you go way back working together. Do you have a favorite memory of you guys working together on SNL you want to share? While we're at it, what became of the series you two were working on in 'Singularity' he was going to direct, and you were to star?

I'm happy to hear you ask that; thank you. First, the project is called 'Singularity,' and we're still developing it, believe it or not. Let me address that and then I'll answer your other question about Downey and me, so thank you, Tom. We were developing a series. It's going back like, six years now. It's been a while, and we went through 11 drafts. Robert and I wrote it along with the people at his company, and it's been a great project to work with Robert and his wife, Susan [Downey]. They've been friends of mine for years, Robert, obviously, for many decades and he's a true friend. He's what you see: a great guy, and people love him for the person he is, not just his talent. We're still developing that, and we are in talks with a top-notch producer, and I'm hoping it comes to fruition, a great guy and another great producer and great guy, Brad Falchuk, who is he's married to Gwyneth Paltrow. We're discussing it with him, and hopefully, we'll pitch it to some company soon. We ran into a little snag, and it was completely unintentional.

I'll share what happened. What we had come up with was a story about a character. I won't get too much into it. He has two brothers and a rich patriarch, a big father in the family who's a wealthy industrialist, and coincidentally, it started to mirror 'Succession' and we didn't plan it. As 'Succession' got bigger, we had to step back and be honest. I've never shared this with anybody. That's why we had to step back and regroup because we had, thanks to Robert and Susan, pitched it to Apple and some other companies and you're getting the scoop on this. I haven't shared this with anybody. What happened was an unintended accident. We're like, "Well, okay," and then Robert did a beautiful job writing three episodes in a half-hour format during Covid. We've been playing and developing it from our original one-hour idea we wrote 11 drafts together. We'll see what happens, and I hope to work with Brad, and I want to work with Robert and Susan. I couldn't be prouder of him. He's the greatest comeback in the history of Hollywood we've achieved.

As far as [SNL], Oh, my God! I have such great memories. The first one that comes to mind, and this is funny. We played Hall & Oates in one episode and the funniest shit. So I kind of look like Daryl Hall, and he's probably related to me, and I loved Hall & Oates as a kid, and Downey was John Oates. He came out literally on his knees, and they made these boots where he could be on his knees like he was wearing cowboy boots. Oh my God, Tom! It was hilarious. It was one of those [moments where you couldn't stop laughing. So, we played Hall & Oates, and that's a test like that was some goofy shit we did together when we were in SNL. In that time frame, it's so funny looking back, and I say this with all love and affection, it was truly one of the worst seasons in the show's history, 1985 when I was on with Downey.

It's a testament to that fact in that last episode of the season, we did a sketch where the whole set catches on fire, and the only ones that could be pulled out of the fire, Jon Lovitz and Nora Dunn [laughs], because those were Lorne [Michaels]'s favorites and the rest of the cast was dispensable. We got like a fucking 'Towering Inferno' in a blaze [laughs]. It was a funny memory playing Hall & Oates, for example. [Downey] came out and had boots on his knees, and he was up to my waist, and it was funny, but we did fun stuff together. We had a sketch on 'SNL' together on the [Weekend] Update, fun stuff. It's such a great show. What a classic! It's such an institution in our country, right? 'SNL' and its variations, its ups and downs by decade. There've been so many great comics who have emerged, and I'm such a fan of so many people of each generation. I love and am honored that I was a part of it.

Directed by Mouly Surya, Trigger Warning, which also stars Jessica Alba, premieres June 21st on Netflix.

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