Celebrity
Paula Pell Says Being a ‘Big Lady’ Kept Her Off of ‘SNL’ Cast: ‘Not the Aesthetic of That Place’
Paula Pell is opening up about why she believes she was never promoted to an on-camera role at Saturday Night Live despite helping create some of the show’s most iconic sketches.
During a Tuesday, May 19 appearance on Amy Poehler‘s Good Hang podcast, the 62-year-old comedian admitted she suspects her weight played a role in why she remained behind the scenes throughout her nearly two-decade run as a writer on the legendary NBC series.
“I do suspect that I was a big lady. I was a big plus-size person,” Pell shared during the candid conversation.
The funnywoman worked at SNL from 1995 to 2013 and helped pen beloved sketches including “Debbie Downer.” But Pell said the entertainment industry looked very different at the time.
“I was just not of the aesthetic of that place whatsoever,” she explained, noting there were very few plus-size women appearing regularly onscreen during that era.
Pell also admitted she struggled to advocate for herself, and called herself “such a good Catholic girl of a rule follower” professionally because she was so focused on helping others succeed.
“I was making the pie and then giving all the pie away,” she said.
Undeterred, Pell has since built a successful acting career with standout roles in Girls5eva, A.P. Bio and The ‘Burbs.
