Witherspoon was only 25 when she got the call to host the prestigious late night comedy show for the first time.

Reese Witherspoon reveals why Lorne Michaels pleaded with her to host SNL after 9/11: ‘Completely left my body’

Witherspoon was only 25 when she got the call to host the prestigious late night comedy show for the first time.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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on November 4, 2025 12:55 p.m. ET

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At only 25 years old, the prospect being the first host to anchor *Saturday Night Live *after the September 11 attacks was nearly too much for Reese Witherspoon to bear. But you don't just say no to Lorne Michaels.

"I would give that zero stars. Do not recommend," Witherspoon joked, recalling the opportunity, which she did eventually take Michaels up on. Speaking with Dax Shepard on Monday's new episode of his *Armchair Expert *podcast, Witherspoon laid out how and why she was asked to undertake such a grave responsibility.

"I was coming off *Legally Blonde*. I wasn't supposed to be the season opener. I was supposed to be the second episode," she said. "The first episode, they canceled it because of 9/11, obviously. Then, Lorne Michaels called me and he said, 'I really need you to show up. I really, really need this. Rudy Giuliani is going to be here. All the firefighters are going to be here. Paul Simon is going to sing, I just need you to come out and do something a little light and tell America that we got to laugh again. We've got to get back the national spirit.'"

Reese Witherspoon and Lorne Michaels.

Theo Wargo/Getty; Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

Witherspoon has been a cornerstone of the American entertainment landscape for decades — what feels like her entire life, given her landing two of her first roles at only 12 years old. By 2001, she'd already starred in some of the films that would define both her career and the era in which she rose to stardom itself: *Pleasantville*, *Cruel Intentions*, and *Election*. But the timing of Michael's ask still felt particularly high stakes.**

"I also had a baby. I had a one-year-old. I was a new mom," Witherspoon explained. "I had the biggest movie come out that summer." The actress explained that her "Southern and military ethics," plus Michaels' nudging her with a bit of reverse psychology ("Well, Lorne said, 'If you don't want to do it, it's okay.' And I'm like, 'Quit?'") eventually pushed her to accept her role in the show's return.

"We did it, and it was good," Witherspoon reflected. But she still says she "completely left my body.... It's not the show's fault. It was just too much responsibility for a 24-year-old girl."****

Reese Witherspoon was told not to play a mom in movies in her 20s and 30s: 'No men will desire you'

'SNL' creator Lorne Michaels reveals his biggest fight during show's beginning (exclusive)

Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Witherspoon was, in fact, 25 at the time, coming close to landing on the leaderboard of youngest-ever celebs to host the program, which has been topped by Drew Barrymore ever since she appeared on a 1982 episode of the show at only 7 years old.

Witherspoon's episode was ultimately memorable for many reasons. First, as Michaels noted to Witherspoon, a special address from New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and performance from Paul Simon pre-empted her monologue, which customarily would have come first. Simon performed the 1970 Simon & Garfunkel song "The Boxer," after which Michaels famously asked Giuliani, "Can we be funny?" to which the former mayor responded, "Why start now?"

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Witherspoon was then able to deliver her host's monologue as normal, and participated in sketches with many new cast members and newly promoted featured players who would go on to become comedy superstars, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph.

Poehler recalled the episode — her first too — during a recent conversation with her *SNL *sister Kristen Wiig on her *Good Hang *podcast.

"That was my first show, and everyone was like, 'I think comedy's over!' I remember thinking, 'Well maybe like, hang in there for six more months so I can just tell my parents that I did the show," she joked.**

You can listen to Witherspoon's full interview on *Armchair Expert *above.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW TV”