Abby Elliott’s story: How she found success in ‘The Bear’ after being fired from SNL
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Abby Elliott joined SNL
When Abby Elliott joined “Saturday Night Live” in 2008, it wasn’t just a dream job—she was carrying on a family tradition.
As the daughter of Chris Elliott and the granddaughter of Bob Elliott, she became the third generation to step into Studio 8H, carrying on a legacy of laughter.
SNL’s every-week rollercoaster
“Every week was a new week,” Elliott told The Independent recently.
Her happiness? Dependent entirely on whether or not her sketches made it to the air.
After three sketch-less weeks, the anxiety would set in: “Oh, am I going to get fired?”
The fear of being fired was always looming. “It was the worst thing that could happen,” she admitted. “And then, to some extent, it did.”
Queen of Impressions
During her SNL days, Elliott carved out a niche for herself—much like today’s Chloe Fineman—she became the cast’s most reliable mimic.
Audiences loved her near-perfect imitations of everyone from Rachel Maddow to Angelina Jolie.
Awkward farewell
In a shocking twist, Elliott initially talked to Lorne Michaels about leaving the show, but soon changed her mind.
“I went back to him, head down, begging him to stay,” she revealed. But Michaels had made up his mind: “No, I’m going to let you go.”
She left in 2012 along with Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg, making way for new cast members like Cecily Strong, Tim Robinson and Kate McKinnon.
Finding her true path
Looking back, Elliott sees being fired not as a rejection but a new direction.
“As much as I loved being on that show, sketch comedy wasn’t for me.
That’s not how I started, and that’s not how I wanted to end up.”
She added, “I had learned the lessons I needed to learn … so I left and, you know, the water was warm.”
Golden success in ‘The Bear’
Elliott has since made a name for herself in scripted television, most notably as Natalie “Sugar” Barzatto on the hit show ‘The Bear.’ Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination, putting her up there with legends like Meryl Streep and Christina Ricci.
Sometimes getting fired isn’t the end—it’s just the beginning of something even better.
