Sylvester Stallone, known for his iconic roles in *Rocky* and *Rambo*, faced an awkward moment behind the scenes while hosting *Saturday Night Live* in 1997.
The actor, who had already earned a reputation as one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars,
was met with a note that took him by surprise—one that asked him to “enunciate more” during his sketches.
This moment, which may have been uncomfortable at the time, has resurfaced thanks to Tina Fey, who shared the story in a recent documentary series, *SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night*.
Fey, who had just started writing for *SNL* at the time, was tasked with delivering the note to the action star.
It was her first week as a writer on the show, and the responsibility of handling a seasoned star like Stallone wasn’t exactly what she had envisioned when she joined the team.
In the documentary, Fey recounts the situation with a mix of humor and nostalgia. “I think possibly my first week as a writer, Sylvester Stallone [hosted] and a note came back that was, ‘Tell him he needs to enunciate more. We can’t understand him,’” Fey recalled. At the time, Fey’s writing partner, a more experienced writer, pushed her to deliver the message. “Okay, you go do it,” he reportedly told her.
As daunting as it might sound, Fey walked into Stallone’s dressing room to deliver the feedback. She recalled the intimidating atmosphere as she was met by Stallone, who was lounging in an undershirt and smoking a cigar. Fey, feeling a bit nervous but determined to fulfill her duty, mustered the courage to relay the note: “In the Rita sketch, you were a little hard to understand. Can you just enunciate a little more?”
Despite the awkwardness of the exchange, Fey remembers Stallone being gracious. “But it’s a great trial by fire,” Fey said, noting how kind Stallone was about the feedback. “Mr. Stallone was very nice about it. Clearly not the first time in his life he had received that note.”
Fey later expanded on the experience in her memoir, *Bossypants*, where she vividly described the nerve-wracking encounter. She detailed the scene of entering Stallone’s dressing room, describing the larger-than-life persona of the actor in an almost surreal way. “Judge Dredd himself was on the couch,” she wrote. “He looked up at me. I muttered, ‘In the Rita sketch, you were a little hard to understand. Can you just enunciate a little more?’”
It’s easy to imagine how unnerving it must have been for a young writer to deliver such a note to a Hollywood legend, especially someone known for playing tough-guy roles. However, the moment turned into a valuable learning experience for Fey, and it’s a story she still reflects on with humor today.
The experience also sheds light on the tough but collaborative environment of *SNL*, where writers often have to challenge even the biggest stars to make sure sketches are sharp and accessible. Fey spoke candidly about how difficult it was to get sketches approved, recalling the long discussions among the writing team as they deconstructed and improved each idea.
“Getting the skits approved was tough,” she explained. “It usually relied on the other writers in the room discussing it at length, making fun of the work, and even tearing it down to make it better.” She added, “I don’t know if it’s the same anymore, and if it’s not, maybe it should get that way again a little bit. I think it’s good.”
Fey’s recollections of her early days on *SNL* highlight the pressures and challenges she faced as a young writer in a fast-paced and high-stakes environment. Yet, her story also underscores the mutual respect between cast members and writers, even when it involves awkward moments like delivering critique to someone like Sylvester Stallone.
Stallone, for his part, went on to have a successful hosting stint on *SNL*, with his charm and presence winning over the audience. The experience of receiving such a note may have been an uncomfortable rite of passage, but it only serves to show how even the biggest stars must sometimes navigate the tricky waters of creative collaboration. For Tina Fey, it was a pivotal moment in her career that she would later laugh about, and it added a layer of humility to an already legendary comedic journey.
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