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Adam Driver and Seth Meyers on How to Handle "Nerves" While Acting Live on SNL

"You kind of learn when to freak out," Driver said about hosting SNL for a fourth time, while Meyers praised Driver's piano-backed monologue. 

By Samantha Vincenty
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As an actor who's earned two Academy Award nominations, Adam Driver is primarily known for his dramatic work (can't recall Kylo Ren cracking a smile in the Star Wars movies). Yet, as anyone who remembers Driver as Hannah Horvath's on-again, off-again boyfriend Adam Sackler on Girls, Driver had some very funny onscreen moments early in his career. And across Driver's four stints hosting Saturday Night Livehis intense commitment to the silliest of sketches makes him an absolute delight to watch on the show. 

How to Watch

Watch Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC weeknights at 12:35/11:35c and next day on Peacock.  

RELATED: Adam Driver's Chocolate Santa Sketch Is an Instant SNL Christmas Classic

Driver chatted with Seth Meyers, a former longtime SNL cast member himself, about his December 9 SNL episode during a December 20 visit to Late Night with Seth Meyers

"It is such a joy for me to see you become one of our most accomplished recent SNL hosts," Meyers told Driver, adding that it's great to "get to see that side of you" after so many post-Girls drama roles. 

"And you just hosted for the fourth time," Meyers continued. "Have you learned things between each time? Do you feel more comfortable?

Yes, the Ferrari star said. "You kind of learn when to freak out," Driver told Myers. "Which, the first two days, you know, it's kind of a wash. But then, by Wednesday you know to kind of get nervous."

"You do want to save your reserves of nerves," Meyers, who was on SNL from 2001-2014, agreed. "If you waste them the first two days, then you have a very unearned Zen state on Saturday, which is bad."

"But it does just kind of go, whether or not you try to stop it or not," Driver said about getting the pre-live-show jitters. "It's going to happen and you can't control it, so you just kind of have to roll with it."

Adam Driver on Late Night With Seth Meyers Episode 1464

Seth Meyers praises Adam Driver's SNL monologue

Adam Driver Monologue

Meyers said that he "loved" Driver's December 9 SNL monologue, in which he revealed some dazzling piano skills while delivering his personal letter to Santa Claus. 

"I know from having worked there, nothing is better than when a host comes and shares one extra skill," Meyers told Driver. "I would imagine they were very receptive and happy when you said you wanted to do that for the monologue."

RELATED: Seth Meyers Says Taylor Swift Wrote a "Perfect'" Monologue Ahead of Hosting SNL in '09

Driver also took a moment to acknowledge a familiar face from his four times on SNL and his visits to Late Night. "I remember Wally," he said, meaning Chris "Wally" Feresten, who presents the cue cards on both shows and makes semi-regular appearances in Meyers' "A Closer Look" segments. 

Revisit of a few of SNL Four-Timer Adam Driver's SNL sketches below.

Airplane Baby

Airplane Baby

We're Trying

We're Trying

Beep Beep

Beep Beep
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