Will Forte experienced a demanding journey to bring back the iconic Glen Powell MacGruber SNL character during Powell’s hosting of Saturday Night Live in November. Known for his role in The Last Man on Earth, Forte discussed the intense preparation and sleepless nights involved in reviving the sketch while promoting his Huntington‘s disease awareness partnership with Teva.
The actor credited Glen Powell, best known for starring in Running Man, as a key factor in the character’s return. Powell approached Forte with the idea during the week of hosting, prompting a late-stage, intense collaboration to write and shoot the traditional MacGruber sketch.
Late-Stage Collaboration and Revisiting the Classic Character
Forte recalled how the idea for the sketch came “pretty late in the game” as Powell, a friend of Forte’s through mutual contacts, sought advice ahead of his first SNL hosting stint. Initially, Forte expected a brief cameo, but the request evolved into a full six-minute sketch involving MacGruber and his allies, played by Powell and Chloe Fineman, in a tense scenario about Epstein files.
“It came pretty late in the game,”
Forte said.
I know Glen a little bit through friends and so he had reached out. My friend put us in touch ’cause he was coming to host for the first time and just had a couple questions about what the week was gonna be like. So we had a nice chat about that. And he said he had a MacGruber idea.
– Will Forte, Actor and Comedian
While filming the second season of Netflix’s The Four Seasons alongside fellow SNL alum Tina Fey in Beacon, New York, Forte began writing with John Solomon and Jorma Taccone—the original MacGruber creative team—reminiscing about the exhaustion and excitement they felt during their early SNL days.
“So me and my buddy John Solomon and Jorma Taccone — the original MacGruber team — we just started working and stayed up super late,”
Forte recalled.
It was really like old times, ’cause in those old SNL writing days, you are so sleep deprived. So it felt like home.
– Will Forte, Actor and Comedian
Balancing Intense Schedules and Multiple Commitments
Juggling multiple roles stretched Forte’s stamina to its limits. Between his filming responsibilities on The Four Seasons, writing sessions, and the MacGruber sketch production, his schedule was packed and exhausting. He described nights spent writing until 3 a.m. followed by early morning shoots for the SNL sketch, afterwards returning to other projects.
“It was a couple nights of getting very little sleep and having to try to write in the cracks of Four Seasons stuff, and then go act in some Four Seasons scenes and then run into the computer and writing, and then going into the city, staying up til 3 to write, and then waking up at 6 to shoot MacGruber and then shooting it, and then going right up to Beacon again to do this night shoot,”
Forte detailed.
Adding to the already demanding pace, Forte also participated in a Huntington’s disease campaign shoot with Teva on the same Saturday he was editing the MacGruber episode, describing the overall experience as reminiscent of the intense pressures of his early career days.
“And then I had to come back down on Saturday for this Huntington’s awareness campaign with Teva. We were shooting something that Saturday, and that’s the day you’re editing it,”
he said.
And then as soon as the Teva shoot was over, I raced over to 30 Rock and tried to edit it. So, man, it really was like the old days.
– Will Forte, Actor and Comedian
Overcoming Remote Challenges Within the Writing Team
Forte reflected on the difficulties of coordinating with his collaborators during the remote writing process. The team was dispersed across locations—Solomon was in Lone Pine, California, dealing with poor reception, while Taccone was recovering from an accident and occasionally reliant on pain medication. Despite these obstacles, the trio successfully completed the sketch.
“Back then, when all you’re doing is focusing on SNL, you’re always thinking like, ‘Oh man, if we could have only had even 30 more minutes!'”
Forte recalled.
But this was tough ’cause it was also all three of us — me, Jorma, and John — spread out all over the place. John was in California in Lone Pine with very bad reception. Jorma had been in an accident where he fell off a ladder. So he was still on pain pills every once in a while. But we did it! It was really fun.
– Will Forte, Actor and Comedian
The Legacy and Evolution of the MacGruber Character
Will Forte originated the MacGruber character on SNL during a January 2007 episode and continued to portray the parody of 1980s TV hero MacGyver throughout his tenure on the show. The character gained enough popularity to inspire a feature film and a limited series on Peacock, though neither met the same level of success as the sketches.
Forte reprised MacGruber several times before returning for Powell’s hosting date in 2022. This reunion highlighted the ongoing fan interest in the character and Forte’s creativity in adapting him for contemporary settings within the unique pressures of modern production schedules.
Forte’s Commitment to Raising Huntington’s Disease Awareness
Alongside his work in entertainment, Forte has taken an active role in advocacy related to Huntington’s disease, a hereditary neurological disorder that affects motor skills, cognition, and mental health. His personal connection to the cause comes through his brother-in-law, Douglas, who has been diagnosed with the condition.
“More people have Huntington’s than have ALS, but everybody knows ALS, so that’s why we’re trying to get the word out about it,”
Forte explained.
We’re trying to get some support and a bigger community going to support the people who have Huntington’s, and to teach the people who don’t have it about it.
– Will Forte, Actor and Advocate
He emphasized the importance of community support and open conversation to help combat fear and isolation surrounding the disease.
“The more you can be there to support your loved ones who are going through it and create a big community around them, the better,”
Forte said.
And to talk about it. Just talk about it. The more you talk about it, the better. ’cause It’s easy to just get scared about, ‘Oh, am I gonna say the right thing? What do I say?’ But saying anything is better than saying nothing.
– Will Forte, Actor and Advocate
Looking Ahead: The Enduring Impact of MacGruber and Advocacy Work
The MacGruber sketch revival demonstrated the dedication and effort required to bring a beloved character back while balancing numerous professional and personal commitments. Forte’s willingness to embrace the demanding schedule and collaborate remotely despite challenges underscores his commitment to his craft and collaborators like Glen Powell and Chloe Fineman.
Simultaneously, his advocacy work with Teva highlights a broader mission to increase awareness and support for Huntington’s disease, a condition often overshadowed despite its prevalence. Forte’s public discussions may help foster greater understanding and community engagement in addressing this serious illness.
Fans of the Glen Powell MacGruber SNL legacy can anticipate future appearances, while supporters of Huntington’s education may find new motivation in Forte’s ongoing efforts to amplify this critical cause.
