SNL Writers Prank Ryan Gosling, Revealing Misconception About Show

The sketch comedy program is more open to cast members breaking character than many fans realize.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The SNL writers played a prank on host Ryan Gosling by switching the contents of multiple notes he had to read out loud during the live broadcast, leading to mid-sketch laughter. This is just the latest example that challenges the common perception that Lorne Michaels and the show's producers hate when cast members break character or laugh during sketches.

Why it matters

Saturday Night Live is one of the most extensively chronicled shows in television history, yet there remains a widespread misconception that the show's leadership strictly forbids cast members from breaking character or laughing mid-sketch. This prank on Gosling provides further evidence that the show is more open to these moments than fans realize.

The details

During the latest episode, the writers switched the contents of multiple notes that Gosling, as well as cast member Ashley Padilla, had to read out loud. This led to a lot of mid-sketch laughing and a fun viral moment. It's just the latest example of the show intentionally creating conditions to make cast members break character, challenging the perception that Lorne Michaels hates when this happens.

  • The prank occurred during the transition from dress rehearsal to the live broadcast of the latest SNL episode.

The players

Ryan Gosling

The episode's host, known for occasionally breaking character and laughing during his SNL appearances.

Ashley Padilla

An SNL cast member who was also the target of the writers' prank.

Mikey Day

An SNL cast member who also read a note as part of the prank, though he kept his composure better than Gosling and Padilla.

Lorne Michaels

The longtime showrunner of Saturday Night Live, who is often perceived as strictly forbidding cast members from breaking character or laughing during sketches.

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What they’re saying

“There are few shows in the history of television that have been chronicled more extensively than Saturday Night Live. Numerous books and documentaries come out about the show every single year, and when you add that to the hundreds of interviews current and former cast members give, fans have a pretty good sense of what goes on behind the scenes at Studio 8H.”

— Mack Rawden, Author (cinemablend.com)

The takeaway

This prank on Ryan Gosling is just the latest evidence that the common perception of Lorne Michaels and Saturday Night Live strictly forbidding cast members from breaking character or laughing mid-sketch is a misconception. The show has demonstrated a willingness to intentionally create conditions that make these moments more likely to happen, challenging the long-held notion that such behavior is strictly off-limits.