Sarah Sherman
Sarah Sherman, a five-season veteran of Saturday Night Live, reveals how her unapologetically grotesque comedy—centered on body horror, dysmorphia, and taboo anatomy—was forged in the DIY chaos of Chicago’s underground art scene. From her childhood as a musical theater kid who reimagined roles with audacious flair to her early days performing in basements with chorizo-taped dildos, Sarah’s career is defined by a fearless commitment to her own weirdness. She candidly discusses the emotional scaffolding of her success: loving parents who never threatened to disown her, a therapist who’s a man (and not working), and the profound confidence that comes not from talent, but from having already survived every possible failure. Her HBO special, Sarah Squirm Live in the Flesh, is a masterclass in controlled chaos—featuring a clay butt that parts like a ghost and a John Waters cameo that arrived via a hand-drawn letter with intestines. What emerges isn’t just a comedy special, but a manifesto: that true freedom lies in embracing the grotesque, the embarrassing, and the deeply personal—especially when you’re allowed to do it inside a system like SNL, which she credits with giving her a stage to be wildly, unapologetically herself.
Sarah Sherman’s confidence stems from having already survived every possible failure—she’s bombed at Madison Square Garden, so nothing else can hurt her.
She performs in a 'body horror' style not to shock, but to claim the parts of the female body society calls disgusting, turning shame into shared, communal absurdity.
Her SNL career began with a disastrous audition at 22, where she bombed in a character-heavy routine—proof that her current success wasn’t inevitable.
Her special’s opening clay butt was not a joke—it was a literal, surreal performance piece that only worked because she had SNL’s infrastructure behind her.
She wrote a hand-drawn letter with intestines and a sketch of her as bones and guts to get John Waters to appear in her special—his response: 'I'll see you on set.'
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome to Sarah Sherman: SNL Vet and Body Horror Pioneer
Amy Poehler introduces Sarah Sherman, a five-season SNL cast member and the star of the new HBO special Sarah Squirm Live in the Flesh. The episode sets the tone with a warning: not safe for kids or the easily offended.
Mitra Juhari’s Insight: Sarah’s Origin Story and the Birth of 'Sarah Squirm'
“She's like... I feel like it makes so much sense that she landed in Chicago because she does have this warmth and, I don't know, familiarity with people that feels very Midwestern to me even though she's not from there.”
The Art of the Gross: Sarah’s Comedy as Claiming the Disgusting
“It's like, I'm disgusting. Aren't you disgusting? We're all disgusting. No, you're the disgusting one. That's the perfect way to sum it up.”
Childhood: Musical Theater, April Fool’s, and a Bat Mitzvah with Snakes in a Can
Sarah recounts her childhood on Long Island, including her bat mitzvah theme (April Fool’s Day), her obsession with costumes, and how she once put a giant skeleton in her brother’s bed.
The SNL Audition That Wasn’t: A 22-Year-Old Bombing at 22
“I wore like my, I know this is, we're actually finding out I'm a clothes addict. All my memories are marked by like my outfit.”
“Hey Sarah, it's John Waters. I'll see you on set.”
“Bombing trying to get someone to write a sketch with you is a fate worse than death.”
“I'm disgusting. Aren't you disgusting? We're all disgusting. No, you're the disgusting one. That's the perfect way to sum it up.”
Host
Guest
Sarah Sherman
person
Amy Poehler
person
Mitra Juhari
person
John Waters
person
Sharna Halpern
person
Louie Zakarian
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Palmolive
brand
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brand
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