‘Succession’ star Nicholas Braun plays 2 very different characters in ‘Saturday Night’ — but that wasn’t always the plan
Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman, left, and as Jim Henson, right, in “Saturday Night.”
Jason Reitman’s new film “Saturday Night” features a sprawling cast of established actors and rising stars portraying cast members of “Saturday Night Live.” Among them is Nicholas Braun, who pulls double duty playing not one but two characters.
Braun, known for his Emmy-winning role as the bumbling, awkward Greg Hirsch on HBO’s “Succession,” stars as both Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman in “Saturday Night.”
Since its premiere in 1975, “SNL” has established itself as a cornerstone of pop culture and the career launchpad for some of the most prominent comedians-turned-actors, including Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, and Dan Aykroyd. After more than 900 episodes, the award-winning sketch comedy series recently kicked off its 50th season in late September.
Reitman’s new film “Saturday Night” pulls back the curtain and gives audiences a look at the frantic energy and chaos that occurred backstage in the 90 minutes leading to the show’s first live broadcast on NBC on October 11, 1975.
Braun as Kaufman on the set of “Saturday Night” in March.
While it’s not uncommon for actors on “SNL” to play various characters, it was surprising that Braun was tapped to portray two different people in “Saturday Night.”
Reitman previously told IndieWire that he and co-writer Gil Kenan always had Braun in mind for Henson, the legendary puppeteer best known for creating the Muppets.
Braun, for his part, told Vanity Fair that he already knew Kenan and the screenwriter mentioned writing Henson for him three years ago. Braun was immediately down to play the character but waited until he got a script before doing research on how to embody Henson and nail his Kermit-esque voice.
Writer-director Benny Safdie was originally cast as Andy Kaufman, the performer who created the “SNL” character Foreign Man and later starred in the TV series “Taxi.” But Safdie left “Saturday Night” after a film that he was attached to direct was greenlit.
“As we kept on thinking about who would be right for Andy Kaufman, we just kept on coming back to Nicholas Braun,” Reitman told IndieWire. “And then we thought, ‘Well, yeah, on ‘SNL,’ you can play more than one character.'”
Braun as Henson in “Saturday Night.”
Braun told VF that weeks before heading to Atlanta to film, Reitman explained that Safdie dropped out of the movie, but he’d like him to play Kaufman, too.
“It was so exciting to have these two very different guys — and to get to be more in this movie, honestly, because this is such a cool script, such a cool project,” Braun said. “Jim would’ve been a handful of days, but to be Andy, I get to be there more and be a bigger part of what this movie is — and then also the responsibility of playing two really important, legendary guys. I was stoked. Just felt very honored to be entrusted with them.”
“Saturday Night” is now playing in theaters.
