Dane Cook Says He Regrets Skipping ‘SNL’ Audition Over Panic Attack: “I Blew It”

Nearly three decades later, Dane Cook still reflects on missing a chance to join the ranks of sketch comedy legends.

The comedian recently opened up about skipping his audition for Saturday Night Live early in his career due to a panic attack, admitting, “I definitely felt like I let myself down.”

“On my way to my audition at SNL, I had a full-on panic attack,” Cook shared on the Fly on the Wall podcast. “I sat on a bench outside of Rockefeller Plaza. And I didn’t go in. I actually called my manager. I said … ‘I can’t do it.’ And he’s like, ‘Why? They’re all waiting for you. They wanna see you. They’re looking for something to fill that void.’”

Cook explained that he had been scouted during his stand-up performances shortly after Adam Sandler departed the NBC sketch comedy show in 1995. “And I blew it on the day,” he recalled.

“I also knew from a few friends that had been on the show that it was more confrontational, and I was very beta at that time,” Cook admitted. “And I was like, I’m not gonna be able to fight for skits. I can barely, you know, get my food order out … for a waiter at lunch. I’m not gonna be able to survive at SNL.”

Although Cook never joined the SNL cast, he did host the show twice, in 2005 and 2006.

After the release of his debut comedy album, Harmful If Swallowed, in 2003, Cook rose to prominence with roles in films such as Waiting… (2005), Employee of the Month (2006), Good Luck Chuck (2007), and My Best Friend’s Girl (2008).