Bill Murray surprises SNL50 writers with an unexpected yet heartfelt pep talk, lifting spirits as they prepare for the historic anniversary special.

As the highly anticipated Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special nears, the writers behind the historic event have been feeling the immense pressure of crafting a show that lives up to half a century of legendary comedy.

But in a moment straight out of a classic sketch, comedy icon Bill Murray unexpectedly wandered into a writing session—bringing not just humor, but a surprisingly heartfelt pep talk that left Tina Fey and her fellow writers stunned.

Fey, who has returned as a staff writer for the special alongside Seth Meyers, John Mulaney, Paula Pell, and Emily Spivey, recounted the moment during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

While discussing the challenge of writing for such a monumental event, she admitted that slipping back into her old routine at SNL had come with a wave of nostalgia—and a fair share of stress.

“I immediately regressed,” she joked, describing how the all-nighters and creative pressure reminded her of her early 2000s stint on the show.

The exhaustion and intensity of the writing process were momentarily forgotten, however, when Murray unexpectedly entered the room.

According to Fey, the legendary comedian and former SNL cast member strolled into the meeting and, in classic Bill Murray fashion, immediately lightened the mood.

“He came in and was just like, ‘Hey guys, what’s going on in here? Maybe open a window; you seem like you’re all about to cry,’” she recalled with a laugh.

But what followed wasn’t just another unpredictable Murray gag. Instead of launching into an offbeat bit, he delivered an emotional pep talk that caught the writers completely off guard.

“I could have started crying because this is the pep talk that I’ve been dreaming of since I was a kid watching Meatballs,” Fey admitted, referencing the 1979 comedy in which Murray plays a camp counselor giving an unforgettable speech to a group of underdogs.

“He just said, ‘The show’s going to be amazing. I’m so excited. I’m seeing everybody at rehearsal, I feel like we’re all brothers and sisters.’” Fey waited for the moment to turn into a joke, expecting a signature Murray twist, but it never came.

Instead, the words remained sincere, and the veteran comedian left the room having given a much-needed morale boost to some of the biggest names in modern comedy writing.

For Fey and her longtime collaborator Amy Poehler, the return to SNL—even just for this one-time event—brought back a flood of memories. Both comedians, along with Fallon, reminisced about the grueling late-night writing sessions that defined their time on the show.

Poehler admitted that even years after leaving, she still occasionally feels an anxious pit in her stomach on Tuesday nights—the infamous writing night at SNL.

Fey nodded in agreement, adding that a recent documentary about SNL writers triggered an unexpected reaction. “The one about the writers made me feel really sick,” she said. “The body keeps the score.”

That level of stress was often matched by less-than-ideal eating habits, as she humorously recalled the infamous cycle of consuming massive amounts of pasta from Carmine’s, only to return hours later and continue eating the leftovers—sometimes straight out of the trash.

Fallon chimed in with his own memories of struggling through writing nights, confessing that there were many times he stayed up until 3 a.m. only to realize he had written nothing at all.

“I would go home and think, ‘What is wrong with me? I couldn’t type anything funny at all!’”

Despite the stress, the team working behind the scenes of SNL50 knows the weight of the moment.

The three-hour special, set to air live, promises to celebrate the rich history of SNL, bringing back past cast members, legendary hosts, and musical icons who have graced Studio 8H over the decades.

The event also includes SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, a documentary exploring the show’s broader cultural impact.

With the anniversary just days away, Murray’s impromptu pep talk may have been exactly what the writing team needed to push through those final, grueling hours.

After all, if a comedy legend who has lived through SNL at its wildest can walk in and say, “It’s going to be amazing,” there’s probably no better endorsement.

As the cast, writers, and audience prepare for what promises to be a historic night, one thing is certain: the spirit of SNL—equal parts chaos, camaraderie, and unexpected brilliance—is alive and well, thanks to the people who have made it legendary.

And sometimes, all it takes to remind them of that is an unannounced visit from Bill Murray.