David Spade has shared the moment he refused David Bowie’s request to swap roles for a Saturday Night Live sketch. During a recent Fly on the Wall podcast episode, the Spade recalled a skit he had written for a November 1991 episode, along with Bowie and Tin Machine as the musical guests.
Spade recalled that he had been requested to call Bowie since the singer wasn’t in the meeting that day. The actor shared Bowie’s reaction to the sketch:
“I called him, and he answers, and it’s f*cking Bowie. And he’s like, ‘This [sketch] is so f*cking funny. This is exactly my life and these people I see.’ And he goes, ‘One tweak: Can I play the receptionist?”
The reason why Spade turned down the request was because he hoped for it to become a recurring character.
Apparently, Bowie wanted to switch roles because he thought it was the funnier part. The singer clarified that it would be boring because everyone knew about his life. Bowie had told the actor:
“Well, what if the sketch never gets on [the show]?”
Spade shared what he told the singer in response:
“I’m like, ‘God, how do you know this show this well? It’s so true. What if it doesn’t get on? I’m f*cking blowing it.’ He’s like, ‘It’ll get on if I do it.'”
During the podcast, Spade shared that the late musician was never rude during their conversation. Eventually, the sketch not only did not get picked up for the show but Spade was cut from the entire episode’s sketches.
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