“I was just not of the aesthetic of that place,” she said.

Paula Pell believes she was never promoted to the SNL cast because she was a ‘big lady’

"I was just not of the aesthetic of that place," she said.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

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May 21, 2026 12:24 p.m. ET

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Paula Pell. Credit:

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- Paula Pell is sharing why she believes she was never promoted to a cast member on *SNL*. - The actress and comedian said she "was just not of the aesthetic of that place" because she was "a big plus-size person." - Now, she says she's "so gloriously happy to be able to perform later in my life."

Paula Pell is sharing the reason why she believes that she was never promoted to a cast member while working at *Saturday Night Live. *

The* 'Burbs *actress, who penned legendary sketches like "Debbie Downer" as a writer on the series from 1995 until 2013, revealed that she thinks her weight was a factor in the decision-making process.

"Well, I don't wanna assume… I've heard here and there little things," Pell said on a recent episode of Amy Poehler's *Good Hang *podcast. "Who knows, because we've all been in there when they're picking people… but I do suspect that I was a big lady. I was a big plus-size person."

Paula Pell and the cast of 'SNL'.

The comedian explained that she joined the long-running series at a time when there weren't many plus-size individuals onscreen.

"There were starting to be Roseanne Barr-like people that had more real-looking bodies, but I was just not of the aesthetic of that place whatsoever," she said. "It was '95, and I do suspect that it wasn't even like, 'Oh! But her writing! Like, I like her writing because that fits with us.'"

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When Poehler asked if Pell ever brought her concerns up to anyone at the show, the *Girls5eva* star admitted that she was "such a good Catholic girl of a rule follower" that she didn't feel comfortable asking if she could appear in sketches.

"Because I'd only acted — I got there and told them I'm not a writer," she said. "Even though I'd written like short stories and everything… I don't know how to do any of this. I was so afraid to ever show any desire to perform, and it's why I'm so gloriously happy to be able to perform later in my life because I finally let that out of the cage of that shame."

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Poehler went on to praise Pell's hard work and enthusiasm on* SNL*, noting that she shined so brightly and was so naturally funny that other cast members often tapped her to appear in their sketches.

"To your point, you didn't say, 'F--- this, I'm not gonna write. I only want this.' You took the opportunity," the host pointed out. "You did an incredible job writing for other people and you slowly knew and believed in yourself and others saw what kind of performer you are."

Pell acknowledged that being hesitant to ask to step into the spotlight was part of "a bigger picture of codependency and caretaking" that she's experienced throughout her whole life. "I was making the pie and then giving all the pie away," she added.

In the years since she departed *SNL*, Pell has appeared on shows like *A.P. Bio, Girls5eva, Big Mouth, Mapleworth Murders,* and now *The 'Burbs.* She also penned the 2015 Poehler- and Tina Fey-headlined film, *Sisters*.

Listen to Pell talk about working at *SNL* in the clip above.

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