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Sen. Al Franken talked to Chelsea Handler in an interview about life as a senator
The former 'SNL' cast member says he gets less laugh in Congress, but his job is more meaningful as a senator
Senator Al Franken admits he gets less laughs as a politician than he did when he was a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” but he says life as a member of Congress is much more meaningful.
“The question I probably get asked the most is being a senator as much fun as working on ‘Saturday Night Live’?” Franken told Chelsea Handler during an upcoming interview for her Netflix show, “Chelsea.” “The answer of course is no, why would it be?”
Franken joined “SNL” at its inception as a writer in 1975 and worked there on and off until 1995. He occasionally appeared on camera, where his “Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley” became one of the show’s most memorable skits.
After leaving “SNL,” Franken went on to host a radio show and appeared on the New York Times best-seller list for several books he authored. But in 2008 he decided to pursue a life in public office and announced his candidacy to run for the US Senate for Minnesota. He was reelected for a second term in 2014.
“This is the best job I’ve ever had because you get to accomplish things,” Franken continued. “You get to make progress and improve people’s lives.”
Handler’s entire interview with Franken will air Friday on Netflix.