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Saturday Night Live co-star Abby Elliott is heading to primetime. I’ve learned that Elliott is poised to play the lead in Dana Fox’s Fox pilot Ben Fox Is My Manny. (That’s a lot of Fox-es in one sentence.) The single-camera comedy centers on an uptight single mother (Elliott) whose aimless brother moves in to help raise her daughter (Maggie Jones). The new gig won’t interfere with Elliott’s duties on SNL this season — I hear that she will film the pilot during the late-night show’s spring hiatus. If Ben Fox goes to series, Elliott will stay with it, leaving SNL. If not, she is expected to continue on the NBC late-night sketch comedy series, which she joined in 2008 as a featured player. This marks Elliott’s first major TV gig outside of SNL, where she is probably best known for her memorable impersonations including Angelina Jolie, Anna Faris, Rachel Maddow, Khloe Kardashian, Zooey Deschanel and Brittany Murphy. Elliott is the latest SNL star to migrate to primetime. She follows in the footsteps of her father, Chris Elliott, who parlayed a stint on SNL into a solid primetime sitcom career. (Abby’s grandfather, comedian Bob Elliott, also hosted SNL back in the day.) On the big screen, CAA-repped Elliott was recently seen in No Strings Attached.
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Abby Elliott is actually the third generation of her family to go into show business.
Her grandfather was Bob Elliott, of the “Bob and Ray” comedy team, who started out teaming up as radio DJ’s in Boston in the late 1940′s, and went on to a four-decade career doing comedy on radio, TV, and live appearances.
So comedy is in her genes.
It says exactly that in the article.
Isn’t she a semiregular sketch player on Jimmy Fallon’s show as well? Awful close to SNL, yes, but another TV gig nonetheless.
Does this mean the SNL players’ contracts aren’t nearly as ironclad as we’ve been led to believe?
Maybe she has a different contract than others…SNL almost dropped her a year and a half ago, but she was dating Fred Armisen at the time, so she stayed on.
Abby’s uncle Steve Higgins a producer on SNL and Jimmy Fallon so getting in n out of contracts is easy for her.
Pre-SNL, Chris Elliott starred in Fox’s Get A Life, co-starring Bob. Very offbeat show.
“If you hit me, then so help me, I will scream like a woman!”
That is a lot of Fox-es in one sentence, now all they need is Ray Liotta so they can have a lotta liota, “that’s a lotta liota” would become a popular new catch-phrase.
She’s the least interesting female in that cast. How she became a regular before Nasim Pedrad is beyond me. Oh wait…
Wow I couldn’t disagree more. I love all the women on SNL and believe that Abby is one of the best. Her talents don’t always get showcased on SNL, but her talent shines through. I really think she could take on any role.
Who cares?
She’s the worst part of the ensemble and is only on the show still because she’s dating Fred Armisen!
Check your facts there, Bobby. They split up last September.
She’s great. Too bad she’ll leave snl because snl is awful and she is one of the few bright spots
Seems like half of the roles all women get in Hollywood are single mothers.
Sigh.
I admit to having a twinge of sadness when I saw the “single mother” stamp yet again. Maybe Hollywood has a hard time creating a show centered on a woman like it would a man. They feel uncomfortable making the man a support character. Either that or most of the creators identify with single motherhood more. Which is indeed sad.
Bob Elliott occasionally appeared on SNL with comedy partner Ray Goulding, and Lorne Michaels produced a 1979 special, “Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & Gilda,” which aired in the SNL timeslot. But I don’t believe that Elliott ever actually hosted the show.
Ya’ll are haters! Abby Elliot sneaks up on you and flattens you with something like a dead on Zooey impression. I’d call her a comedy ninja, but that’s be lame.
Abby is superb in every way. She is a fine comedic actress, pulls off incredible impressions, sings on key, and is gorgeous!
This just goes to exemplify the fact of historic inevitabilities surrounding Saturday Night Lives’ legacy. No regretting the loss to the team or haters allowed here. Abby Elliott has paid her dues and supported the show more than well.
I wish her well. College is over, graduation time has come. She is a proven big leaguer, with the big girl pants on. I personally anticipate a brilliant career for her.
Good luck Home Girl David Smart III
love her and think a sitcom would be perfect for her to use her talents. the talent on saturday night live is consistently awesome and really has to be a jumping off point as they all have a certain shelf-life.
Abby & Fred broke up awhile ago. I don’t think Lorne Michaels takes romantic flings into consideration when keeping or cutting SNL players. Now cursing on air is another matter (see: jenny slate f bomb 1 season and done)..
She got the gig becuase she earned it and is funny. The green is really showing in some posters.
Don’t bail Abby. You’ll be the fox in the studio 8H henhouse when Wiig leaves, sorta like Aaron Rodgers following Brett Favre. You’ll be the new “go to guy” like Kristen. Write your “Bridesmaids” ad follow the Wiig blueprint.
I’m sure she’ll be fine – and fyi – the reason for the typical “single parent” characters is simply to give them options for stories and multiple guest stars/ recurring and eventual plot development – ie. friends, boyfriends, etc –
how about they just let her go and instead bring in someone new – ie. may be a LATINA !!! or an Asian – male or female ?? would having some more diversity on the show really kill them ?
including in the writing staff –
or likewise how about a Latina/ o or Asian HOST for the show ?
SNL is still on? Time for Lorne to clean house and bring in some talent, particularly on the writing side. The show has not been watchable in a decade.
If you haven’t watched it in a decade, then how can you comment on the current cast? Granted, it’s not their best cast (and opinions vary on which cast was the best after the originals), but there are a few highlights (Hader, Wiig and Sudeikas), while others (Armisen, Samberg and Thompson) are just phoning it in now.
If that’s all you have to offer Jim, why even speak? You are so lost in your own little mind it’s pathetic. SNL remains one of the finest showcases of comedic talent, and still offers some of the best live performances available.
BEN FOX is probably the best of the comedy pilots I’ve read. Really clever, really sweet. The lead is a bit of the ‘straight man’ part so she doesn’t exactly have to be a clown. (That would be the Ben part).
Um, maybe Abby should read that pilot. If she leaves SNL to do this, she’ll be trading steady work for a two-week paycheck in Hollywood. This script was a train-wreck. Seriously.