David Spade has spoken openly about experiencing jealousy during his time on "Saturday Night Live," particularly concerning co-stars who received more screen time.
Spade, who was a cast member from 1990 to 1996, discussed this on his podcast, "Fly on the Wall," which he co-hosts with fellow "SNL" alum Dana Carvey. He admitted to openly telling peers like Adam Sandler, "Fuck, that was funny — I’m so jealous."
He explained that acknowledging the quality of his colleagues' work served as a way to motivate himself. "It’s sort of like at least acknowledging something was good, or makes you better, to go, ‘OK,’" Spade said, adding that the competitive environment pushed him to "up my own game."
During an appearance on Conan O'Brien's podcast last year, Spade recalled that he found it "hard to get a foothold" on the show due to the strong talent surrounding him, including Sandler, Carvey, and Chris Farley.
"I mean, obviously, Sandler caught fire pretty quick, and he’s got so many moves, all these characters. Everything was happening so fast. I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ He really came in loaded," Spade said about Sandler. He also noted Carvey and Farley's immediate impact on the show. "And Dana, obviously, is so good on the show, and Farley — right from the get-go. So, I just didn’t have that," he stated. "I was sort of just a comedian that could write some funny stuff, but it took a while."