Abby Elliott Issue #39

Live From New York

By Aiden Landman
Published: March 1st, 2009 | 10:05am

The latest in the Elliott linage to take the stage with the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” — her father Chris Elliott was a cast member for the ‘94 and ‘95 seasons and her grandfather was featured on the show in ‘79. — 21-year-old Abby Elliott is the youngest woman ever to grace the illustrious late-night cast of Saturday Night Live. She and fellow newbie Michaela Watkins are charged with the daunting task of filling the comedic chasms formed by the departures of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

It may seem that Elliott’s screen credentials are a bit too slim for such a weighty endeavor: prior to joining the SNL cast, she played a bit part on You’ve Reached the Elliotts and did voice-over work for King of the Hill, The Goode Family, and Minoriteam. But it isn’t her IMDB page that excites us, it’s the young Elliott’s improv work with the Upright Citizens Brigade and L.A.’s Groundlings. We’re hoping that the signature quick wit of these legendary troupes, combined with Elliott’s youth, will finally breathe some life back into this comedy dinosaur.

Elliott made her SNL debut on the November 15th Paul Rudd-hosted episode of the show. Her major contributions thus far have included impersonations of teen mom Jamie Lynn Spears and Rachel Maddow, host of MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show. As 2009 seems to be shaping up as “The Year of Maddow,” we can’t help but wonder how brightly Elliott’s star will shine.