14
No one really knew me as being funny until I was in college, the formerSNLstar says.
Like many eighth graders, 14-year-oldVanessa Bayerhad no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up.
She did, however, know what shedidntwant to be: an athlete.
With her days as the first pick in gym class numbered, she turned to other pursuits.
A career quiz revealed she could make a great newscaster, something she briefly considered.
She joined the French club, though she admits that the real appeal was the food they served.
I think I was known for being nice, she says.
No one really knew me as being funny until I was in college.
Bayer would find humor, ironically, through trauma.
At 15, she wasdiagnosed with leukemia, which she battled through high school.
Joking about it with her family became a vital way of finding levity in an otherwise dark time.
Its scary when someone gets sick or is going through any kind of trauma.
A lot of times people will be like, Are they different now?
even though theyre not, Bayer says.
So I think humor is a great way to remind people youre the same.
If her 14-year-old self could see it now, shed probably laugh, too.
Take me back to 1995, when you were 14.
Where were you living, and how were you feeling about yourself and your life?
I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland.
I think that was probably around the timeMy So-Called Lifewas on that was probably my favorite show.
Did you have a favorite subject in school?
I always liked French class.
I started taking French when I was in fifth grade.
In fact, I was a double major in college of communications and French.
In French class, it just felt like every week we were bringing in food.
Were you just eating a lot of cheese?
My French class was not like this.
A lot of my French teachers just really liked food.
So they would be like, Extra credit.
Everyone make like a galette.
I think I was even in French club for a while, because the eating there was even better!
Do you still remember any French, or are you out of practice?
Yes, I speak it.
I mean, I wish I spoke it better.
I can kind of understand it, and I can kind of speak it.
But its not nearly as good as it was when I was in my French classes, eating cake.
A couple of your very memorableSNLcharacters are adolescents, likeJacob the Bar Mitzvah Boyand the child actorLaura Parsons.
What do you like about playing characters at that awkward age?
Did you draw on any of your own experiences from age 14?
Kids are just so funny.
And particularly the Bar Mitzvah Boy was, for me, inspired by when I was in seventh grade.
A lot of kids arent natural performers they dont want to be.
Thats scary for them, to be doing any kind of public speaking.
I just think theres something really funny about that.
The way that I have my character Laura Parsons talk is how everyone acted [there].
Theres just these things that kids do.
I guess a lot of the gestures and stuff are still my brothers gestures.
He still hasnt quite grown out of it.
Im sure hed be thrilled to hear that.
Did you have a bat mitzvah?
Oh, hes aware.
I had the time of my life.
I got bat mitzvahed in Israel, on Masada, which was really an incredible trip.
And then when I got back, I spoke at a Friday night service.
And then I had aWhirlyBallparty for kids.
I kind of wanted a more formal party, where I could wear a dress.
It was not the most glamorous party, but I think it was very fun.
Your character onI Love That for Yougrows up idolizing a host on a home shopping online grid.
What did you watch when you were 14, and who did you idolize?
I watchedMy So-Called Lifefor sure.
I lovedParty of Five,I watchedMelrose Place.
ObviouslySaved by the Bell.
My friends and I would have sleepover parties where we would stay up and watchSNL.
But I dont know why we watched it all the time.
And that would be the movie that we would all fall asleep [to].
Its such a weird, specific thing.
Its probably because someone had the VHS.
You had to watch whatever videos someone had in their house, right?
We would watchEmpire Recordsall the time.
I think a bunch of us had that.
Did you have a celebrity crush at 14?
I loved Jared Leto fromMy So-Called Life.
And Scott Wolf fromParty of Five.
Were talking about age 14, but I know that your leukemia diagnosis was at 15.
Cancer factors heavily into your show, with your character lying about her illness returning.
It was obviously an incredibly difficult time in my life.
Even though I was a little shyer when I was 14-ish, I always really loved attention.
And I was late because I was a teenager I was watching TV or sleeping in.
I also think there was something really healing about joking around about it.
How did you and your family joke about it?
Because I was always wearing a wig.
Youve been through so much.
What would your 14-year-old self think of you now, and is there any advice you would give her?
That question really makes me cry.
I think 14-year-old me would be very happy.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This article was originally published onMay 12, 2022
