Leslie Jones Made Everyone Move Seats During Her 'Saturday Night Live' Audition: ‘I Was Cocky' (Exclusive)
Leslie Jones is sharing stories about what the Saturday Night Live audition process is really like.
In PEOPLE's cover story celebrating SNL's 50th anniversary, the former cast member, 57, took a walk down memory lane and opened up about her audition for the iconic sketch show.
When asked if the rumors that people don't laugh at auditions were true, Jones quipped, "not during my s---!"
"Let me tell you something. It's so funny," she said, recalling her first audition. "I was cocky as f---. I was like, 'Oh, I'm the funniest s--- that walked in this motherfucker.' That's how I was."
Related: Saturday Night Live Turns 50! PEOPLE Celebrates the Sketch Show's Storied History with Special Edition Issue
It wasn't until she sat down at her first table read and realized that "everybody was brilliant."
"F---ing Cecily [Strong] had seven voices inside of her head that she was doing at random. This motherf---er was doing all kinds of accents," she continued. "This bitch, I literally was totally intimidated when I got at the table, but the auditions? Man, I walked in there, I was like, 'Yeah, move to the front. Y'all in the back, move to the front. I don't perform like that.'"
"I was a cocky ass bitch and they moved to the f---ing front because that's what the f--- I said. And then when I finished I was like, "My name is Leslie Jones. Peace," Jones said, putting two fingers up. "I didn't get the job, but it's cool. It's cool."
The comedian first joined the NBC series in 2014 as a writer and made appearances on the show. The following season she was cast as a featured player. She went on to earn three Emmy nominations during her five seasons.
Related: Why Kenan Thompson Continues to Stay at Saturday Night Live After 22 Seasons: 'What a Blessing' (Exclusive)
In 2019, Jones announced she wouldn't be returning for SNL's 45th season and expressed her gratitude for the show making her a "better performer."
'Yes, it's true I am leaving Saturday Night Live,' she confirmed in a statement shared on Instagram. "I cannot thank NBC, the producers, writers, and amazing crew enough for making SNL my second home these last five years."
Related: Molly Shannon Recalls Jennifer Aniston's SNL Hosting Gig: 'She Had a Big Wedding Ring on' (Exclusive)
'Lorne Michaels, you've changed my life in so many ways!' she wrote of the show's mastermind. 'Thank you for being my mentor and confidant and for always having my back. You not only have my loyalty but you have my heart!! You have shown me skills I never imagined I had. I leave a better performer because of you.'
'To the incredible cast members: I will miss working, creating and laughing with you,' she added, shouting out her costars Strong, Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon and Colin Jost.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
SNL airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
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