“Original characters that kind of hit on something”: Rachel Dratch reveals that her iconic SNL role is inspired by true events

SNL cast member Rachel Dratch finally revealed that she encountered her very own Debbie Downer while vacationing in Costa Rica in the early aughts. Rachel Dratch was a main cast member on the sketch comedy series from 1999 to 2006.

The comedian and actress recently shared on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast that her iconic SNL character Debbie Downer is actually inspired by true events after the Wine Country actress took a solo trip to the jungle and met a few fellow travellers.  While talking about how real-life characters can inspire on-screen roles, Rachel Dratch said,

“Thinking of really original characters that kind of hit on something, it's not something you can steer the ship on.”

SNL star Rachel Dratch recalls how this one gentleman inspired her on-screen character

As the SNL star recalled how she  met a “cast of quirky characters while on the trip, including a pair of ladies touting the law of attraction.” However, there was this particular gentleman who inspired her on-screen character, Debbie. Rachel further said,

“Someone said like, 'Where are you from?' and I said, 'New York,'" she recalled. "And then they said like, 'Oh, were you there for 9/11?' And it was like 3 years after 9/11. It wasn't like it just happened."

Dratch admitted it suddenly felt like a question that came out of nowhere, and the actress recalled having to steer the conversation back to a more vacation-friendly, lighthearted topic that everyone would normally expect for the circumstances. However, that abrupt exchange later inspired Dratch to work on the Debbie Downer character with SNL writer Paula Pell the following week.

The two then decided that it would be interesting to put “a pessimist like Debbie in an undeniably happy setting like Disney World.” The sketch was a huge success, and it made Dratch hopeful that the character would be a hit with audiences as well. 

The role of Debbie Downer debuted on the live show on May 1, 2004, in a sketch that also starred host Lindsay Lohan, Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, Fred Armisen, Horatio Sanz, and first-season featured player Kenan Thompson.

Rachel Dratch revealed that she learned one big lesson from SNL

The SNL cast member recently said that she learned a big lesson while working on the show for so long, Dratch told People, 

“Have fun, because if you’re having fun, that translates to the audience. If you’re like, ‘Oh, I hope this goes really well,’ then you’re not really in the moment.”

While talking about whether she will bid farewell to the show, the comedian said, 

“Anytime they call, you come running. So no, I would always say yes to SNL. It’s always fun to go back."

She reprised her famous on-screen role of Debbie Downer with Robert De Niro during the SNL 50: The Anniversary Special in February. The actor said during the skit,

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" De Niro asked unamused, to which Debbie replied, "No, I'm asking. I have dry eye, and it's hard to discern if you were talking to me."