‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’: Rachel Bloom Once Auditioned for ‘Saturday Night Live’
In 2015 the CW introduced fans to a show called Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Soon, the show rose in ratings and captured critics’ and audiences’ attention, ultimately establishing Rachel Bloom’s career as an actor and show creator.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is an original musical tv show with a diverse cast ensemble that explores the stereotype of ex-girlfriends, among other topics from body positivity and mental health. As remarkable as Bloom’s humor is, it’s crazy that we might have borne witness to her innate comedic genius much earlier had she joined SNL.
Rachel Bloom in ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a comedy-drama that follows the life of a real estate lawyer who attended the most prestigious schools (Yale and Harvard). Rebecca works for a prestigious law firm in New York City. When her firm offers her a promotion to junior partner, she panics and leaves the office.
She ends up meeting her ex Josh Chan from summer camp, who she hadn’t seen for a long time. Josh informs Rebecca that he didn’t like living in New York and was relocating to his hometown in West Covina. Rebecca decided to move to West Covina and be close to Josh as they try to find happiness.
Upon her arrival in West Covina, she secures a job at another law firm, rents an apartment, and stops taking her depression medication. She also becomes friends with her neighbor Heather, who also works as a paralegal in her firm, all while dating Josh’s friend Greg.
In the second season, Rebecca and Josh start reconnecting and plan to get married. However, Josh gets cold feet and leaves her at the altar. The third season sees Rebecca dealing with depression and having suicidal thoughts. She ends up getting into a sexual relationship with a partner at the firm.
The fourth season took viewers through the characters’ emotional journey as they became more mature. Faced with the option of choosing between previous love interests, Rebecca decides to take some time off to think about her future, emotional and mental health.
Is West Covina an actual place?
Many tv shows usually take place in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. Therefore a series set in West Covina stands out in a unique way. Before it became the setting for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, West Covina was an ordinary nondescript place.
Bloom said in an interview that when they were making the show, they wanted a place that showed a diverse group of people. West Covina residents liked the show’s association with the suburb, and its locals welcomed the series with open arms.
The locals said that the show portrays the casual diversity of life in the suburb. When the show debuted, the town’s City Council gave the cast and crew the key to the city. The show even got a day dedicated to it. In West Covina, October 21 is a holiday called ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Day’ to honor the series. Additionally, contrary to the running joke about West Covina being two hours away from the beach, the town is less than an hour away.
Bloom unsuccessfully auditioned for ‘SNL’
Many successful comedians got their big break from appearing on Saturday Night Live. Owing to their successes, Bloom thought it would be best to also try her hand at it. According to Mental Floss, Bloom sent in her audition tape in 2012 of her Katherine Hepburn impression.
The star shared the viral video via her Twitter account, much to the delight of her fans. She unfortunately never made it to the cast but years later has a Golden Globe award under her belt.
