Sunday, September 19, 2010

Happy Birthday Cheri Oteri

Funny lady Cheri Oteri hit on the formula for success early on in her tenure at Saturday Night Live: some spot-on impressions (Barbara Walters, Mariah Carey, Robin Byrd and Judge Judy), a few indelible original characters (Collette 'drug lady' Reardon and Nadeen - 'simmer down now!'), a winning personality, and the willingness to put them all across fearlessly.

PhotobucketOteri was fortunate to be joined in the cast by Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer, but she did most of her funniest work opposite Will Ferrell. Whether as Arianna (one half of The Spartan Cheerleaders) or vapid morning show hostess Cass Van Rye, Oteri benefited at least as much as Gasteyer did from her chemistry with Ferrell.

Despite notable guest appearances in film and on television since leaving SNL in 2000, Oteri has yet to find herself a more permanent roost; Hollywood rumour has it that she's been developing a sitcom idea with J.J. Abrams. Here's hoping it makes more sense than Lost.

It may just be that Oteri's decided to take some time off following the murder of her father in April 2008 by his friend and sometime roommate, country music songwriter Richard Fagan*.

In the meantime, why not enjoy the best of her work from SNL on DVD?

*Google News had no mention of the crime, despite its celebrity connection. What is this world coming to? After a little more sleuthing the story turned up on the blog You Thought So! and in a Nashville Police Department media release...
*

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4 comments:

Gavin said...

My favorite character of hers was the little hyperactive girl. Classic moment when she's on the school bus: "My brother has one testicle...ONE TESTICLE!"

tankmontreal said...

Oh my god i looooooooove Cheri Oteri. It can't be as long ago as 2000 that she left SNL (which devastates me, since we've hardly seen her since). The cheerleader and Collette were my favorites.

michael sean morris said...

Colette was my favourite too, since she was obviously an attack on those pill-pushing doctors for whom I have so much respect. I never even mentioned the over-sexed woman she played with Chris Kattan.

tankmontreal said...

But wait y|o|y, the hyperactive girl is Amy Poehler, no? The one who tormented her cousin Rick?
RickRickRickRIIIIIICKKKKK
Or maybe I'm getting my hyperactive girls mixed up.