Amy Poehler Recalls Startling Moment with ‘Strong’ Chimpanzee Backstage at “SNL”: ‘I Started Screaming’

Amy Poehler isn’t a fan of working with animal costars.

The actress, 54, is no stranger to going the distance for a laugh, but prefers her counterparts be human. During a recent episode of her podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler, she recalled one moment from her time on Saturday Night Live where she had to work with a “young chimpanzee.”

“One time I was doing a sketch where I think Jason Bateman was the host and there was a monkey in the sketch,” she began, noting that the chimp, named Mikey, was “formidable.”

The sketch featured Bateman as a TV host who tricks Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond) into sitting for an interview that ends with a chimp throwing feces at him. Poehler appeared in the sketch playing Sharon Stone.

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Poehler explained she’s hesitant to work with animal actors because she “doesn’t like them,” adding, “It’s too stressful for me.”

In that instance, Poehler became alarmed when Mikey grabbed her between sketches and wouldn’t let go.

“I walked past the chimpanzee and it reached out and grabbed me by the wrist and wouldn’t let go in the middle of a quick change. I think it was the blonde hair or my vibe. And I started screaming,” she recalled, noting, “And chimpanzees are very strong.”

She added, “I couldn’t get it to let go of me,” but said that eventually “it was all fine.”

Earlier this year, Poehler appeared on Bateman’s podcast with her ex, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, SmartLess, where they talked about their dynamic post-divorce and as coparents to sons Abel, 14, and Archie, 16.

“I’m really, really lucky to have her as a partner in this way. There aren’t many people I speak to more than I speak to her, which is weird — you know what I mean? But it’s great,” Arnett said of Poehler. “She is somebody that I still run a lot of stuff by.”

“She’s the person I go to, like, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about doing this.’ Whether it’s life or work, I really seek her counsel because it’s important to me — because I trust her,” he continued. “She’s awesome.”