Sarah Sherman Opens Up About Her Biggest Fear Ahead of Her Debut Comedy Special Filled with Hangnails, Guts, and Goo
Sarah Sherman in HBO’s ‘Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh’.
Credit: Greg Endries/HBO
NEED TO KNOW
- Sarah Sherman discusses her debut comedy special, Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh.
- The Saturday Night Live star shares her thoughts on ’90s cartoons and her hope that “maybe anyone could like” her unique stand-up style.
- “This is basically my life’s work just because I had been putting it off for so long,” Sherman remarks.
Stand-up comedian Sarah Sherman fearlessly navigates the realms of gross-out humor in her debut special, Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh.
The special features vivid imagery, including exaggerated depictions of hangnails and a disastrous flossing job that liberally splatters the audience with what appears to be fake blood. Filmed earlier this year in Brooklyn, New York, the special showcases Sherman’s distinctive comedic style.
Despite embracing the absurd and macabre through her Sarah Squirm persona, Sherman admits to apprehensions about how her work will be received. “My biggest fear with the special is that people see the poster and think, ‘Oh, a clown with a queer haircut. This isn’t for me. I live in Texas and I drive a truck,'” she told PEOPLE prior to the special’s release on December 12. “I would hope there’s enough jokes in there that anyone can watch it.”
Sarah Sherman in HBO’s ‘Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh’.
Credit: Greg Endries/HBO
Her special is a collection of eccentric humor, featuring elements such as body horror, a cameo by filmmaker John Waters, and references to classic shows like Seinfeld and The Ren & Stimpy Show. Although this special is a new venture for Sherman, she has honed her comedic skills over the years through touring and her role on Saturday Night Live, where she has been a cast member since 2021, embodying a range of unique characters.
“There was a lot of whiplash between editing footage of a bunch of bones and goo forming together to create a gooey, bubbling face and then going to 30 Rock and doing a Matt Gaetz cold open,” Sherman reflects. “But there’s a through line; I do get to be a little freaky on SNL, too.”
In a recent interview, Sherman discussed her love for ’90s animation and her ambition to elicit laughter, and perhaps a gag or two, from her audience.
Sarah Sherman in HBO’s ‘Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh’.
Credit: Greg Endries/HBO
A Legacy of Comedic Refinement
Reflecting on her journey, Sherman acknowledges the time and effort put into honing her craft. “This is basically my life’s work just because I had been putting it off for so long, because it’s so fun doing the material and touring with it,” she states. “We ended up taping an hour-and-a-half show and then had to cut down. My producers said, ‘I think it’s time you commit this to tape.’ Then it became a crazy f—— movie.”
Introducing Sarah Squirm
“I was doing a show in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, and someone thought I would be rude, but I’m nice,” Sherman notes. “I don’t think I’m that rude, but my friends might disagree.”
Sarah Sherman in HBO’s ‘Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh’.
Credit: Greg Endries/HBO
The Influence of John Waters
Sherman expresses excitement about collaborating with filmmaker John Waters, who makes an appearance in her special. “I wrote him a letter just fawning over him,” she recalls. “I drew a picture of a pile of bones and guts and goo and expressed how much I wanted him to join me for my stand-up special. One day, I got a call from him, and he was so fun, nice, and cool.”
Nostalgic Inspirations
Sherman cites the influence of Ren & Stimpy on her comedic style. “A billion percent. I have a tattoo of Ren’s eyes and tongue on my leg,” she says. “We incorporated multiple Ren & Stimpy style gross-outs, emphasizing the vibrant animation style of the ’90s.” She emphasizes the contrast between flat, colorful cartoon elements and hyper-realistic visuals in her special.
Defining Her Style
Addressing audience expectations, Sherman remarks on the comedic norms she seeks to challenge. “I often utilize a Rodney Dangerfield voice, adding a humorous twist to traditional stand-up tropes,” she notes. “Despite these nods to comedy legends, my voice is distinct.”
Balancing Shock and Humor
Sherman candidly admits, “I’m a bad person to ask about going too far because I double down.” The thrill of pushing comedic boundaries is central to her performances.
The Essence of Being Gross
“Being gross is part of being alive,” she says. “Through the special, I aim to connect with relatable experiences, using humor to navigate life’s absurdities.” Sherman hopes her work resonates with viewers: “I just hope they laugh and maybe gag a little bit, feeling that it was worth their time.”
Sarah Squirm: Live + in the Flesh premieres on December 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max.
The conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
