For Cecily Strong, whose character Melissa has some stand-out musical moments of her own in season two, getting the gang back together was as terrifying as it was rewarding.
“It was nerve-wracking and exciting and it just made you want to work even more,” the Saturday Night Live alum said. “To get to sing and dance next to Ariana [DeBose] and Dove? They both have a lot of awards for doing those things between them. And then I’m physically between them on stage. I was like, ‘I can’t mess this up.'”
Keegan-Michael Key, who returns as Melissa’s husband Josh in season two, echoed the praise.
“It really is inspiring to be around talent like that,” he said. “People who have that kind of pedigree was amazing. Also, we’re dealing with a group of really wonderful people. Wonderful, sharing, giving people who want you to do the best you can possibly do. That was the environment we found ourselves in every day.”