‘SNL’ Star Chloe Fineman on Playing a Stripper for ‘Summer of 69’ and Finding Time for Films
Chloe Fineman did not take lightly her decision to tackle the role of sex worker Santa Monica in the Hulu movie Summer of 69.
The Saturday Night Live standout stars opposite Sam Morelos in the comedy feature from director and co-star Jillian Bell that is currently streaming. Fineman did extensive research for the film that centers on teen Abby (Morelos), who enlists Fineman’s stripper character to help her become more sexually enlightened in order to win over her high school crush.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Fineman discusses her random encounter with a stripper who ended up working on the movie, how her preparation for the role led to Lindsay Lohan offering her a part in the Freaky Friday sequel and how she feels when SNL deals with controversy.
Sam Morelos (left) and Chloe Fineman in Summer of 69.
Courtesy of Everett Collection
What initially attracted you to Summer of 69?
Immediately, it was just working with Jillian Bell. I’ve been such a fan of hers, and I haven’t done a movie with a female director. So it was that, and also a stripper. What’s not to love? (Laughs.)
Were you familiar with the sex worker community much before this?
Definitely. Now we have movies like Anora. When I moved to L.A. initially, I had a lot of friends who I would do stand-up with who were strippers and stand-up comics, which is a fun mix. There was a strip club in Silver Lake that a couple of my friends worked at. Honestly, I think [it’s] just, “We’re people,” and not to stigmatize it or comment on it too much, and that was definitely fun. Then it’s the delicate balance of teen-sex comedy, and it’s not like I’m going to show my tits. That will be the next movie. (Laughs.)
Do you have favorite moments from the shoot?
Definitely the big dance sequence was something I was like, “Oh, God.” I did train really hard for it, and we had poles installed in the high school we were shooting at, so there’s this sweaty gym that also has X-Pole stripper poles in there. But I was lucky my sister was visiting, so she was on set the whole time I was doing that, being my own Santa Monica and truly was like, “Yes, bitch!” which was really fun.
Sam Morelos (left) and Chloe Fineman in Summer of 69.
Disney/Brett Roedel
What was your training like?
I was in L.A., and it turns out, every street has a pole class for some reason. I was in Pasadena, which you normally think of as where they shot Father of the Bride, but randomly, there was this amazing class. I just loved this teacher, and I hung out after the class and was like, “Would you be my stripper coach?” We flew her to Syracuse, and she and I and the amazing Travis Wall, who’s from So You Think You Can Dance?, we all came up with this thing together, and it was just so fun.
Were there notes from anyone about concerns with the subject matter?
I don’t think so. There was a bigger explanation of [the dialogue exchange involving] “porn … -ography,” and that was the only one that I was really concerned about in terms of not wanting to be groom-y. We did shoot me in the other room while Abby’s watching porn [but didn’t use it]. All of us agreed, it either could really work — but also, I get moms in my comments already, all the time. God knows why. So I was like, “Let’s just avoid this.”
Why are moms in your comments?
It’s just always like, “Is this grooming? Yuck!” You just get trolls from SNL in general. I’m always thinking ahead of, “Can I avoid this?” Moms, aka Republicans — you know what I mean?
Did you do any stunt driving?
We had an amazing stunt coordinator. For the stunt where I’m leaving those creepy dudes, I was in the car the whole time, and [the driver] Meredith scared the shit out of me every time, and I was genuinely terrified in that car. Then when we go to hit a nun, that was Meredith on her own. [When I was] in the car with her because they needed to catch my shoulder, I was like, “Am I going to die?”
Chloe Fineman in Summer of 69.
Courtesy of Everett Collection
It seems tough for sexy comedies to make it to theaters these days. What’s the landscape for comedy films right now?
The fact that we were making it was a good sign. We had a fun screening in L.A. with a big audience, and a bunch of SNL people came out. Wanting to see these things in a theater is the next frontier, but the fact that they get made and people respond to this is such a gift. I had a bunch of comedy lady friends come to that screening, and all of us were like, “Man, I wish I had this when I was growing up.”
You’ve been so busy lately, and it was exciting for me to see the Freakier Friday presentation at CinemaCon last month. What was it like to be part of that sequel?
It was crazy. This is completely true: I was getting hair extensions to play the stripper — that’s unfortunately not my real hair — and they take a long time. I was at this salon in L.A. after-hours, and Lindsay Lohan waltzed in. So we were in those hair sinks, and I turned and was like, “Oh, hi!” And then we got to talking and became friends as we’re getting our hair done. We exchanged numbers, and she’s just the loveliest person and such a hero of mine. Truly out of the blue, while I was dressed as a stripper, she was like, “Do you want to be in Freakier Friday?” I was like, “Oh, my God.” And it’s all from getting hair extensions.
Are you planning to stay on Saturday Night Live and continue to work on other projects, or what is the future looking like for you?
Gosh, I don’t know! I’m curious as to how everything’s going to shake out. I do know that I’m having a lot of fun on the show, and we really are a really tight-knit group, and it’s cozy. I did a play with Fred Armisen in January, and he was like, “If you feel like it’s your last year, you stay one more year.” It’s a blast of a show, and the fact that [producer] Lorne [Michaels] even lets me leave for a day is so nice.
Any favorite highlights from season 50 as it wraps up?
I [recently] wrote this sketch that I’ve had this idea for three years, called “Forever 31.” I’ve never really pitched it. But a couple weeks ago, all my ideas were shot down, and then I finally just hit our head writers. I had basically a Notes app, and I was like, “OK, here’s 10 other ideas.” Of those ones I didn’t believe in, they were like, “Wait, this is great.” To see that go on, and [host] Quinta [Brunson] be so down to do it, and millennials like me respond to it, has been very lovely. Even the fact that we had Kamala Harris, it’s just been such a crazy year. Everyone’s really scored in their own way this season. We just went on a retreat [the weekend before Brunson’s episode,] and you’re like, “Man, this is a really special group.”
Is that something that you do regularly?
No, this has never happened before in the history of, ever. We all took buses up to Tarrytown and did karaoke all night.
Wow! The whole cast?
Yeah, to celebrate and acknowledge all the hard work we did this year. It’s really important to hang out not on a Saturday, when you’re not in your right state of mind. It’s just such a weird, emotional roller coaster, so the people you hang out with outside of the show, it’s like a totally different, special bond. Getting to all do that together was awesome.
SNL still manages to generate headlines, including Aimee Lou Wood responding to being impersonated this season. Is it surprising to you when the show still creates controversy?
Oh, gosh. We all are so sorry, and obviously, the whole show apologizes. It’s always about course-correcting, and we’ve hashed it out a lot. I’m obviously deeply sorry. I didn’t play Aimee Lou, so I don’t want to speak on Sarah [Sherman], and I get awkward when I have to talk about it, honestly, because I don’t like having to talk for my friends. But definitely internally, there’s a course-correct and a big apology, and we love her. Who’s the Republican lady who went to see that play and was vaping?
Lauren Boebert?
Right. I did her, and she gets so mad. You’re used to being like, “OK, shut up.” If it’s people you really admire, you learn to be a little bit more sensitive. It’s a fine line with celebrities and amazing actors. It just is. We did Nicole Kidman a couple years ago and an AMC thing, and just the tiniest thing we tweaked. You just have to tread lightly with our fellow actors. It’s a little bit different with the Lauren Boeberts of the world.
