‘Kiss a Man Who Wasn’t My Husband’- Chris Evert Was Put in an Awkward Situation During Her Debut on Saturday Night Live in 1989

Chris Evert was a popular face during her time and even today. After her retirement from the sport back in 1989, the American tennis star became a well-known figure on the television screen too. After leaving the sport, the 18-time Grand Slam champion was seen doing the popular comedy show called Saturday Night Live. 

It was not a shock that she aced her role and made the show’s fans go head over heels for her. However, before that, she had never done any television for such a run that the show expected. So she had various thoughts going up and down her mind when she got an offer. In a past interview, she recollected what did she think before coming on the show.

Chris Evert feared before her television debut

After the tennis star starred in the comedy show, she opened up about what questions and fears she had before going for the show. She even called the producer of the show, Lorne Michaels. She said that she was not sure about giving out similar entertaining energy.

She said, “I might fall on my face and completely make a fool of myself, and the American actor replied to her with the same energy saying, ‘Good, that’s what we want, that’s what everybody does, you have to laugh at yourself.’”

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She later thought of giving it a try and on the first day, the former World No 1 one realized a lot of things. She recalled and said, “I realized the first day that I would have to sing, I would have to dance, I would have to scream an obscenity and I would have to kiss a man who wasn’t my husband, and that was a stretch for me.” However, she still did her debut and was among the popular faces on the show.

Evert’s husband was supportive of doing a kissing scene on camera

For her debut show, the former world number one has to kiss actor Dana Carvey on camera. She was uncomfortable about doing it. In the same interview, she jokingly recalled and praised her then-husband.

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However, the 18-time Grand Slam champion recalled that her then-husband Andy Mill was quite supportive. He helped them in preparing for the scene even by demonstrating what needs to be done. And lightened the atmosphere by making it more relaxing for them.