Ana Gasteyer once caught Jimmy Carter ‘laughing hysterically’ at Dan Aykroyd’s “SNL” impression of him

Ana Gasteyer had an interesting childhood as a friend of the first child Amy Carter. She was present at the Camp David Accords, she hopped in and out of the White House for overnight stays, and once even captured President Jimmy Carter cracking a beer in hand as he watches Dan Aykroyd‘s impression of him on the busy new variety show Saturday Night Live.

Gasteyer was only about 10 or 11 at the time, but even then she knew how powerful comedy was, that even the “leader of the free world” could laugh at himself.

Gasteyer visited Las Culturistas podcast hosted by SNL star Bowen Yang and commander-in-chief of Mariah Carey’s lambly army Matt Rogers. When asked their standard question – “What was the culture that made you say that culture was for you?” — Gasteyer, still hesitating after the election, could only think of this anecdote.

“It’s going to sound really humbly bragging, but that’s about it SNLand it’s about the importance of laughter. I can’t believe I just said that,” she said, noting how she usually mocks people who tout the “importance of laughter” and such.

Growing up in DC, Gasteyer became friends with Amy Carter, who, like little Ana, also played the violin.

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“And then, strangely enough, I had this whole childhood life in middle school, going to sleepovers at the White House and going to Camp David,” Gasteyer recalled. “I went to Camp David during the Camp David Accords. I played the violin for (Egyptian President) Anwar Sadat and (Israeli Prime Minister) Menachem Begin… I saw Star Wars with the Sadats. Insane.”

Then one night Gasteyer sleeps over at the White House and she and Amy Carter go out for a late dinner. Then she sees Amy’s dad, who is usually out doing Commander-in-Chief stuff, being dad-like and watching the “radical” new satirical show SNL.

“Somehow in the middle of the White House sitting area, President Jimmy Carter was sitting in a chair with a burgundy V-neck and a beer, and he was watching Dan Aykroyd play himself Saturday Night Liveand he was laughing hysterically,” Gasteyer said, noting that Carter “got that it was funny” and that she realized “there was a power in that.”

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While the “surreality” of the moment remained with her all these years, Gasteyer finds particular relevance in our current sociopolitical climate.

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“The ability to laugh at things and the ability to pull yourself out of situations and find what’s funny about it,” she explained. “I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but the gift that humor actually gives us as a piece of storytelling and political commentary… I feel like we’re going to have a lot of places in this new era where news has shown being untrustworthy and social media… maybe we idiot artists will be able to tell the truth a little bit.”

Listen to Gasteyer’s full interview at Las Culturistas over.

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