Emmys 2015: ‘Saturday Night Live’s’ Kate McKinnon On Her Nomination

Kate McKinnon on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ 2015 (NBC)

Just a few hours after tucking in for the morning following a “Ghostbusters” night shoot, “Saturday Night Live’s” Kate McKinnon was woken up by her phone buzzing with Emmy news.

The “SNL” player, well-known for her hilarious impressions of Justin Bieber and Hillary Clinton, has been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on NBC’s sketch comedy. She joins an impressive list of actresses in the category including “Getting On’s” Niecy Nash, “Modern Family’s” Julie Bowen, “Mom’s” Allison Janney, “Big Bang Theory’s” Mayim Bialik, “Transparent’s” Gaby Hoffman, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s” Jane Krakowski and “Veep’s” Anna Chlumsky, and Kate couldn’t be happier.

Access Hollywood caught up with the very funny Emmy nominee (when she should have been sleeping), for her reaction to the nomination news (the second year in a row she’s been up for the statue).

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AccessHollywood.com: Where were you, what were you wearing when the news came through?
Kate McKinnon:
Oh my God! Well, I’m still wearing it — it’s sh**y pajamas. I am in a bed that is so filled with cat hair that I’m just really looking at this for the first time now, and really, I need to change these sheets. I was just finishing up a night shoot for ‘Ghostbusters,’ which I’m in Boston filming, so I got home at 6 and then tried to sleep until 11:30. Couldn’t. I mean, I had weird nightmares the whole time.

Access: Were you nervous about today, or was it just because of the ‘Ghostbusters’ that you were having nightmares?
Kate:
No, it wasn’t the ‘Ghostbusters.’ The ‘Ghostbusters’ are great. I just was – I was so like, ‘Well, I don’t think it’s going to happen, but maybe it will.’ And I just couldn’t kind of like keep my brain off it. I was trying.

READ: Emmy Nominations 2015: The Full List Of Major Categories

Access: Who was the first person that called you? Who did you actually get the news from?
Kate:
I just woke up to some text messages.

Access: Who is the first person that you told who maybe didn’t watch it on the live stream or television?
Kate:
Everyone in my life seems to have known before me, so they told me (laughs).

Access: [How great] to be in a category with all those amazing–
Kate:
Oh my God, those f***ing actress. I’m sorry, I die for all of them. I’m so shocked that I’m on that crazy, crazy list of people. I love all those women so much. I love all the TV shows they’re on. It’s crazy to me.

Access: Who from the ‘Ghostbusters’ cast has contacted you about [your nomination]?
Kate:
They are still sleeping because we were up shooting ’til 6, so I was supposed to be sleeping ’til 2 PM. We all made a pact to sleep until 2 PM, so I broke the pact, but now I can’t go back to sleep. So I will see them later, and they’re so wonderful and I’m sure they’ll be very sweet when they wake up (laughs).

WATCH: Andy Samberg Reacts To ‘SNL’ 40

Access: How is ‘Ghostbusters’ going?
Kate: I’m having the best time. It feels like summer camp. I’m mean, I know Leslie [Jones] really well because I work with her and I love her and I’ve always been like the hugest fan of Kristen [Wiig] and Melissa [McCarthy], and now I’m getting to know them as people and I love them, and it’s just — I’m having the greatest time.

Access: What are your Emmy plans? You’re going to have to come out here to LA, you’re going to have to get a dress, but what else are you thinking about at this point in time?
Kate:
I mean, what’s for lunch… today? (laughs) No, there’s a lot of planning. There’s a lot of stuff to do. I remember having a lot of stuff to do, so I’ll have to hop on that. Yeah.

Access: Who are you looking forward to meeting? Have you met all the women in your category?
Kate:
I met Julie [Bowen] and I think I met Allison Janney last year. I’ve met Gabby Hoffman before, but it was in a sort of stalker-ish way, so I hope that this one goes better, and oh my God, I’ve never met Jane Krakowski and I’ve been a huge fan of hers since I saw her on Broadway and I love Niecy Nash. Oh my God, this is crazy.

Access: Before I let you go, you said [it was a] sort of ‘stalker-ish’ way you met Gabby — can you explain a little more about that?
Kate:
I just seem to remember that she was backstage at ‘SNL,’ and I love… obviously all of the recent, amazing adult work she’s — not adult work (laughs), but work that she’s been doing as an adult, but I remember her from the film ‘Now & Then,’ which I watched, I mean, hundreds of time as a kid… and I think I brought that up and I don’t think she knew that I worked at ‘SNL’ necessarily. I think she just thought I was in the hallway. Anyway, so, I hope this goes better. She’s was very nice. I just – I think I bewildered her.

Access: Well now she knows when she wakes up… Congratulations again. We’ll have to send you some tape rollers for the cat hair before Emmys.
Kate:
Thank you… They wouldn’t do the job, but thank you so much.

Jolie Lash

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