Robin Williams almost pulled off a prank on the Saturday Night Live cast and crew, but for former series regular Bobby Moynihan, it was a good thing that it didn’t happen. In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Moynihan spoke about landing his job at SNL in 2008 and how exciting he was. Just ahead of his debut on the sketch comedy program, Moynihan went to perform a show at the UCB Theatre where he was letting everyone know about his good news.

That day would get even more exciting for Moynihan, as beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams walked in about five minutes before showtime looking to be a part of the act. As a fan, Moynihan was thrilled, calling it the “second-best thing in the world that could have happened” following his SNL casting. After the show, however, things took a turn when Williams approached him with a pitch for a prank they could pull off together on the SNL crew for Moynihan’s first day.

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According to Moynihan, Williams was completely serious about pulling off this prank. He gave his phone number to Moynihan with the intention of having them plan out the prank ahead of the show. Clearly, Moynihan didn’t want to get involved in any shenanigans on his first day, but because he wasn’t quite sure how to politely reject Williams he quietly accepted that it would happen. For better or for worse, however, Williams did not get in touch with Moynihan. Perhaps the late comedy legend changed his mind, or he had actually been ribbing Moynihan all along.

Bobby Moynihan Spent Nearly a Decade on SNL

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Fortunately, Moynihan’s job at SNL worked out just fine. After joining the show in 2008, he became a fan favorite for viewers before long. He ultimately spent almost a decade on the series before departing in 2017 at the end of season 42.

More recently, Moynihan did voiceover work for America: The Motion Picture and had a role in the film Flora & Ulysses. He can also be seen in John Krasinski’s upcoming film If alongside Steve Carell as well as Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story. Moynihan’s recent TV credits include Mr. Mayor, Loafy, and Battle Kitty.