‘SNL’ Alum Rachel Dratch on the Moment That Inspired Debbie Downer

Don’t be such a Debbie Downer!

Rachel Dratchis emblematic Saturday Night Live The character Debbie Downer was so successful when she first appeared on the sketch series in 2004, that the phrase took on a life of its own, making its way into the modern vernacular.

Dratch, 58, says that Debbie — who undoubtedly brings down the mood at any function with her concern about feline AIDS, among many other negative topics — was actually inspired by real events from her life.

“I thought about Debbie Downer when I was on vacation in Costa Rica and someone made a depressing comment,” she exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us every weekon newsstands now.

Keep scrolling to learn more about Dratch, including his most amazed moment on SNL:

The “Woo Woo With Rachel Dratch” podcast is available on Spotify.

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1. If I see a spider, I will try to take it out of the house to free it. However, if I see a water bug, my first thought is, “Well, now I have to move.”

2. I made my Broadway debut in POTUS: Or, behind every big idiot are seven women trying to keep him alive.

3. Being on Broadway was on my bucket list, (but) I hate the term “bucket list.”

4. A stranger once asked my son, “How does it feel to have a funny mom?” ” and he said, “I make her laugh more than she makes me laugh.” It’s true.

5. I face organizational challenges and find TikTok videos of people cleaning up their messy rooms quickly cathartic.

6. I was a Happy Days fan when I was young and I had socks with The Fonz on them. I later met Henry Winkler and told him about my socks.

7. I want to go back Fame peril!

8. I’ve seen a ghost or two.

9. When we were in high school, Amy Poehler and I worked in the same ice cream parlor. I’ve mentioned this fact thousands of times, so maybe it’s something you TO DO know about me.

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10. I got my start at Second City Theater and was in a cast with Tina Fey. Another friend from Second City, Martin Garciaplays the yoga instructor in my American Home Shield commercial.

11. My son loves basketball, so I’ve learned a lot about the sport this year. I now know what “and a” and “hezzy” mean.

12. I’m not crafty at all, but one year I made my son a Fritos bag costume for Halloween. It was perhaps my greatest achievement.

13. I was in orchestra and string quartet in high school.

14. I took a children’s theater tour to North Carolina.

15. I love everything about the beaches of Cape Cod.

16. I used to stay up late to watch the original cast of Saturday Night Live When I was small.

17. I thought about (SNL character) Debbie Downer when I was on vacation in Costa Rica and someone made a depressing comment.

18. My most amazed moment was my first night at SNL, during the 25th anniversary show. Here I’m freaking out behind Steve Martin.

19. I have a rescue dog named Ruffles. We got him as a puppy and he is a doodle that looks like a designer dog.

20. Some of my favorite films are from my youth, and my favorite classics are It’s a lumbar puncture And Come off.

21. I could probably recite Fast times at Ridgemont High.

22. During the pandemic, I got on Ancestry.com and contacted distant relatives. Apparently I’m related to the founder of Dunkin’ Donuts.

23. I’ve lived in the city most of my life and in every apartment I’ve lived in, I try to have a view of a big tree out the window.

24. My first produced piece was The autobiography of a leaf. I was in fifth grade and it was at my school.

25. My birthday falls on National Margarita Day. My favorite drink is a real margarita made with lime juice.