“Saturday Night Live” star Michael Che admitted he’s never called 911 in his life because he just doesn’t feel “they’re for me” in interview following George Floyd’s death.
“I don’t think I have ever dialed 911 in my life,” the 37-year-old comedian shared during his appearance via video on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” The comments were noted by the Hollywood Reporter in a piece published Tuesday.
“I have a feeling that they’re not for me,” he added. “And it’s a really sad, unfortunate thing that you don’t realize until you come across people who don’t feel that way.” (RELATED: Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct On Fire After Officers Evacuate Building Amid George Floyd Riots)
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The “SNL” star explained he feels that way despite the fact that two of his brothers were once NYPD cops, one still is, while the other has left the force. (RELATED: Pearl Jam Postpones North American Tour Over Growing Coronavirus Concerns)
“I don’t really like to talk to him about stuff like this,” Che said. “I can only imagine what it must be like for him to grow up the way we grew up and also have to do his job with people who police the way some of these guys police.”
Michael admitted he was feeling optimistic about the protests across the country following Floyd‘s death, the man who died while in custody of a Minneapolis police officer.
“I think the optimism can be seen in these young people, especially the ability to unite and be on the same accord,” he said. “It’s coming across as extremely destructive, but I do think if they channeled it that they could get a lot done that generations before them couldn’t get done. And we’re seeing their power.”
At one point, the comedian also discussed a recent clip that has resurfaced of him talking about the phrase “Black Lives Matter” during a 2016 stand-up special for Netflix, “Michael Che Matters,” and said it was kind of a “bummer that it’s still relevant.”
“It’s almost bittersweet because I’m happy that people like the clip, but it’s also kind of a bummer that it’s still relevant,” Che explained. “I wish it wasn’t.”
“It’s just saying that we’re just asking to matter and somehow that becomes a challenge or somehow that becomes unreasonable to some people,” he added. “And it’s the absurdity of not being able to give us that much, you know, is really all it is.”