P1! P1! Cheri Oteri’s Been The Ultimate 93.3 WMMR Fan Since Day #1

We’ve waited decades for this sit-down with Cheri Oteri, and she did not disappoint. The Delco-born icon may live in Los Angeles now, but her heart still bikes along the Jersey Shore.

Cheri’s love for the East Coast runs deep. We learned that she comes back a couple times a year and enjoys spending time with her friends at her favorite spots in Ocean City and Sea Isle. “I love coming back in the summer, because I love going down the shore,” she says.

Did you know that her last name is pronounced as Ot-ear-i not the Ot-air-I that we famously know? It was Don Pardo who advised her to change it, as a stage name, because the rhyme ‘rolls off the tongue.’ “Just try to say Ot-ear-i without a smile, I dare ‘ya!” she jokes.

Best known for her iconic SNL characters—from pill-popping Collette Reardon to half of the Spartan cheerleading duo—Oteri opens up about everything from her early days to her future plans; with a recent cameo in the TV show, And Just Like That… and an upcoming autobiographical film she wrote and will be shooting in Syracuse, NY in September. “The cool thing is, I grew up in Catholic school and all the dysfunction back in the 70s that was ‘normal’... I ended up writing a film about it,” she teases.

Oteri reflects on her early days in L.A., dreaming of music and idolizing WMMR artists. But comedy called—loudly. “SNL was my first real job,” she says, recalling the legendary moment she and Molly Shannon’s “Leg Up” sketch proved Lorne Michaels wrong.

In a sweet surprise, Marisa Magnatta crashes the interview to recreate the iconic cheerleader sketch—paying homage to one of Oteri’s best moments.

Oteri also reveals a scene she shot as a flight attendant for Austin Powers—cut before release—and teases upcoming projects, including a limited-edition “Cher”-cuterie board with Philly’s beloved Di Bruno Bros., dropping in two weeks.

Oteri, high-spirited as always, seemed most excited about her upcoming “Cher”-cuterie board. Watch the interview to find out how she made it!

- Kollisa Pimentel, The Preston & Steve Show Staff