Over the course of fifty years on the air, the present has helped launch the profession of some main stars. However not all of those celebs made their mark throughout their time on SNL. In actual fact, some stars solely spent one season as a part of the forged earlier than getting let go!

No matter how a lot time they spent as a featured participant, these former SNL forged members went on to have tremendous profitable careers.

Discover out why these celebs left SNL…

1. Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. joined the forged of SNL in 1985 however didn’t final very lengthy on the present. In what he’s known as “arguably the worst season in its historical past,” Robert says he rapidly discovered that he wasn’t meant for the sketch comedy present. On the finish of the season, Robert and fairly a couple of different younger forged members had been let go from the present.

“I discovered a lot in that 12 months about what I wasn’t. I used to be not anyone who was going to give you the catchphrase. I used to be not anyone who’s going to do impressions. I used to be anyone who was very unwell fitted to rapid-fire sketch comedy,” he advised The Off Digicam Present. “I used to be type of like, ‘Wow this appears actually onerous and like plenty of work.’ However I might nonetheless say to today that there’s not a extra thrilling 90 minutes you’ll be able to have, whether or not you might be any good or not, it’s simply wonderful.”

2. Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller didn’t even make it via a complete season of SNL. He had been introduced on to the forged after he offered a satirical brief movie to the present and thought he might proceed making movies for the collection. After becoming a member of the forged throughout season 14, he lasted solely 5 weeks earlier than deciding that he obtained too nervous earlier than a reside present to proceed.

“At that time, I simply needed to make brief movies and I knew I wasn’t good reside as a result of I might get nervous,” Ben shared on The Howard Stern Present. “I simply felt I couldn’t do effectively in that scenario.”

Despite the fact that he’s now hosted the present and made many visitor appearances, he says he nonetheless will get extremely nervous when he takes the stage.

3. Sarah Silverman

In 1993, Sarah Silverman joined the forged of season 19 of SNL however was sadly fired by the tip the next 12 months. Though she admits she was actually crushed to depart after only one season, she says it was an unimaginable studying expertise.

“Wanting again, it was a fantastic expertise. It was actually like boot camp for thus many issues. And it was virtually like New York itself, SNL, as a result of it’s like, if you can also make it there, all the things else appears not so onerous, ?” Sarah advised Collider.

She continued, “I by no means suppose I’m gonna get fired. I’ve been fired a lot and I’m at all times shocked. I might inform you for everybody on the market that will get fired, there was a while after SNL the place I used to be like, ‘Am I in present enterprise?’ You simply return to zero, and I used to be like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m a comic book! I can do comedy! That’s my entire factor.’”

After the “enormous defeat,” Sarah ended up having the chance to host the present in 2022.

4. Jenny Slate

When Jenny Slate joined the forged of SNL in 2009, she didn’t begin issues off on a fantastic word. Throughout her first ever skit, she by chance cursed — which is an enormous no no on reside tv. Jenny immediately regarded distraught however she says she didn’t find yourself getting in bother and it wasn’t the explanation she obtained fired on the finish of only one season.

“I had felt that it was a nasty match. I actually favored all of the folks there lots. I didn’t really feel that they had been a nasty match to be mates with however I don’t know. I used to be not capable of modify into…being relaxed in that ambiance,” Jenny advised Collider. “I used to be scared. I don’t suppose I favored it that a lot trying again on it. I additionally would have accomplished something to flee.”

Whereas leaving SNL was onerous and precipitated her to expertise stage fright, Jenny says it compelled her to “double down” on her personal particular voice as a humorist.

5. Billy Crystal

Billy Crystal was set to seem within the premiere episode of SNL again in 1975 however his standup monologue ended up getting minimize for time. He then obtained one other likelihood to take the stage when he joined the forged of season 10. Whereas he liked the expertise, he solely stayed one season.

“I feel once I got here to the present I used to be type of a piñata of concepts and ideas and characters, and every kind of issues occurred,” Billy shared in Stay From New York: The Full, Uncensored Historical past of Saturday Evening Stay. “Each day I used to be excited on the discovery of what we might do. I by no means put a time restrict on how lengthy I might be there or what it might give me or get me. I didn’t method it like that. I simply felt personally as a performer and as a artistic particular person I needed to give it my shot.”

6. Martin Brief

Martin Brief obtained his begin on SCTV, a Toronto based mostly sketch comedy present, after which was requested to affix season 10 of SNL, together with a grouping of fairly a couple of different proficient comedians. Regardless of having a knack for sketch comedy, Martin says SNL had a very completely different vibe from SCTV which he didn’t get pleasure from.

“Saturday Evening Stay, in case you had been a author/performer — like I used to be on the present — it could possibly be Monday and it might be like, ‘I don’t have any concepts.’ The host is available in and also you pretend your means via that assembly. Now it’s Monday evening and you’ll’t consider something,” he advised HuffPost.

He continued, “And also you get up and you’ve got that feeling in your abdomen on Tuesday, ‘What am I going to jot down?’ Since you needed to slide the script beneath the door by 6 a.m., so the typist might sort it for the read-through at 11 a.m. or 1p.m., or no matter it was. The purpose was that it was closing exams, each week. So, that was an enormous distinction.”

Martin has since hosted the present on three events.

7. Laurie Metcalf

Laurie Metcalf was one of the crucial short-lived forged members in SNL historical past. After becoming a member of the present in 1981, she solely appeared on one episode the place she portrayed a Weekend Replace reporter and took half in a pre-taped sketch. After the episode aired, the WGA went on strike and the present went on hiatus. When the present lastly resumed filming, Laurie was not requested to return.

“, it looks like a dream as a result of it was so way back and it was a whirlwind 5 days I spent in New York. I feel it was my first journey to New York ever,” she advised Vulture.

She continued, “I used to be so out of my ingredient; I had no thought what I used to be doing. However I do know that I did it as a result of there may be proof, there may be footage. After I see that, I understand I used to be very naïve and courageous about it in a means. Like, ‘Okay, you need me to do that? Okay, let’s go.’”

8. Joan Cusack

Joan Cusack was forged on SNL in 1985 alongside Robert Downey Jr. and ended up additionally being minimize on the finish of season 11. Whereas the season is extensively thought to be one of many worst in historical past, Joan says it wasn’t the best match for her both.

“It wasn’t working. And it wasn’t working for me too. I used to be depressing. I feel I wound up within the hospital, really. I had, like, some surgical procedure, and it’s, like, horrible,” she stated on Contemporary Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley. “I don’t suppose anybody watched that 12 months in any respect. They had been going to cancel the present, really, that 12 months, and Lorne Michaels on the final minute determined to return again. And I feel possibly they’d two months to type of get all the things collectively … Nobody obtained an opportunity to get to know one another that a lot beforehand.”

9. Anthony Michael Corridor

Anthony Michael Corridor additionally joined SNL in 1985, turning into the youngest particular person to ever be a part of the forged at simply 17-years-old. Whereas he admits he was “scared s–tless” to seem on the present, he says it “meant a lot to” him to be forged after being a lifelong fan. Wanting again, he says he understands why he was minimize on the finish of the season.

“To be very trustworthy and candid with you, it was not nice — it was a shaky-legs season,” he advised the Impartial. “I’m grateful for the expertise, however I didn’t have a breakout season. I didn’t even have any breakout characters or something like that.”

10. Damon Wayans

Damon Wayans was additionally an addition to the forged in 1985 however he didn’t even final the whole season. Wanting again, Damon says he wasn’t blissful that he wasn’t getting used to his full potential on the present and after some lackluster skits, he determined to take issues into his personal arms. Throughout a sketch known as Mr. Monopoly, he modified his cop character to be extraordinarily flamboyant — and it didn’t go over effectively and he was let go.

“I rebelled. I, , I wasn’t proud of one, the best way that I used to be getting used on the present, and two, simply I didn’t suppose the present had the best edge,” he defined in 1992. “However in trying again, this was Lorne [Michaels] first 12 months again and he had an entire new forged, all new writers and new producers and everyone was like jacking for place. So, , possibly I shouldn’t have rebelled. I ought to have waited however I’m glad I did.”

11. Rob Riggle

Rob Riggle was a featured participant on SNL from 2004 to 2005, which he later known as a “dream come true.” However on the time, the forged was stacked with fan favorites and he was the one new man added that season. He ended up discovering it onerous to get display time and finally wasn’t requested again the following season.

“The 12 months I used to be employed, I used to be the one man employed. The forged was large. Fifteen folks on the forged and I’m the one new man,” he shared on The Each day Beast’s Final Giggle podcast. “Properly, Darrell Hammond’s getting his, Tina Fey, Amy [Poehler] is getting hers, Maya Rudolph is getting hers, Will Forte, go down the record, they’re all getting their time. I am stepping into there and I am consuming out of a firehose.”