Comedian-actor Damon Wayans recently revealed how he got himself fired from Saturday Night Live (SNL) during its turbulent 11th season.
Wayans, who was 25 at the time, joined the cast during what many called SNL’s “weird year,” a season in which Lorne Michaels tried to turn around low ratings by replacing the entire cast with well-known comedians. Wayans was excited at first, but his time on the show quickly soured.
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“I felt like I was born to be on Saturday Night Live,” Wayans said in the Peacock documentary series SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, recalling the confidence he had when he joined the show. He credited Eddie Murphy, a former SNL star, with giving him candid advice before his debut: “Write your own sketches. Otherwise, they’re going to give you some Black people sh*t to do, and you ain’t gon’ like it.”
Soon enough, he saw Murphy’s warning take effect. Wayans frequently found himself cast in stereotypical or offensive roles while his original ideas were dismissed or became “cut for time” sketches. The constant rejection left Wayans frustrated, as he believed he understood what the show needed to succeed, according to Variety.
However, the life-changing moment occurred during a live performance of Mr. Monopoly. Wayans had to deliver his words exactly as they were written in the sketch, which he considered to be less good than his own thoughts.
Wayans dramatically deviated from what he had rehearsed and delivered all of his lines in an exaggerated, feminine voice on air. Even though the crowd found the performance funny and it was reminiscent of his comedic work with Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop, it was a blatant violation of SNL’s primary rule: no improvisations during live programs.
“I snapped. I just did not care,” Wayans stated. “I purposely did that because I wanted [Lorne Michaels] to fire me.”
Fellow cast member Jon Lovitz recalled the moment, saying, “Damon starts doing his lines like a very effeminate gay guy.”
Writer Andy Breckman described Wayans’ move as “career suicide.” However, another writer, Tom Davis, defended the bold improvisation, predicting, “We are all going to be standing in line within three years to see a Damon Wayans movie. That was not career suicide: that was a career move.”
Michaels fired Wayans immediately after the show. Reflecting on the decision years later, Michaels explained, “It was really, really hard. But it had to be done.” Wayans himself later admitted, “I did it with the wrong spirit, and he was right to let me go.”
After leaving Saturday Night Live, Wayans went on to lead comedy movies like “Mo’ Money,” “Major Payne” and “Celtic Pride.”
Michaels forgave him despite the issue. Later that season, he asked Wayans to return to perform stand-up on Saturday Night Live, reflecting his confidence in Wayans’ skills. Wayans returned to host the program in 1995, proving that there was no leftover hatred between the two.
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