
10 Victoria JacksonĬredit Jackson with lasting six seasons as an SNL player, particularly given that her very existence on the show came about after Lorne Michaels axed most of the season 11 cast. You could say that they were not ready to be not-ready-for-primetime players. No wonder, then, that these 10 poor souls didn’t quite make the grade. In other words, it isn't quite the fun and games that it may look like from the outside in.
Snl cast member crack addiction tv#
To succeed with Michaels, you need to pitch skits that get the green light after a mid-week table read and then manage to deliver the goods live in front of an in-studio and TV audience while navigating through a versatile variety of skits.

For every John Belushi, there are innumerable talent-less players like Tony Rosato and scads of poor fits like Jay Mohr. Of course, not every on-air talent within the SNL universe has made it big. The show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, has always had a keen eye for talent and it’s been under his watch that budding stars like Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell, along with so many more, have used Studio 8H as a stepping stone for big screen stardom. Over the years, the SNL machine has stayed fresh through the energy and spirit of an ever-changing roster of dynamic, funny young comedians looking to build a wider following through greater exposure. In recent weeks, NBC's Saturday night flagship delved into controversy by booking Donald Trump as a guest host and then drew praise by breaking from standard format to honor Paris in the aftermath of the November 13th attacks with a tribute from Cecily Strong. Few shows have faced as much scrutiny as the various iterations of the not-ready-for-primetime-players have, but even fewer have survived nearly 800 episodes and can still generate the attention, buzz and headlines of SNL. More than 40 years after it first hit the air, Saturday Night Live remains an enduringly relevant pop culture phenomenon.
