6 Comedians Who Found Success After Getting Fired From SNL

Saturday Night Live is like a messy queen with commitment issues. She’s funny, but the majority of her love interests don’t last for more than a year. Of course, the “love interests” in this metaphor are the comedians who rotate out of SNL cast every summer like casualties of the Comedic Circle of Life. Whether they don’t suck up to SNL creator Lorne Michaels enough or they simply don’t click with their castmates, these poor souls have no choice but to take their pink slip and join the unemployment line. However, they often incite controversy upon their exits, as was the case with featured player Chloe Troast, who was unceremoniously fired in early September. Troast, the show’s strongest new hire in a while, had memorable characters right off the bat, and the shock and disappointment surrounding her exit felt appropriate. That’s not to mention the concurrent dismissal of Punkie Johnson and Molly Kearney, who served as the show’s first openly queer black woman and first non-binary performer, respectively. 

On the other hand, SNL is just the first step in many comedians’ journeys. With enough talent and ambition, any performer can rebound from a forced departure from SNL. For evidence, look no further than these six scrappy comeback kids.

Sasheer Zamata

Zamata attracted significant buzz when she was hired in 2014. The Internet had long been clamoring for SNL to hire another black woman, and Zamata had talent to spare. Unfortunately, the show never learned how to utilize her. She lasted 3 ½ seasons, but never debuted a memorable recurring character or stood out against heavyweights like Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong. And yet, Zamata has recently come back in a big way. In addition to being newly out and proud, she’s now holding her own against Patti LuPone and Kathryn Hahn on Marvel’s Agatha All Along. Landing a Marvel gig … We can’t think of a better way for an actor to rebound. 

Adam Sandler

Yes, the star of Murder Mystery (and approximately 500 other movies) was famously fired from SNL after five years with the show thanks to a combination of backstage drama and financial pressure. Still, he did alright: He quickly went on to star in Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, after all. Meanwhile, these next fired performers might really surprise you…

Jenny Slate

Speaking of Marvel, Jenny Slate didn’t just rebound from her SNL firing career-wise; she also went on to date the one and only Chris Evans. However, though fans of her iconic work on The Kroll Show and Parks and Recreation might find it hard to believe she ever tanked on SNL, it did unfortunately happen. Nerves got the best of her, and she dropped an F-bomb during her first episode – a big no-no. It threw her off for the rest of her season, and Lorne Michaels ultimately fired her via email. However, she also went on to get an Oscar nomination for Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. How many Oscar nominations does Lorne Michaels have? Zero! Oh, but he has 106 Emmy nominations? Ok, nvm.

Robert Downey, Jr.

Speaking of Marvel yet again, did you know that Iron Man of all people was once a performer on SNL? Though he perhaps unfairly called his 1985 to 1986 season the “worst season” in the show’s history, it was clear to anyone at the time that he wasn’t clicking with his castmates. Not even Robert Downey, Jr. could hold a candle to brilliant comedians like Joan Cusack and Damon Wayans. 

Sarah Silverman

Miraculously, Sarah Silverman didn’t last more than one season on SNL, either. In her case, she wasn’t even fired via email; she was fired via fax. However, joke’s on SNL, as she went on to become one of the most iconic stand-up and sketch comedians of the aughts. She also went on to not-so-subtly suggest that the show’s all-male writer’s room had iced her out from the get-go, which forced SNL to reckon with its ingrown sexism.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has always said that she loathed her time at SNL, so it’s perhaps a miracle that she lasted three seasons. On the other hand, if she had stayed, then she might never have become Elaine Benes on Seinfeld or Selina Meyer on Veep. How’s that for brilliant comedic timing?