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12 Actors Who Got Rejected By Saturday Night Live

From Jim Carrey to a massive Friends star to a writer/actor on The Office these are some hugely successful comedians who didn't make Lorne Michael's cut

“Saturday Night Live” is home to some of the funniest people on television and a dream job for up-and-coming comedians.

But landing a highly coveted spot as a featured player can take a lot of work. From getting in practice with elite improv groups to working the comedy club circuit, it all hopefully leads to the famous final audition with SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

And while many famous comics have made it to the SNL stage, sometimes some pretty funny people don’t make the cut. Fortunately, they end up finding their own way in the entertainment industry — even if they didn’t get their start on the late night show.

Find out which stars didn’t make the cut…

1. Kevin Hart

When Kevin Hart first auditioned for “SNL,” he says the whole thing ended up being a disaster. His first mistake was his choice to do an impression of Avery Johnson — a basketball player that Kevin admits “nobody knew.” When he got up in front of Lorne and announced who he was going to impersonate, he could tell Lorne had no idea who it was.

“I remember Lorne Michaels looking at me, and he was like, ‘Mmhmm. Okay.’ He didn’t say he didn’t know who that was, but I could tell he definitely didn’t know. And I just said, ‘I’ma pass the ball to David Robinson.’ That was it. That was my impression,” Kevin said on “Conan,” adding that he didn’t get a call back.

1. Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey auditioned for “SNL” back in 1980 but he didn’t even get the chance to show his comedic skills in front of Lorne. Instead, he was rejected by one of the staff members earlier in the audition process who thought he wasn’t the right fit.

“There were lots of people who you’d see how brilliant they were, but you knew on some level that it wasn’t going to work,” Lorne told THR. “I wasn’t at the Jim Carrey audition, but somebody who was there said, ‘I don’t think Lorne would like it,’  and they were probably wrong, but it doesn’t matter. Or maybe they were right — who knows? No one gets it all right.”

1. Aubrey Plaza

Growing up, Aubrey Plaza was set on becoming a “SNL” cast member. In 2004, she secured an internship in the show’s design department in the hopes of eventually getting cast. But when she auditioned, she didn’t make it past the first round.

“I didn’t make it to the Lorne audition, the famous final audition, but I did a preliminary first-round showcase,” Aubrey said on “The Tonight Show,” joking that she instead spent her time “lurking in the shadows” and watching the talent like “a creepy stalker” during her internship.

1. Jennifer Coolidge

While Jennifer Coolidge was a member of improv comedy group The Groundlings, she was invited to audition for “SNL” in 1995. She and her group mates — Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, and Cheri Oteri — flew from LA to New York to show off their comedic skills. While it worked out well for her fellow Groundlings, unfortunately, she didn’t make the cut.

“They chose Will and Cheri and not Chris and I, and six months later they called up Chris. I was the one who got rejected,” Jennifer told LA Mag. “I was spared a bullet. I think of all the demons, and playing politics. The good thing was I might have become anorexic. But I probably would have self-destructed on SNL.”

1. Donald Glover

Donald Glover may have hosted “SNL” in 2018, but it turns out he had previously auditioned twice and didn’t make the cut. Looking back, Donald says he heard that Amy Poehler said he didn’t make the show because his stand-up “lacked a point of view.” Although it didn’t work out, Donald says he doesn’t mind because his career would have been completely different.

“I dodged so many bullets. Me being on ‘SNL’ would’ve killed me,” he told GQ. “I got friends who made it on ‘SNL’ and, at the time, I was like, damn. But if I got on ‘SNL,’ my career wouldn’t have happened.”

1. Adam Devine

Adam Devine once auditioned for “SNL” but it didn’t go over well with Lorne. During a stand-up show, Adam revealed that he poorly impersonated Paul McCartney — and Lorne happens to be a big fan of the Beatles.

1. Lisa Kudrow

Back when Lisa Kudrow was a part of improv comedy group The Groundlings, she received a recommendation from a former “SNL” cast member and Lorne flew out to Los Angeles to see her perform. Although Lorne later said Lisa’s audition was “brillant,” he ultimately picked actress Julia Sweeney over Lisa.

“I remember being super disappointed,” Lisa told Vanity Fair. “I was pretty disappointed because I thought, ‘Maybe you’re one of those people for whom good things don’t happen.’”

1. Kathy Griffin

Kathy Griffin was also performing with The Groundlings on the night that Lorne flew out to see Lisa Kudrow. Unfortunately, Kathy was also passed over in favor of Julia Sweeney. Looking back, Lisa says she remembers Kathy being pretty upset.

“You never knew when Lorne Michaels was going to show up and pluck somebody out of the show — like the night that Lisa and I were there and got passed over for Julia Sweeney,” Kathy said to Vanity Fair, jokingly adding, “We are still not over it. I don’t care what Lisa says.”

1. Stephen Colbert

In 1992, Stephen Colbert got his chance to audition for “SNL” after producer Robert Smigel accidentally saw him perform with Second City. Robert had initially shown up to watch Steve Carell but since Steve was out, Stephen was taking his place. Robert says Stephen “completely blew [him] away” so he brought him to audition in front of Lorne. The executive producer later admitted that turning Stephen down was a major regret.

Stephen did later get the chance to be a part of “SNL” when he signed on to write and do voiceover work for “TV Funhouse,” a series of adult cartoons aired during the sketch show.

1. Geena Davis

In the 1980s, Geena Davis sent in a video taped audition for “SNL.” She says she ended up getting invited to a lunch to discuss a position on the show but the whole thing was kind of “weird.”

“I made a stupid videotape of myself doing hopefully funny things. It was the year Billy Crystal, Chris Guest, and Harry Shearer were on the show, and I had a lunch meeting with them…The lunch was pretty awkward because it was like, ‘OK, what’s funny about you?!’ Just prove to us that you’re funny,’ and it was this lunch, and so it was definitely weird!” Geena told The Daily Beast. “Obviously I didn’t get cast, but I’ve always loved the show.”

1. Ellie Kemper

When Ellie Kemper auditioned for “SNL,” she says her nerves got the best of her. She admits it all started to go wrong when she showed up to Lorne’s office and told the receptionist she had an appointment with “Michael Lornes.” She still ended up going into the audition but she was ultimately turned down. Looking back, Ellie says she knows she wouldn’t have been a good fit.

“I totally agree with his decision. I don’t think I would have thrived on that show because I don’t do celebrity impressions well, characters very well. My husband writes on the show,” Ellie shared on “Watch What Happens Live.”

1. Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling almost left “The Office” for a spot on “SNL.” During season 2 of the show, she was offered a chance to audition and she made a deal with showrunner Greg Daniels to let her out of her contract if she landed a spot on “SNL.” Ultimately, Lorne rejected her from a place in the cast but offered her a writing gig. She wanted to accept in the hopes that she could eventually join the cast but Greg reminded her that wasn’t part of their deal.

“It was really a life-changing thing,” Mindy said on “The Last Laugh” podcast. “I think the course of my career would have gone really differently had I left ‘The Office’ and done that instead.”

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