Top 10 Biggest Saturday Night Live Rejections
Here are the most talented comedians who didn't get signed by SNL. For example, the little-known Jim Carrey was rejected and was later accepted by In Living Color instead. Many consider him the biggest rejection SNL has ever made.
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Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian and American actor, comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He's well known for comedic roles in films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, The Cable Guy, Liar Liar, How the Grinch Stole Christmas... read more
Jim Carrey was not as well known as he is today when he auditioned for SNL in 1980, but they rejected him. He later became famous for his work on In Living Color and in movies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. SNL likely realized they missed an opportunity. Since then, Carrey has hosted the show three times (in 1996, 2011, and 2014) and portrayed Joe Biden in six episodes in 2020. What would Jim Carrey have been like if he had joined SNL?
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Kevin Hart
Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He won several amateur stand-up comedy competitions across New England before landing his first television role in 2001 on Undeclared, cast by Judd Apatow. He has since released... read more
Hart auditioned for the show but did not make the cut. Despite this, he later appeared in several episodes and became a very popular and successful comedian, particularly in the 2010s.
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Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, media critic, and television host. He gained fame as a correspondent on The Daily Show and later hosted The Colbert Report. Since 2015, he has been the host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS.
Colbert auditioned for the show in 1992. He would later write for and appear in 14 episodes between 1996 and 2011. He also created the shows Exit 57, Strangers with Candy, The Colbert Report, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Our Cartoon President, and Tooning Out the News.
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John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American actor and comedian. He rose to fame for his portrayal of Dan Conner on the ABC television series Roseanne, a role that earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in 1993. Goodman frequently works with the Coen brothers and has appeared in several of their films... read more
Goodman auditioned for SNL in 1980 but did not get hired. However, he went on to host 13 episodes of the show and became a very successful actor, notably for his role in Roseanne.
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Kel Mitchell
Kel Johari Rice Mitchell is an American actor, comedian, rapper, singer, and television personality. He became widely known through his work on Nickelodeon's All That and the sitcom Kenan & Kel, where he starred alongside Kenan Thompson. Mitchell also appeared in the film Good Burger and its 2023 sequel... read more
Mitchell was already known for his partnership with Kenan Thompson on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan and Kel, and both were cast members of All That. Mitchell auditioned for SNL in 2003 but was not hired. Thompson, however, was hired and remains a cast member to this day.
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David Cross
David Cross is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer. He is best known for his role as Tobias Fünke on the sitcom Arrested Development and for co-creating the HBO sketch series Mr. Show with Bob and David. Cross is also known for his political comedy and live stand-up performances... read more
Cross auditioned for SNL in 1992 but did not get hired. He went on to create sketch comedy on Mr. Show and played Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development.
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Andrea Martin
Martin, who was already known for being a cast member of the cult sketch show SCTV, auditioned for SNL in 1984 but was not hired.
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Nick Kroll
Kroll auditioned for SNL in 2008 but did not make it. He later created Kroll Show on Comedy Central.