15 Celebs Who Struggled On "SNL" But Went On To Thrive After Leaving The Show

Like, how do you fire Sarah Silverman and Robert Downey Jr.?

1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus

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Then: Despite lasting three seasons on the show, Julia hasn't had many good things to say about her time working there. In a conversation with Stephen Colbert, she described her time on the show: “I was unbelievably naive and I didn’t really understand how the dynamics of the place worked. It was very sexist, very sexist." She continued, "It was a pretty brutal time, but it was a very informative time for me. I learned I wasn’t going to do any more of this show business crap unless it was fun. ... I just thought, I don’t have to do this.”

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After: Julia rocketed into superstardom when she took on the role of Elaine in Seinfeld, and became one of the most decorated comedy actors in history after winning Emmy Awards for her leading role in Veep six years in a row. Recently, she has lent her talents to the Marvel Universe in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and has signed a multiyear production deal with Apple TV+ to develop content for the streamer.

2. Robert Downey Jr.

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Then: RDJ did a single season of SNL in the mid-'80s and opened up about his time on the show during an interview on The Off Camera Show. "I learned so much in that year about what I wasn’t," he said. "I was not somebody who was going to come up with a catchphrase. I was not somebody who was going to do impressions. I was somebody who was very ill suited for rapid-fire sketch comedy." When asked if he found the experience to be terrifying or exhilarating, he replied, "I was like, 'Wow, this seems really hard and like a lot of work.'"

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After: RDJ obviously went on to become a megastar, famously breathing life into the role of Iron Man as well as starring in the movies Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Tropic Thunder, and the biopic Chaplin, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also put out an album as a musical artist in 2004 and owns his own production company with his wife, Susan Levin.

3. Jenny Slate

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Then: Jenny was a one-and-done cast member, appearing in Season 35. The big story was that she was fired because she dropped an f-bomb on live TV, but she dispelled that rumor in a 2019 interview with InStyle: "Everyone always thinks I got fired for saying 'fuck'; I didn't — that's not why I got fired. I just didn't belong there." She continued, "I didn't do a good job, I didn't click. I have no idea how Lorne [Michael] felt about me. All I know is, it didn't work for me, and I got fired."

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After: Post-SNL, Jenny went on to star in the indie hit Obvious Child as well as land roles in popular shows like Parks & Rec and Bob's Burgers. Her original character in Marcel the Shell With Shoes On became an internet sensation, and the film adaptation of her online short went on to win 24 awards and even nabbed a nomination for an Academy Award.

4. Laurie Metcalf

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Then: Laurie was on literally only ONE episode before the show was put on hiatus and completely retooled. Talking about her experience with Vulture, she recounted, "I was so out of my element; I had no idea what I was doing. But I know that I did it because there is proof, there is footage." She continued, "I was scared to death. Acting is scary enough, but doing it live on TV, that’s got to be as stressful as it gets. I was not cut out to do something like that."

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After: Laurie has obviously had an enormous career after her one-episode turn on SNL, starring in Roseanne — for which she won an Emmy Award three years in a row — among other shows, including The Big Bang Theory, Getting On, and The Conners. In addition to her critically acclaimed performance in Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird and her unforgettable role in Scream 2, Laurie has had an illustrious career on stage as well, in shows such as Misery, Hilary and Clinton, and A Doll's House, Part 2, which earned her a Tony Award.

5. Chris Elliott

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Then: Another cast member who only lasted one season, Chris recounted his time on the show, saying, "I seriously have no memory of it. And I think it was just such a miserable experience that I have sort of blacked out a lot of these things. That whole year, I was just embarrassed."

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After: Post-SNL, Chris guest-starred in just about every show you can think of, including Everybody Loves Raymond, How I Met Your Mother, and The Last Man on Earth. Most recently he was back in the spotlight as Roland Schitt in the megahit Schitt's Creek and has even authored four comedy books.

6. Casey Wilson

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Then: Lasting just two seasons on the show, Casey talked about the experience in her book, The Wreckage of My Presence: Essays. "In the year and a half of utter madness I was there, I began taking antidepressants to lift myself up from rock bottom," she wrote. "When I was not asked back for what would have been my third season, I felt a rush of relief and utter disappointment in myself. I had the chance, and I didn’t take my shot. But I never cried. The relief outweighed the regret. I’ve made peace with most of my regrets, including being let go from Saturday Night Live."

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After: Casey found great success after the show, starring in the cult hit Happy Endings, as well as Black Monday and The Shrink Next Door. She also has a thriving podcasting empire with cohost Danielle Schneider, consisting of Bitch Sesh (a Real Houswives–breakdown show), Garbage Sesh, and a Happy Endings recap podcast. Plus, her aforementioned book, The Wreckage of My Presence, became a New York Times bestseller and received rave reviews.

7. Tim Robinson

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Then: Tim became a featured player in 2012 and spent one season in the cast before transitioning to the writing staff, a rarity in SNL history. The New Yorker asked him about his experience going from on set to behind the scenes, and he said, "It wasn't my choice. No, it wasn’t my choice. At the time, I was angry. And frustrated. And then, you know, now I feel OK about it... The pressure is a lot lower, and you end up having way more fun."

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After: Tim went on create, write, and star in the show Detroiters with fellow comedian Sam Richardson, voiced characters on shows like Human Resources and Big City Greens, and created the massively successful Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave, which earned him two Writers Guild of America Awards as well as an Emmy.

8. Janeane Garofalo

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Then: Janeane didn't even last a full season of the show, leaving midway through Season 20 (1994–1995). She told New York magazine that it was “the most miserable experience of [her] life.” Further talking about the experience in the book Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, she said, "I did not think we were doing a quality show, and if you mentioned that, you found you were an extremely unwelcome guest.”

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After: After the show, Janeane found a lot of success in TV and movies, landing recurring roles on shows like Law & Order and 24, starring in hit films like Wet Hot American Summer and Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, and even doing voiceover work in the beloved Pixar movie Ratatouille.

9. Michaela Watkins

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Then: After being featured in only 15 episodes of Season 35, Michaela recounted her time on the show to the Daily Beast’s The Last Laugh podcast: “I feel like it was a marathon, but the week I got there, they cut my Achilles. They’re like, okay, start running. I don’t feel like I came in into a soft landing at all.” But she also said that her failure to launch on the show helped fuel her to find success after she left. "It was a real humbling moment that I think personally was a huge growth for me. It forced me to sit with a lot of uncomfortable feelings and sadness and rejection and think about how I wanted to shape my life going forward.”

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After: Michaela has been working pretty much nonstop since her turn on SNL, showing up on hit shows like Transparent, Search Party, and most recently Tiny Beautiful Things, as well as in movies like Wanderlust, They Came Together, and You Hurt My Feelings.

10. Damon Wayans

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Then: Lasting only 12 episodes, the comedian felt the show was not a good fit for him, and he "wanted to get fired." In an interview, Damon told The Breakfast Club, "They had me in scenes where I would just hold a spear. I’m like, ‘I’m not doing that. My mother’s going to watch this show.’ No lines! Just holding the spear in a thong. I’m like, ‘I can’t do this.’" He further explained, "I said, ‘Y’all need to hire an extra for this.’ And so they told me, ‘You’re not a team player.’ I said, ‘No, I’m just not a slave.’"

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After: Damon went on to have a very successful film career, starring in movies like Beverly Hills Cop and Major Payne and landing leading roles in TV shows like My Wife and Kids, Lethal Weapon, and In Living Color, for which he received four Emmy nominations.

11. Sarah Silverman

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Then: Sarah was on the show for just one season before getting fired in 1994. In an interview with The Pulse With Bill Anderson, she said, "It was a huge defeat for me, but overcoming it, you know it's like a broken bone, it heals stronger. ... There's a moment when you're fired from Saturday Night Live where you're like, 'Am I still in show business?' I had to go back to the basics."

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After: Post-SNL, Sarah thrived, writing and performing several comedy specials, including Someone You Love, which premiered on Max earlier this year. She also starred in movies like Wreck-It Ralph, School of Rock, and Marry Me. In 2010, she released a memoir titled The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee, which she adapted into an off-Broadway musical for which she wrote the book and lyrics.

12. Ben Stiller

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Then: Ben worked on the show for just five weeks before quitting. Talking with Howard Stern, he explained that the show was just not a good fit for him at that time in his life. He said, "At that point, I just wanted to make short films. I knew that I wasn’t good live because I would get nervous.” He continued, "I just felt I couldn't do well in that situation. ... I was very happy directing and not acting."

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After: Ben found massive success after leaving the show, earning an Emmy for his writing on The Ben Stiller Show and starring in hit movies like There's Something About Mary, Zoolander, and Meet the Parents, among many others. He also directed and executive-produced the wildly popular Apple TV+ show Severance.

13. Christine Ebersole

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Then: Appearing on just one season of the show from 1981 to 1982, Christine told the Village Green, “I didn’t know what I was doing. I mean, I literally had just come off the road playing Guenevere in Camelot with Richard Burton and Richard Harris, and then all of a sudden I’m thrown into this arena of stand-up comedians.”

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After: Christine is a decorated theater actor, nabbing Tonys for her roles in 42nd Street and Grey Gardens, and has showcased her vocal talents in numerous concerts and cabarets. She's also starred in TV shows like Bob Hearts Abishola and One Life to Live and has lent her voice to animated projects like Steven Universe and even Hey Arnold!

14. Jay Mohr

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Then: After being a cast member for two seasons, Jay didn't hold back when talking about his experience there. "I wasn’t enjoying it, even when it was going well ... I was so self-obsessed with survival — survival on the show and then mental health survival and back to survival on the show.” And he had less-than-stellar things to say about his coworkers. He said, "The cycle of asshole would start with [Rob] Schneider chiding me as a rookie in front of everyone and then proceeding to treat me like garbage for two weeks straight."

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After: Jay showed up in movies like Jerry Maguire, 200 Cigarettes, and Pay It Forward after his run on SNL and starred in successful shows such as Ghost Whisperer, Gary Unmarried, and Suburgatory. In addition to his many stand-up specials, he's also written two books, one of them titled Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live, which detailed his struggle on the sketch show.

15. And finally: Martin Short

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Then: Martin had a one-year contract with the show that was not renewed, and in an episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers, he described the "panic and despair" of being on the show. "It was so stressful for me every week because I treated it like it was final exams every week. I think if I had known I would be there for five years, I would have taken it easy."

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After: Martin found incredible success after SNL, starring in Three Amigos, Mars Attacks, Father of the Bride, and countless others. He's also had a successful stage career, acting in The Goodbye Girl, Promises, Promises, and Little Me, for which he earned a Tony Award. He's written and starred in several comedy specials, created a variety show with Maya Rudolph that aired on NBC, and most recently took on a role in the critically acclaimed Hulu show Only Murders in the Building.

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