Damon Wayans ‘Purposely’ Got Himself Fired From ‘SNL’ by Going Off Script: ‘I Snapped. I Just Did Not Care’

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Damon Wayans openly shared that he intentionally left “Saturday Night Live” by deviating from the prepared scripts.

During Season 11, Wayans became a member of the ensemble for the satirical comedy show, which later came to be known as “the peculiar season.” This designation stemmed from the fact that Lorne Michaels resumed his role after a short break. Unlike previous seasons where he recruited rising comedians from various clubs, this time, Michaels opted to employ an entirely fresh cast consisting of already-acclaimed stars. The series received unfavorable critiques and low viewership, placing it on the brink of termination.

In the recently released Peacock docuseries “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night”, Wayans shared that he didn’t feel anxious during his audition for the show, as he already had a collection of characters he had been developing. He expressed a sense of belonging on “Saturday Night Live”, stating, “I felt like I was destined to be part of it.

He was guided by the counsel of Eddie Murphy, a previous “SNL” star: “Eddie suggested to me, ‘Create your own sketches. Otherwise they might assign you stereotypical roles for Black people, and you won’t be pleased with them.’

Wayans felt frustrated as his suggestions were dismissed by the writing team. “I sensed there was a problem,” he explained, “and that’s why I said, ‘Pass me the script. I have a feeling for what it requires.’

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I once presented a script named “The Gifted Rapper” to Al Franken, back when he was still a writer. He took a glance at it and expressed his doubts, saying, “I’m just not feeling the rap aspect.” To which I responded, “Maybe you aren’t, but 50 million others certainly are.

Whatever Eddie spoke about actually happened,” he continued. Wayans found himself being included in other skits, frequently cast in roles that were stereotypical or offensive. “I’d say, ‘Nope! My mom is going to watch this show. I can’t do this. I won’t do this,'” he explained.

Jon Lovitz, who was both a writer and actor on “SNL” during that time, commented about Wayans: “He was upset because he felt he couldn’t be as humorous as he typically is. However, keep in mind we were quite young, and there was a lot riding on our success.

During the performance of “Mr. Monopoly,” Wayans’ dissatisfaction surfaced. He believed the sketch wasn’t robust, only to discover later that it was selected over one of his own sketches, which unfortunately got trimmed due to time constraints yet again.

In a sudden outburst, Wayan no longer felt the need to care, as he expressed during live broadcast. Instead of speaking in his usual tone, he opted to deliver his lines in the character of Mr. Monopoly with a distinctly altered voice.”

“Lovitz remembered Damon adopting an effeminate tone while delivering his lines, mimicking a stereotypical gay man’s speech pattern.

“I purposely did that because I wanted [Lorne Michaels] to fire me,” Wayans admitted.

In that particular episode, Griffin Dunne, both host and participant, commented, “I found it strange, yet the audience still chuckled. However, Lorne promptly dismissed me shortly after I left the stage.

In a past interview shown in the documentary series, Michael expressed that going without letting anyone go during the initial five years was incredibly challenging, yet it was necessary.

This is due to what James Andrew Miller, the author of “Live From New York,” stated: Wayans disregarded the fundamental principle, often referred to as the “golden rule,” which is: there should be no unexpected events.

As a die-hard SNL fan, I can attest that you just can’t wing it or try to swipe a skit during the live show. The truth is, the improvisation you see is next to nothing compared to what most people think.

Initially, Andy Breckman, the author of the “Mr. Monopoly” sketch, viewed Wayans’ decision as a potential career-ending move. However, according to Breckman’s recollection in the documentary series, another writer later disputed this opinion.

Tom Davis responded with a firm “no, no, no,” according to Breckman. He predicted, “In just three years, we’ll all be queuing up to watch a Damon Wayans film. That decision wasn’t career suicide; it was a strategic career choice.

Indeed, Wayans became the headliner for comedic films such as “Mo’ Money,” “Major Payne,” and “Celtic Pride.

Despite Michael’s dismissal, Wayans was invited to rejoin “SNL” during the same season, this time for a stand-up comedy performance in the finale episode. As Wayans expressed, “Lorne is quite forgiving, and I believe he simply wanted to reassure me that he had faith in my abilities.

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2025-01-17 21:18