Damon Wayans Reveals the Shocking Sketch That Got Him Fired from SNL!
Back in the day, I was simply head-over-heels for Saturday Night Live, and boy, did I ever feel the heat when Damon Wayans shared his tale! You see, during one of those iconic sketches, ol’ Damon decided to improvise a bit, and that’s when the big boss, Lorne Michaels, pulled the plug on our beloved comedian. Can you imagine the nerve it took for me to freestyle like that back then? Talk about living dangerously!
The comedian, aged 64, had a one-year run on the show between 1985 and 1986, but his tenure was unexpectedly curtailed because of an impromptu action he took during a live broadcast of a skit titled Mr. Monopoly.
In the SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night docuseries on Peacock, the actor who played the lead role in My Wife and Kids shared his thoughts on a particular topic.
The show delves deeply into what many consider its most challenging season, and Wayans was eager to share his personal reasons for finding it difficult during that period.
It was shared that following his collaboration with Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop, the comedy icon had cautioned him about the difficulties of working on the series.
Eddie gave me this piece of counsel: “Compose your own sketches; otherwise, they might assign roles that involve stereotypical Black characters, which may not appeal to you.” Wayans shared this memory.
Murphy’s prediction proved accurate, and Wayans shared his feelings of being denied an opportunity to demonstrate his full potential.
As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but share my excitement about this actor who has been tirelessly crafting the enigmatic character of Homey D. Clown, along with several other personas, behind the scenes at SNL. Unfortunately, these captivating characters never had the chance to grace our screens.
However, they later became fan-favorites on his future sketch show, In Living Color.
As an ardent admirer, let me tell you, everything Eddie predicted came to pass. They began incorporating me into their stereotypical skits.
At a certain stage, the star decided he wouldn’t participate in the roles assigned to him, as he recollected: “Heck no,” he said. “I told them, ‘My mom will be watching this show. I can’t do it. I won’t do it.’
In the end, his mounting annoyances caused him to disregard the rules on March 15, 1986. On that day during the Mr. Monopoly skit, the actor unexpectedly chose to alter things, without informing any of his fellow performers first.
In this scenario, Wayans and fellow actor Randy Quaid portrayed detectives interrogating a suspect (performed by Griffin Dunne). The defendant’s legal representation was none other than the iconic board game character.
In the evening, the performer deviated from the written plan and decided to portray his role as a flamboyant, stereotypical gay character, going so far as to subtly lean his hips into Dunne while speaking.
In simpler terms, Wayans said, “I lost control. Frankly, I didn’t care anymore. I intentionally did what I did so that he would let me go.
Dunne affirmed that’s exactly what transpired as he reminisced: “It seemed strange to me, yet people still chuckled… Shortly afterwards, Lorne dismissed him almost immediately after he left the stage.
Michael made clear that there was no alternative in this situation, explaining that it had been extremely challenging, yet necessary.
Castmate A. Whitney Brown added: ‘You cannot go rogue, you cannot try to steal a sketch.
Few people realize that Saturday Night Live relies heavily on scripted content rather than improvisation. In fact, it’s likely that there’s only one improvised line in the entire show each year, and perhaps even one every five years.
Even though Michael’s contract ended halfway through season 11, he still invited Wayans to appear for a stand-up act during the season finale.
In my observation, Lorne is exceptionally understanding, and I believe his intention was to reassure me of his faith in me.
Fortunately, Wayans’ professional path flourished, leading him to collaborate with his well-known siblings on the production of In Living Color.
The comedy program primarily starred a diverse Black ensemble, yet it is also well-known for kick-starting Jim Carrey’s career, as Saturday Night Live opted not to recruit him instead.
Back in ’90, I couldn’t help but be utterly captivated by a groundbreaking series that stole the show, outshining Saturday Night Live to clinch the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series in its very first season. Simply unbelievable!
Wayans took charge of the popular sitcom “My Wife and Kids,” acting alongside Tisha Campbell-Martin, while simultaneously featuring in movies like “The Last Boy Scout” with Bruce Willis, “Mo’ Money,” “Blankman,” “Major Payne,” and “The Great White Hype.
He currently stars on Poppa’s House with his son, New Girl star Damon Wayans Jr.
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2025-01-17 01:53