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Over the course of nearly 50 years on television, Saturday Night Live has been the birthplace of both comedic brilliance and major controversies. The show, which operates under strict schedules and rules overseen by its long-time producer and creator Lorne Michaels, has seen more than a few guests push the limits. Here are some individuals whose actions led to them never returning to the iconic 8H stage.
1. Sinéad O’Connor
Sinéad O’Connor’s banishment from the show is arguably the most infamous—and one of the most watched—in SNL history. During the October 3, 1992 broadcast, in an unscripted move that hadn’t been approved by the show’s producers, O’Connor tore a photograph of Pope John Paul II in half while performing an a cappella rendition of Bob Marley’s “War.”
As SNL’s music coordinator John Zonars explained, O’Connor pulled off her infamous stunt during dress rehearsal by holding a photo of a starving child. She conveyed that the song was essentially a commentary on child abuse and that she intended to make a bold statement. This explains the well-timed camera zoom during her live performance. Lorne Michaels seemed to have a certain level of understanding when he reflected on the incident in the book Live From New York. “I think it was the bravest possible thing she could do," he remarked. "She’d been a nun. To her, the church represented everything that was wrong with growing up in Ireland the way she did, and so she was making a strong political statement.”
The controversy was addressed the following week during the monologue by host Joe Pesci, who humorously taped the Pope’s photo back together. As a result of her actions, O’Connor was banned from appearing on SNL again, and the reruns of the show include footage from her dress rehearsal performance.
See Also: 10 Famous People Who Rejected Saturday Night Live
2. Steven Seagal
Hosting SNL requires a great deal of teamwork between the cast and the guest host. Some, like members of the exclusive “Five-Timers Club,” click with the writers and performers, making multiple appearances. However, others struggle to fit in, with Steven Seagal falling into the latter group. Although Seagal didn’t engage in any public stunts like Sinéad O’Connor, his behind-the-scenes attitude left much to be desired. “He just wasn’t funny and he was very critical of the cast and the writing staff,” said Tim Meadows in Live From New York. “He didn’t realize that you can’t tell somebody they’re stupid on Wednesday and expect them to keep writing for you by Saturday.” Lorne Michaels took a jab at Seagal during a later episode hosted by Nicolas Cage. When Cage joked in his monologue that the audience might consider him the worst host ever, Michaels quipped, “No, no. That would be Steven Seagal.”
3. Andy Kaufman
Kaufman’s appearances on SNL were famously unpredictable and ahead of their time, starting with the very first episode of the show in 1975. Whether it was his quirky lip-syncing to the theme song or his eccentric impersonation of Elvis Presley, audiences never knew what to expect from Kaufman. Eventually, his controversial wrestling segments with women sparked backlash from then-producer Dick Ebersol. In response, Kaufman proposed an audience vote to decide his fate on the show. The final tally came in at 169,186 votes to “Keep Andy,” while 195,544 votes were cast to “Dump Andy.” Whether it was just another one of his bold stunts is up for debate, but Kaufman never returned to SNL after that vote.
4. Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence was a massive television sensation in the 1990s—remember his sitcom Martin?—but his monologue while hosting SNL didn’t sit well with the staff or the network censors. After expressing his admiration for the show, Lawrence launched into a routine about the infamous John and Lorena Bobbitt incident, which quickly transitioned into an unexpected rant about feminine hygiene. The comments were deemed too controversial, so they were cut for syndication, and replaced with sarcastic title cards claiming his opinions were “a frank and lively presentation” that “nearly cost us all our jobs.” Lawrence hasn’t been invited back to host since.
5. Robert Blake
Before facing charges (and later being acquitted) for the murder of his second wife, Robert Blake wasn’t exactly a fan favorite during his time hosting SNL. Much like Steven Seagal, Blake struggled to get along with the cast and writers. SNL writer David Sheffield, who considers Blake to be the worst host ever, recalled that Blake wasn’t impressed with the sketch material presented to him during a read-through for a sketch called “Breezy Philosopher,” which involved a tough biker quoting Kierkegaard. According to reports, Blake crumpled his script, turned to writer-actor Gary Kroeger, and said, “I hope you got a tough a**hole, pal, ‘cause you’re going to have to wipe your a** with that one.” This outburst led to Blake’s permanent ban from the show.
See Also: 9 Saturday Night Live Movies That Were Never Made
6. Milton Berle
Uncle Miltie seemed to miss the point that Saturday Night Live was a collaborative effort between both the host and the cast. People who worked on the show in 1979 recall how Berle took over the episode’s production, inserting his own sketches and intentionally overshadowing cast members like Gilda Radner for cheap laughs. Berle was never invited to host again, and in Live From New York, Lorne Michaels explained the difference between Berle’s old-fashioned comedy style and the fresh, edgy approach of the “Not Ready For Primetime Players,” saying, “I have great affection for old-time show business. But it had become corrupt. It wasn’t what it had been. The show was trying to get away from that.”
7. Adrien Brody
One might assume that improvisation would be welcomed on a sketch comedy show, but that wasn’t the case on SNL. When Adrien Brody hosted in 2003, he introduced reggae artist Sean Paul while wearing fake dreadlocks and adopting a stereotypical Jamaican accent. Lorne Michaels was not pleased with the performance, and Brody has never been invited to host again.
8. Charles Grodin
Charles Grodin found himself banned from SNL after his appearance on October 29, 1977. The host allegedly skipped rehearsals and, when it was time for the live broadcast, he appeared unprepared and clumsy. He interrupted the cast’s lines and ad-libbed much of his performance, much to the dismay of the production team.
See Also: 32 Famous People Rejected by Saturday Night Live
9. Frank Zappa
The pioneer of eccentric rock, Frank Zappa, earned a permanent ban from SNL after his 1978 performance. Rather than engaging with the scripted material, Zappa casually read from the cue cards and made it clear he wasn’t putting much effort into his performance. His lackluster approach earned him a ‘B’ for ‘banned,’ and he was never invited back. SNL writer Don Novello, known for his role as Father Guido Sarducci, labeled Zappa as 'One of the worst ever.'
10. Elvis Costello
During his second appearance on the December 17, 1977 episode of SNL, Elvis Costello and his band, The Attractions, began playing ‘Less Than Zero’ from his debut album, My Aim Is True. However, midway through the song, Costello abruptly stopped and declared, ‘Sorry ladies and gentlemen, there’s no reason to do this song here.’ He then led the band into an impromptu performance of ‘Radio Radio,’ a song not yet released, which led to them being banned from the show. The dispute had more to do with his record company, Columbia Records, forcing them to play ‘Less Than Zero’ instead of the unreleased track. Despite the controversy, Costello was welcomed back in 1989 and even humorously recreated his stunt during the 25th anniversary special, interrupting the Beastie Boys’ performance of ‘Sabotage’ with a joint rendition of ‘Radio Radio.’
Additional Source: Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests.
