The Most Shocking 'SNL' Cast Exits That Changed the Show
The most shocking 'SNL' cast exits changed the show, reshaping its comedy, stars and legacy forever.
Aug. 10 2026, Published 6:15 a.m. ET
Comedy titan Norm Macdonald, who died in 2021 at age 61, was a featured player and writer on SNL before becoming the deadpan anchor of the popular and career-making Weekend Update segment, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
He lost that slot in late 1997 and left the show entirely in March 1998 – and insiders said it was because he wouldn't stop ragging on then-NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer's buddy O.J. Simpson.
Fired Stars Found Redemption Later
Norm Macdonald reportedly lost his 'Weekend Update' role after repeatedly mocking Don Ohlmeyer's friend O.J. Simpson.
Shane Gillis, 38, had the fastest turnaround of anyone – he was fired in September 2019, just five days after NBC announced him as a new cast member, when old podcast clips containing racist and homophobic slurs resurfaced. Ironically, he returned to host SNL in 2024 despite never having appeared in a single episode of the show.
Chris Rock, now 61, lasted three seasons, from 1990 to 1993. While he wasn't technically "fired," his contract was not renewed, and he was said to grumble about being forced into stereotypical roles as one of the few Black cast members.
However, Rock joined Adam Sandler on SNL years later for a "firing monologue," joking about the incident publicly.
Chris Farley – who tragically died at 33 from a drug overdose – is still a heavyweight in the comedy field for his total commitment to physical comedy, like when the famously hefty humorist did a Chippendales male-stripper audition with Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze.
Cast Shakeups Ended Their Runs
Patrick Swayze performed a Chippendales audition sketch with Chris Farley on 'Saturday Night Live.'
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Farley, who started on the show in 1990, was axed during a major cast overhaul following the 1994-1995 season.
Damon Wayans lasted a single season, from 1985 to 1986. Tired of stereotypical roles, he intentionally changed a straight-arrow cop character into a flamboyantly gay one on live TV.
Show mastermind Lorne Michaels fired him immediately after the show for insubordination.
"Lorne did the right thing," Wayans said.
Now 65, he is even more famous for the three-season comedy sketch show In Living Color, which he went on to do right after SNL with his similarly brilliant Wayans siblings.
