Damon Wayans said in a recent episode of the “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” docuseries that he sabotaged his stint on “Saturday Night Live” in frustration over the sketch roles he was being offered. (Watch the video below.)
The matter came to a boil when Wayans went rogue during a sketch called “Mr. Monopoly” in 1986. Wayans played his cop character as an effeminate gay cliche, which was not what was rehearsed.
“I snapped. I just did not care. I purposefully did that because I wanted [Lorne Michaels] to fire me,” he said, per Deadline on Thursday.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Griffin Dunne, who appeared in the skit, said of the off-script stunt, “I thought it was weird, but people still laughed.”
Michaels said he canned him midseason because “it had to be done,” EW noted.
Before his unauthorized improv, Wayans said in the doc he was warned by “SNL” great Eddie Murphy that as a Black man he would be pigeonholed into certain characters, so he’d better write his own, Deadline reported.
But his attempts were rejected and he was given parts that would embarrass him in front of his mother, he said.
The hard feelings didn’t last forever. Wayans was invited back to do standup in the 1985-86 season finale and returned as a guest host in 1995.
Go Ad-Free — And Protect The Free Press
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
“Lorne is a very forgiving man and I think he just wanted to let me know that he believed in me,” Wayans added, per the Independent.
Wayans of course went on to star in the groundbreaking sketch series “In Living Color.” He now has a new sitcom on CBS called “Poppa’s House.”
Sign up for Peacock
to stream NBCU shows.
Damon Wayans has finally opened up about the controversial stunt he pulled during his time on Saturday Night Live that ultimately led to his firing from the show. In a recent interview, the comedian explained the reasoning behind his decision to go off-script and improvise during a sketch, which ultimately crossed the line and resulted in his dismissal.
Wayans revealed that he felt constrained by the limitations of the show and wanted to push boundaries and take risks in his comedy. He saw the opportunity to break free from the constraints of the script and deliver something unexpected and memorable to the audience. While he acknowledged that his actions were reckless and ultimately led to his firing, Wayans stood by his decision to take a chance and make a statement with his performance.
Despite the consequences of his actions, Wayans remains unapologetic for his decision and views it as a learning experience that helped shape his comedic style and approach to his work. He expressed gratitude for his time on SNL and the opportunities it provided him, but ultimately felt that he needed to take a stand and assert his creative freedom.
While the incident may have cost Wayans his job on SNL, it also solidified his reputation as a bold and daring comedian willing to take risks and challenge the status quo in pursuit of his craft. Ultimately, Wayans’ decision to push boundaries and defy expectations may have been controversial, but it also cemented his place as a groundbreaking and influential figure in the world of comedy.
Tags:
Damon Wayans, SNL, sketch stunt, fired, comedian, Saturday Night Live, controversy, explanation, behind the scenes
#Damon #Wayans #Explains #SNL #Sketch #Stunt #Fired
Leave a Reply