Live from New York, it's... none of these celebs. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most well-known celebrities who were offered roles as either a cast member or host on “Saturday Night Live” but passed on the opportunity.
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00:00 "No, I can't do New York, New York. I just don't, I don't feel like it."
00:04 Welcome to MissMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most well-known celebrities
00:08 who were offered roles as either a cast member or host on Saturday Night Live, but passed on the opportunity.
00:14 "You'll need that light, Johnny."
00:16 "What?"
00:17 "For the shot."
00:19 "What shot?"
00:20 "Why, your crane shot."
00:22 Number 10. Orlando Bloom
00:25 "What's happening out there?"
00:26 "Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?"
00:31 With major roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Lord of the Rings franchises, Orlando Bloom was a hot commodity in Hollywood in the 2000s.
00:38 In 2007, while promoting the third film in the Pirates series, he was offered the opportunity to host Saturday Night Live, but declined.
00:46 "Why didn't you tell me you were planning this?"
00:48 "It was my mundare."
00:50 At the time, the actor felt particularly insecure and cited this as his reason for turning down the hosting gig.
00:56 Also, as SNL requires hosts and cast members to read lines off of cue cards, Bloom noted that this would have been challenging for him, given his dyslexia.
01:05 However, he has since gained a broader perspective on life and would jump on the Studio 8H stage in a heartbeat.
01:12 "What is it you want most?"
01:18 9. Charlie Barnett
01:20 "Wake up! I got to have it this evening. I got to be funny. I'm making a comeback."
01:26 Eddie Murphy remains one of the greatest stars to ever come from SNL, but many do not know that he only secured a spot on the show because another comedian turned down the opportunity.
01:35 That comedian was Charlie Barnett.
01:38 "I said to myself, 'Damn! Hang in there, brother."
01:42 Through the late 70s and early 80s, Barnett gained a reputation in New York City for his raunchy street performances.
01:49 He auditioned for SNL in 1980 and impressed the producers, but due to insecurities about his reading skills, Barnett chose not to attend the follow-up read-through.
01:58 Consequently, his spot was given to Murphy, which initially sparked resentment from Barnett.
02:03 Nevertheless, he went on to carve out a successful career in film and TV before his untimely demise in 1996.
02:11 "So you fellas want to do business together or what?"
02:14 "You know, I'm kind of thirsty. Y'all got any Perrier around? With a twist?"
02:23 8. Bonnie Hunt
02:26 "Play the game, Sarah."
02:28 "Oh, don't."
02:29 "Fine. Just give me the dice and you can go home. You don't have to play."
02:35 "Thank you, Alan."
02:37 "Oh my God!"
02:40 Today, Bonnie Hunt is known for her roles in films like Jumanji and Cheaper by the Dozen, as well as her voice performance in the Cars franchise.
02:47 In the early 90s, Hunt's impressive work in the renowned improv troupe Second City caught the attention of SNL creator Lorne Michaels.
02:56 She was offered a position on the show but rejected it due to concerns that it would restrict her preferred improvisational style.
03:02 "You ripped out my heart and threw it up in the air and kicked it and then stomped on it."
03:07 "Well, I didn't know I was doing that."
03:09 Hunt also noted the gender imbalance on the show at the time, highlighting a disparity in the subsequent career trajectories of female cast members compared to their male counterparts.
03:20 She would go on to forge her own path, eventually hosting her own syndicated variety talk show.
03:25 "Wait a second. Is my purse gone? And I thought, 'Oh, well thank goodness I have my keys.'
03:30 "And it doesn't matter, I don't need my purse because I'm going on an audition and I'm going to be wretched famous so it's not going to matter much."
03:35 7. Ben Stiller
03:37 "He was sucked. Not very good at all. Not very good."
03:41 "What was he doing?"
03:42 For most performers, getting on SNL is a prospect they can only dream about.
03:46 But for Ben Stiller, that dream became reality when he landed a part on the show in 1989 after his short films captured the attention of Lorne Michaels.
03:55 However, after appearing in only four episodes, Stiller chose to leave.
03:59 "You've got a real talent. You're good but you're a flake."
04:02 "I'm a flake?"
04:03 "It's good."
04:04 "Ooh, that's good."
04:05 His decision stemmed from the realization that live performances weren't his strongest suit, given his tendency to get very nervous.
04:13 Also, he wanted to continue making short films, but wasn't allowed to do so on the show.
04:17 Following his departure, he created the sketch series The Ben Stiller Show, which was cancelled after just one season, but set the stage for his remarkable career.
04:26 "It's a comedy thing, you know, we do lots of little funny films, hopefully funny. I don't know, we gotta start it up."
04:32 "Anybody have any ideas on how to start the show?"
04:35 6. Mindy Kaling
04:36 "What are you doing? I could be pregnant."
04:38 "Oh, okay, no."
04:39 "Oh, my resolution was to get more attention."
04:42 Mindy Kaling is perhaps best known for her role as Kelly Kapoor on The Office.
04:46 The show launched Kaling into Hollywood stardom and paved the way for her to create several other series.
04:51 However, Kaling's career could have taken an entirely different direction.
04:55 "Like if you grew up thinking that SNL and that lifestyle was like, you know, your name in the credits, walking through SNL's streets with the music."
05:03 "Being at the after party, being at the end of the show and everyone standing on stage and all schmoozing with one another."
05:07 "Yeah, it was like, I'll be sitting on Seth Meyers' lap."
05:09 According to The Entertainer, she was offered a chance to audition for SNL halfway through the second season of The Office.
05:15 Following her audition, she was offered a job as a writer with the potential to eventually become a cast member.
05:21 Although starring on SNL was her childhood dream, Kaling turned down the offer, choosing to remain on The Office.
05:27 Even she acknowledges the significant impact that decision could have had on her career trajectory.
05:33 "Even though I didn't do well, I could kind of rationalize it to myself. I was like, 'Well, I have this other job that people there might, they might even want that job instead.' So, where I got to act and everything."
05:42 "My name is Johnny Knoxville, and today I'm going to jump the LA River."
05:48 Although it later became a major hit, Johnny Knoxville and his crew faced an uphill battle bringing Jackass to the screen.
05:56 Despite initial challenges pitching the show to various networks, they eventually secured a deal with MTV.
06:02 While filming the pilot, SNL producers caught wind of the concept and offered Knoxville an opportunity to create five-minute stunt segments for the show.
06:10 However, Knoxville declined their offer.
06:12 "At the end of the day, it's like, am I going to go into a situation where I have no control, or am I going to bet on myself and bet on my friends?"
06:18 It was a huge gamble, but luckily it paid off in the end.
06:22 It's amusing to think that there is a parallel universe where Jackass was never made.
06:26 Thankfully, we're not living in it.
06:28 "It's so rare to have the chemistry of a group of people that come together to make something like this. And every single person is so important to the mix."
06:36 Number 4. Amy Sedaris
06:38 "My friend Tim Meadows and Chris Farley were in SNL."
06:42 "So that's your group?"
06:44 "SNL, that's kind of the tank these days. What do you think of the quality of the show?"
06:48 "Who asked you anything?"
06:50 In 1995, Janine Garofalo decided to leave SNL after only six months as a cast member.
06:56 This departure left a gap in the show that Lorne Michaels needed to fill.
07:00 Seeking another young, edgy female comic, Michaels turned to Amy Sedaris and offered her a spot.
07:06 "I have to say, that was a very funny show."
07:08 "Oh, I'm so happy you liked it."
07:10 "I had a couple of martinis before, but I'm really sure it was funny."
07:13 "And then you maybe hit a meeting or two."
07:15 Sedaris had cut her teeth at Chicago's Second City and was gaining traction in New York,
07:20 performing in an experimental off-off-Broadway show called One Woman Shoe.
07:25 However, the comedian was already fulfilled with the experience of working on her own show, so she declined the opportunity.
07:32 Later that year, she began starring in the Comedy Central sketch series Exit 57,
07:37 marking the beginning of her successful comedy career.
07:41 "Paul and I were just talking about your competitive streak. Always gotta win."
07:44 "I don't always have to win, I just did."
07:47 3. John Candy
07:49 Legendary Canadian actor and comedian John Candy got his start as a member of Second City in Toronto.
07:55 "He was a star, and he had a show called Street Beef. And he was a man.
08:03 Take him for all in all, and they shall not see his like again."
08:09 The Canadian branch would launch the careers of future SNL stars such as Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and Martin Short.
08:17 In 1980, Candy was poised to join their ranks.
08:21 Amid the shake-up at the NBC series that year, producer Dick Ebersole sought to entice Candy,
08:27 already a star on the Toronto-based SCTV sketch show, over to SNL.
08:32 "Oh, I had talent. I had talent. I had more talent than this little finger."
08:38 Preferring not to be embroiled in a tug-of-war between both shows, the comedian turned down the offer and remained at SCTV.
08:46 Nevertheless, there was no love lost, as Candy went on to host SNL in 1983.
08:52 "Well, I hope you enjoyed this good little talk we had. I know I did. I've got to be going now, Tom."
08:58 2. Catherine O'Hara
09:00 "It's my first live special. And it's going to be so A-live it's scary!"
09:07 Much like John Candy, Catherine O'Hara began her journey at Toronto's Second City troupe,
09:12 and eventually became a cast member on SCTV. In the early '80s, while the future of the sketch series hung in the balance,
09:19 O'Hara secured a position on the sixth season of SNL.
09:23 "Oh, thank you. I am shocked and delighted to be here."
09:26 The actress had already taken headshots and begun rehearsing sketches, but she never quite fit in there.
09:32 As luck would have it, SCTV was renewed for another season with NBC, and O'Hara was invited by the producers to return.
09:40 After a brief two-week stint as an SNL cast member, O'Hara quit the show before the season even began and went back to SCTV.
09:48 "Woo! I did it!"
09:50 "Watch what you say, young lady."
09:52 "I say whatever I like. It's my show!"
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10:10 1. Jennifer Aniston
10:12 "So, you wanna tell us now, or are we waiting for four wet bridesmaids?"
10:16 Around the same time she landed her breakthrough role as Rachel Green on Friends,
10:20 Jennifer Aniston was presented with another significant opportunity, a spot as a cast member on SNL.
10:26 However, the actress opted for Friends over SNL, due to her concerns about the perceived mistreatment of the female cast members and the show's "boys club" atmosphere.
10:36 "You lectured Lauren-" "I didn't lecture, I was just saying what I would hope if I was to do this, what I would hope it to be."
10:43 "And did he look at you like just, 'Hey, who are you to tell me?'"
10:46 "No."
10:48 At the time, this seemed like a ridiculous decision, seeing as Friends had not yet premiered,
10:53 so there was no way of knowing how successful it was going to be.
10:56 Needless to say, her choice paid off, as the show exceeded expectations, becoming a ratings and cultural giant,
11:04 and earning Aniston an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy.
11:09 "I just have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, this has been the greatest nine years of my entire life."
11:16 What other celebrities do you know of that were not ready for primetime? Let us know in the comments.
11:22 "It always really intimidated me how funny and clever that show is, so when I was asked to do it, long, long ago, I always said no because I was just too afraid."
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