Top 20 Times SNL Cast Members Went Wildly Off Script

Top 20 Times SNL Cast Members Went Wildly Off-Script

Welcome to MsMojo, and today were looking at instances where SNL cast members or hosts took a sketch in unexpected (and unscripted) directions.

Some SNL cast members can create a wide variety of personalities. Others specialize in just playing themselves. Even when Pete Davidson is dressed as a character like Count Chocula, hes still basically playing Pete Davidson. Dave Chappelle only emphasized this in an edgy sketch featuring Maya Rudolph as Aunt Jemima and Kenan Thompson as Uncle Ben. Chappelle is the Allstate Guy, although he starts breaking before even delivering his first line. When a certain cereal mascot shows up, Chappelle looks directly into the camera, telling America to look at Pete Davidsons lips. Not Count Choculas lips, Pete Davidsons. The fourth wall break seemingly crept up on Davidson, who spits out his vampire fangs in laughter before shoving them back in.

A highlight from the shows 50th anniversary special saw Eddie Murphy, Kenan Thompson, and Will Ferrell as a trio of inmates attempting to scare a group of delinquents straight. Thompson begins to crack when Ferrell enters the mix. Although Murphy manages to remain composed for most of the sketch, things start to go off track after he breaks the fourth wall with an f-bomb. While you could at least argue that this profanity keeps in character, Murphy and Thompson lose control when Ferrell stumbles over a line about Buddy the Elf. It goes to show that even with years of experience under ones belt, no SNL vet is immune to breaking. Hey, its not like thats a crime.

One of the all-time greats, Norm Macdonald was undeniably dedicated to his craft. At the same time, Macdonald often looked like he just didnt give a crap. Nowhere was this more evident than in a 1998 sketch when Sarah Michelle Gellar hosted. Revolving around a show aimed at teenage girls, Macdonald appears as an old man who directed Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Although Macdonald was in his late 30s, he created an elderly illusion with white hair, thick glasses, and a mustache which falls off. Rather than ignore this hiccup, Macdonald calls attention to the cheap prop, saying that he bought the mustache off the street. Good thing the sketch required his co-stars to giggle. Otherwise, their laughter wouldve stood out like, well a fake mustache.

The king of insult comedy only hosted SNL once in 1984. In typical Don Rickles fashion, he made a mockery of the show, throwing in more than a few ad-libs. The most notable example is when Rickles plays a man entering the witness relocation program. When his character is given a cowboy hat as a disguise, Rickles lets loose. Joe Piscopo tries to go along with it, although Rickles tells him to stick to the script while he injects the funny stuff. Rickles and Piscopo proceed to playfully slap one another as they continually chuckle between their lines - some of which are clearly spontaneous. All the while, Jim Belushi does his best not to join in the slaphappy madness.

Buck Henry would host SNL ten times, becoming the first to enter the Five-Timers Club. As impressive as that milestone is, Henrys time on SNL is largely defined by a 1976 sketch with John Belushi. As his samurai character, Belushi was his usual livewire self, although the sketch reached another level of chaos when he accidentally whacked his sword into Henrys forehead. Although Henry exited the scene before it became apparent to the audience, the sword left a cut. Ironically, a doctor was already there for Belushi, but it was Henry who needed medical attention. Henry went through the rest of the episode with a bandage on his head. The cast members got in on the joke, also wearing bandages.

Jimmy Fallon and host Sean Hayes play a couple of snarky clothing clerks who pride themselves on being superior to their customers. Conversing with Horatio Sanz, Fallon and Hayes lose their cool before Will Ferrell even shows up. That said, when Ferrell arrives on a scooter with a bowl cut and sunglasses, Fallon and Hayes are beyond staying in character. Fallon, we expect to break at some point in every sketch. When Ferrell cant keep a straight face, though, you know the sketch has gone to pieces. The ridiculously tiny cell phone is the kicker that gets Ferrell to crack a grin before fully giving into the giggles. By the end, everyone seems content with just laughing to the finish line.

Its hard to think of a character who broke more frequently than Weekend Update city correspondent Stefon, who Bill Hader created with John Mulaney. Stefons constant breaking was by design. Mulaney essentially trolled Hader, writing new jokes before going live. Even during rehearsals, Hader had to summon all of his willpower not to crack up while playing Stefon. So, whenever Mulaney threw him a curveball, Hader was pretty much helpless. Just as the audience never knew what Stefon would say next, Hader couldnt always predict what would be on his cue cards. Throughout his SNL tenure, Hader was meticulous when it came to learning his lines. Yet, his most famous character is one he could never fully prepare for.

Were just going to say it. Adam Drivers most transformative performance was on SNL, playing oil baron Abraham H. Parnassus. Were not kidding when we say that Driver brings the same intense gravitas as Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. This only makes the Career Day sketch more hilarious. Pete Davidson isnt the only one who cant look Driver in the eyes with a straight face as he delivers deranged rantings about crushing his enemies. Nobody takes a harder beating than a bird. Granted, the bird is already dead, but it still looks painful as Parnassus slams the feathered friend onto the floor. When Parnassus starts stabbing the bird with his cane, the classroom isnt sure whether to laugh or gasp in horror.

Rehearsals allow cast members to get all of their giggles out before going live. Of course, when acting opposite a comedic force like Chris Farley, there was almost always some leftover laughter that made it to air. The most prominent case was the debut of Farleys most quotable character, Matt Foley. David Spade and host Christina Applegate can only do so much to conceal their smiles as Farley throws himself into the sketch. We mean that literally, as Farley comes crashing into the coffee table. Although Farley had planned this fall, his co-stars werent informed ahead. Although Farley picks himself up quickly, you can sense everyone else is wondering if this was an accident or part of Farleys genius. Either way, they werent ready.

Usually, when SNL goes off-script, its an innocent mistake that cant be helped. This wasnt the case when Damon Wayans decided that hed had enough of the sketch series. If Lorne Michaels wasnt going to showcase his talents, Wayans figured hed steal the spotlight himself. During a sketch where he played a cop, Wayans gave the character a gay twist at the last minute. So, instead of focusing on Jon Lovitzs Mr. Monopoly, Wayans questionable acting choice became the talking point. This was an act of self-sabotage. Wayans knew such a stunt was grounds for termination. Michaels gave him exactly what he wanted, although hed still welcome Wayans back to the show. SNL certainly wasnt the end of Wayans career either.

One of the most legendary sketches in the shows history involves Rachel Dratchs pessimistic character, Debbie Downer. Dratch had everyone in stitches - including herself - during the debut of the character. Her first appearance came on May 1, 2004, and it involved Debbie and her family at Disney World. The sketch is famous because everyone loses their composure and tries their absolute darndest to contain their laughter. It doesnt work not even a little bit. Various parts of this bit were reportedly not fully planned by the cast, including the famous trombone sound. It seemingly catches everyone off guard, most noticeably Jimmy Fallon, whos clearly - and hilariously - bewildered by it.

In this classic sketch, Will Ferrell plays Harry Caray, a real sports broadcaster who commentated on baseball for over fifty years. Only this time he isnt talking about baseball, but space. His guest is astrophysicist Kent Wahler, played by Jeff Goldblum. Legend has it that Ferrell ad-libbed some of his lines, resulting in Goldblum nearly breaking character. The latter star is visibly confused at times, looking off-screen, glancing at the cue cards, and trying to suppress both his puzzled expressions and his laughter. At one point, he can only raise his hands and say this: [Im confused.] Thats okay, it makes for great comedy.

Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph make for a fantastic comedic duo, and their chemistry is on full display throughout this bit. Called Super Showcase Spokesmodels, its basically a parody of The Price Is Right and its reliance on modeling prizes with attractive women. Wiig and Rudolph are barely holding it together, and their case of the giggles and us watching as well. But the unscripted moments keep coming, as Wiig drives the golf cart. First, she nearly tramples Rudolph while backing up. She then plows the cart through the backdrop, prompting Rudolph to laugh and Hader to exclaim: [That wasnt supposed to happen!]. Maybe not, but the sketch is even better because of it.

A few celebrities have been banned from Saturday Night Live. Oscar winner Adrien Brody is rumored to be one of them. While hosting the show on May 10, 2003, Brody was required to introduce artist Sean Paul, whos Jamaican. To do so, he started talking with a stereotypical accent while donning fake dreadlocks. This offensive bit is thought to have been improvised, and it reportedly irritated many, including SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels. Brody once said he knows nothing about a so-called ban. But as of September 2022, he hasnt made another appearance on the show.

They say that the show must go on. Yes, even if you are suddenly presented with a surprisingly stinky basket of meat. Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon star as Wylene and Vaneta, the owners of Smokery Farms. They present a giant basket of assorted raw meat, and things immediately go off the rails. The stench is clearly overwhelming for the performers, and they do everything they can to prevent themselves from gagging. McKinnon simply laughs, while Bryant makes disgusted noises and seemingly riffs about the scent. They remain in character throughout, but its pretty evident that they want nothing more than to drop that basket and run.

Theres breaking character, and then theres what happened between Candice Bergen and Gilda Radner. In this sketch, Bergen plays Fern, but on one occasion, she accidentally calls her co-star by her own characters name. This is extra amusing, as shes actually scolding Radners persona for being ditzy. Rather than just going with it, Bergen winds up collapsing into a fit of laughter. As for Radner, she flawlessly addresses the camera and the irony of the whole situation. The late star certainly knew how to capture a moment and spin it into comedy gold.

A few f-bombs have been dropped on SNL throughout the years, including one by Kristen Stewart. But none have been as bad or as legendary as the one that came out of the late Charles Rockets mouth. The comedian was starring in sketches that spoofed the Who shot J.R.? phenomenon of TV series Dallas, with his character taking the place of J.R. As the episode nears its end, he expresses his desire to get to the bottom of things in a rather explicit manner. The live curse obviously wasnt in the script, as it broke some serious broadcasting regulations. Rocket was later fired from the show for a variety of reasons, this potentially being one of them.

Aidy Bryant makes another appearance on this list, only this time the humor doesnt come from her. Well, it kind of does. Shes starring in a bit called Inside the Beltway, which parodies political pundits and talk shows. During the segment, a wardrobe person, named Audrey, waltzes onstage and starts grabbing at her arm. Bryant is quick to smile and wave her off, and she disappears with a giggle. It almost works within the context of the sketch, but this was a genuine mistake made by the dresser. She came on a tad too early, and suffice it to say, the flub caused everyone, especially Bryant, to lose it.

Ryan Gosling often tackles roles that allow him to flex some dramatic acting muscles, so we dont see him let loose as often as wed like. But he certainly has a funny bone. While hosting, Gosling appeared in an alien-themed sketch called Close Encounter with Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, and Bobby Moynihan. McKinnon makes him break, and the rest of the segment descends into total chaos. Strong quickly improvises to explain away Goslings reaction, somehow making the whole thing even better. Bryant and Moynihan dont exactly keep it together, either. McKinnon, meanwhile, rightfully seems pretty proud of what shes accomplished. Hey, theres a reason this became one of her most beloved characters.

Sometimes, accidents result in unintentional comedy gold. Thats what happened in this hysterical sketch called Girlfriends Game Night. Cecily Strongs character brings her elderly partner Horace to, you guessed it, game night. Hes played by Bill Hader in a bald cap, and has a motorized wheelchair. Its this wheelchair that will later prove the source of all the hilarity. While backing up, Hader inadvertently runs into Melissa Villaseñor and pushes her chair into the nearby table. Both actors have to hide their laughing faces from the camera, and Hader cant even get through his next line without cracking up. The chair pushing mistake was all him, and it served as a gut-busting ending to an already funny bit.

Can you think of any other SNL sketches that went off-script? Let us know in the comments.