Damon Wayans Reveals the Bold Move That Got Him Fired from SNL
Damon Wayans’ time on Saturday Night Live was short, but it sure left a mark. His stint on the show is one of those behind-the-scenes stories that’s part comedy, part drama, and full of surprises—especially the moment he got fired in one of the most unexpected ways.
Damon Wayans Rise To Fame
It all started in the mid-’80s, when Damon was a rising star in comedy. After making waves on the New York stand-up scene and landing a small but memorable role in “Beverly Hills Cop,” he caught the attention of “SNL.” For any comedian, getting that call was huge. Damon didn’t just want to be on the show; he had big ideas. He was ready to bring fresh, edgy humor to the table and push the boundaries of sketch comedy.
Damon Wayans SNL Journey
But when he actually got to “SNL,” things didn’t go as planned. The show had a very specific way of doing things, and Damon’s new ideas didn’t exactly fit the mold. He came in with a bunch of characters he thought could shake things up, but the response from the writers was less than enthusiastic. What really got under his skin, though, were the stereotypical roles he was often pushed into. Eddie Murphy, who had already made a name for himself on the show, had warned him, “If you don’t write your own sketches, they’ll give you some ‘Black people’ stuff to do, and you won’t like it.” Unfortunately, Eddie’s advice proved all too accurate.
As the weeks went by, Damon started to feel like he was stuck, boxed in by roles that didn’t reflect his true comedic style. The frustration built, and then came the infamous moment that changed everything. During a live sketch, Damon went completely off-script. Instead of playing the role as written, he turned it into an over-the-top, flamboyant, gay stereotype—something that shocked both the cast and the audience.
It wasn’t an accident. Damon later admitted, “I snapped. I just did not care. I purposely did that because I wanted [Michaels] to fire me.” And sure enough, SNL’s big boss, Lorne Michaels, didn’t hesitate—Damon was out the door.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Instead of wallowing in defeat, Damon felt a sense of freedom. He wasn’t crushed by the firing—in fact, he felt liberated. And to everyone’s surprise, “SNL” invited him back for the season finale. But it wasn’t just a cameo or an apology; they invited him to perform stand-up. It was as if the show recognized that Damon’s talent was too big to ignore, even if his time there had been short and chaotic.
Damon’s return to the stage was nothing short of a triumph. He delivered a set that was raw, hilarious, and all his own—a side of him that “SNL” had never fully seen. That performance made it clear that this wasn’t the end of his career; it was just the beginning of something bigger.
And it was. After leaving “SNL,” Damon took everything he had learned and channeled it into “In Living Color.” Co-created with his brother Keenen, the show became a groundbreaking success. It was bold, it was funny, and it unapologetically broke stereotypes in ways that mainstream TV wasn’t ready for. “In Living Color” didn’t just change sketch comedy; it changed TV, launching the careers of comedians like Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, and of course, the entire Wayans family.
So while Damon’s time on “SNL” may have been short, it set the stage for a whole new chapter in his career—a chapter that turned him into a comedy icon. Sometimes getting fired is just the push you need to create something even greater. For Damon Wayans, that firing was the spark that ignited his comedy empire.
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