Not all of Saturday Night Live's guest performers have become friends of the show, and some have even been banned from returning. Since the NBC late-night sketch comedy institution has been going strong for over 40 years, it's no surprise that literally hundreds of talented guests have graced the SNL stage in New York City, alongside the show's normal cast members. Those that have entered the Saturday Night Live studio include former and future politicians, A-list movie stars, stand-up legends, and of course, iconic musicians and bands.
As has become a common refrain whenever people who aren't experienced actors or comedians host Saturday Night Live though, not everyone enlisted to host or perform as a guest on the show ends up doing a good job. Sometimes they're just not suited - such as with Robert Downey Jr. - for the rapid-fire style of comedy needed for live sketch success, while other times they just don't click with the SNL cast, or the live studio audience.
Yet, there are also times where performers appear on SNL and ruffle so many feathers that not only don't they get invited back, they get outright banned from returning. Every person or group that's happened too is discussed below, as is how exactly they managed to anger the cast, NBC, creator Lorne Michaels, or even all three enough to be told to hit the road. Some of the names in question prove that simply being a big star doesn't mean a free pass from a Saturday Night Live ban. Here are all the performers who will never receive a return invitation.
Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase has a bad reputation for being pretty miserable to work with, and to this day is the only former Saturday Night Live cast member to be banned from the show. The ban stems from Chase's last time hosting, in 1997, during which he's said to have been abusive to the cast members, including actually slapping the back of Cheri Oteri's head. This caused Lorne Michaels to ban him from ever hosting SNL again. However, Chase has made a few brief cameo appearances on the SNL stage in the decades since.
Martin Lawrence
Sitcom star and stand-up comedian Martin Lawrence was banned from ever returning to Saturday Night Live after his first outing as host in 1994 went terribly awry in the eyes of Michaels and NBC. Bad Boys star Lawrence departed from his rehearsed opening monologue, launching into a long rant about genitals and feminine hygiene that shocked producers. The offending portions have been edited out of re-airings.
Steven Seagal
Former Hollywood action star Steven Seagal is another actor with a reputation for being difficult, making it hardly a surprise he got banned from Saturday Night Live. Beyond issues successfully working alongside SNL's cast and crew though, the primary reason for Seagal's ban was, slightly prosaically, that his 1991 hosting gig was awful. Today, it is commonly cited as being one of the worst episodes ever.
Adrien Brody
Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody hosted Saturday Night Live for his one and only time on May 10, 2003. The reason for his subsequent ban from the show is Brody's odd decision to deliver a highly regrettable, and entirely unplanned, introduction for musical guest Sean Paul. Future Chapelwaite star Brody introduced Paul - a reggae musician - while wearing hideous fake dreadlocks and a tank-top shirt.
Charles Grodin
Late actor and comedian Charles Grodin hosted Saturday Night Live one time, in October 1977. What's notable here though is that he wasn't actually banned from returning, despite rumors to the contrary persisting for decades due to Grodin's odd antics on the show. He played the episode as meta-comedy, acting like he'd skipped rehearsal, and even breaking the fourth wall during sketches. However, Grodin has confirmed he was indeed invited back.
Sinead O'Connor
Irish singer Sinead O'Connor, most famous for the hit song "Nothing Compares 2 U," served as Saturday Night Live's musical guest twice, in 1990 and 1992. She was banned after the 1992 appearance, in which she infamously tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II and said "fight the real enemy." This entirely unplanned interlude ensured she never featured again.
Andy Kaufman
While a comedy legend, the late Andy Kaufman was also quite controversial in his day, including during some of his many appearances on Saturday Night Live. This led SNL producer Dick Ebersol to make the strange move of holding an audience call-in vote on whether Kaufman should be welcome back at the show or not. Surprisingly, he lost the vote, and never appeared again before his death in 1984.
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine has always been a very political band, so it's kind of ridiculous that Saturday Night Live expected them to not be so when performing on the show. Yet, a political display got them banned. The band took the stage to perform their hit "Bulls on Parade" in 1996, but did so with upside-down American flags behind them, as a protest of that episode's host being billionaire Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes. This enraged producers, who removed the flags, and canceled their second song.
Cypress Hill
In another case of Saturday Night Live and NBC perhaps not understanding what they signed up for, hip hop group Cypress Hill ended up banned after performing on the show in 1993. Group member DJ Muggs lit up some marijuana live on air, and the group also destroyed their instruments on stage after playing. Considering Cypress Hill is notorious for their love of weed, the decision seems like a major oversight from producers.
Elvis Costello
Renowned musician Elvis Costello is a rare case of a banned performer who eventually got his ban lifted. Costello was the musical guest on a December 1977 episode, and angered Lorne Michaels by not performing his planned second song, and instead performing a different one. When doing a live show, timing is very important, and Michaels hates unplanned changes like that. Costello was welcomed back in 1989 and 1991.
Kanye West
Controversial rap star Kanye West is the latest performer said to be banned from Saturday Night Live, but whether his ban is real or not is a bit fuzzy. While West drew controversy by previously going on a pro-Donald Trump rant while on the SNL stage, his rumored ban is actually due to his ongoing feud with cast member Pete Davidson, who's currently dating West's ex-wife Kim Kardashian. The weird thing is, later reports say he's actually not been banned, although any kind of official statement by NBC has yet to be made.
The Rest
In addition to the above mentioned performers, some other less high-profile names have also been banned from Saturday Night Live. Comedian Milton Berle was banned after generally being impossible to work with during his 1979 hosting gig, and doing things without Lorne Michaels' sign-off. 1980s TV star - and later accused murderer - Robert Blake was banned after also generally being a chore to work with when he hosted in 1982. Eclectic musician Frank Zappa was banned after clashing with the cast and breaking the fourth wall during his 1978 SNL hosting appearance. Sitcom star Louise Lasser was banned after erratic behavior during her SNL hosting gig in 1976. Alternative rock band The Replacements were banned in 1986 after performing their second song drunk. Finally, punk band Fear was banned in 1981 due to chaotic onstage behavior.