Damon Wayans Reflects on SNL Experience

Damon Wayans reflects on his brief tenure at 'Saturday Night Live' (SNL) during the 1985-1986 season in the Peacock docuseries 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night.' He recalls feeling confident about joining the show and cites Eddie Murphy's advice to write his own sketches to avoid stereotypical roles, which unfortunately came true as his contributions were often sidelined. Frustrated with being cast in roles he found unacceptable, Wayans improvised during a live sketch by portraying a character as an effeminate gay stereotype, leading to his firing by SNL creator Lorne Michaels. This decisive act was intentional, as Wayans wanted to be fired due to the creative constraints he faced. Despite the setback, Wayans was later invited back to perform stand-up and went on to success with his own show 'In Living Color.' The incident has since been a point of reflection and humor for Wayans as he looks back on his SNL experience.