17+ Things You Never Knew About SNL

1. SNL seems to be speed dating for celebs

Image Source/ InsiderBelieve it or not, at least seven celebrity pairings have met their one true loves through SNL itself. Among the couples are Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, Emma Stone and Dave McCary, and Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson. It looks like SNL has become a prestigious Tinder for celebs!

2. Some writers have been known to pee in jars

Image Source/ The New York TimesWhile naming no names, it's actually common knowledge that some male writers for SNL were known for peeing in cups or jars in their office instead of just going to the bathroom. While it feels ridiculously lazy and entitled, it's also a very disgusting thing for the cleaners to tidy up.

3. Jim Carrey was rejected TWICE by SNL

Image Source/ The New York TimesJim Carrey auditioned for the first time in 1980 in front of the interim associate producer Jean Doumanian. She actually went down another route and hired Charlie Rocket. After that, he actually tried auditioning again and was still faced with a no, until he finally guest hosted in 1996.

4. SNL writing sessions were full of fun and games...

Image Source/ Business InsiderIn the early days of SNL, writing sessions, which often took place on Tuesdays, weren't as sensible as you might've thought. Actually, they were all-nighters fuelled by drugs. As it appears, this no longer seems to be the case for the SNL show now, we wonder why!

5. A lot of famous names were rejected by SNL

Image Source/ YouTubeJust like Jim Carrey, a lot of well-known names were actually at the start of their careers at the time of the show's inception. Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Griffin, Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell were all among the list of big names that were actually rejected by SNL.

6. SNL sacked Chris Parnell not once but twice

Image Source/ Last Night OnChris Parnell actually managed to get fired TWICE by SNL. In 2001, Chris described his sacking as devastating when he was fired for a lack of confidence. On the second occasion in 2006, SNL were making a tough $10 million budget cut and unfortunately Chris didn't survive.

7. The after-party isn't as fun as it sounds

Image Source/ PinterestDespite being a huge hit on TV and garnering millions of viewers each week, SNL still requires their after-party attendees to buy their own food and drinks. Yep, you heard that right. Not even the cast members get the privilege of free food and drinks. Well, I bet they can afford it!

8. SNL nearly saw The Beatles reunite

Image Source/ GrungeSix years after the band split in 1976, they were offered a whopping $230 million by Sid Bernstein to reunite, which they declined. Lorne Michaels spoke directly to The Beatles on a live show, offering them a cheque of $3,000. Watching the show, Paul and Lennon actually considered jumping in a taxi, but said they were too tired.

9. There's a few Easter eggs hidden in SNL sketches

Image Source/ TwitterIf you look closely, you might actually catch sight of a few things in the background of some SNL sketches. When they shoot in the hallway outside the studio, you will nearly always see Abraham Lincoln, chorus girls and a llama, which was actually a joke created by Seth Meyers years ago.

10. Don Pardo actually made a mistake in the first ever episode

Image Source/ The New York TimesThe announcer of SNL, Don Pardo, actually jumbled up his words during the show's premiere episode. What Don was meant to say was "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players." Instead he said "Not for Ready Prime-Time Players." Lucky for him, the mistake didn't become a regular thing!

11. SNL originally paid their cast members $750 a week

Image Source/ AARPThe first season of SNL saw the cast members earn just $750 per week. After its successful first season, the cast members were getting paid $2,000 per week during season two, which rose to $4,000 per week by season 4. Apparently, NBC have been known to pay as high as $25,000 per episode for its major cast members now.

12. SNL paid A LOT for Will Ferrell

Image Source/ MetroWay back when in 2001, Will Ferrell was signed on for a full season of SNL. He's actually the highest ever paid cast member and signed a contract for $350,000 per season. Twenty years on, it's hard to imagine what that would be equal to now, or if they'd be willing to pay it!

13. Eddie Murphy called SNL for a week straight asking for a spot

Image Source/ The New York TimesSNL superfan Eddie Murphy actually phoned talent coordinator Neil Levy every day for a week to be considered for the show. Neil thought he'd give Eddie an opportunity as an extra, but was blown away by his audition and Eddie was given a contract straight away.

14. Cars needed for the show are actually dismantled and reassembled

Image Source/ NBCStudio 8H, where SNL is hosted, is not exactly capable of housing such a huge show. Its elevators are too small, which means that if a car is needed for a sketch, they have to cut it in half first to transport it, then put it back together once it's up there. Sounds like a lot of work.

15. SNL only exists because of Johnny Carson

Image Source/ Television AcademyHost of 'The Tonight Show' Johnny Carson wanted to take some extra vacation days back in 1974. In doing so, NBC moved the reruns of 'The Tonight Show' to weekly slots, which left the weekend slots opened. They hired Lorne Michaels to help develop a show for weekend viewers.

16. SNL had a different name...

Image Source/ IMDBWhen it originally aired on TV, SNL was actually labelled 'NBC's Saturday Night'. There was already another show on ABC named 'Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell', so NBC had to wait until the show's end in 1976 for the SNL to become as we know it now.

17. Lorne Michaels honoured Sinead O'Connor as brave

Image Source/ Bishop AccountabilityDuring Sinead O'Connor's infamous performance on SNL, she ripped up a photo of the pope. Causing outrage, people speculated that it had her banned from the show, but Lorne Michaels speaks fondly of Sinead: "To her the church symbolized everything that was bad about growing up in Ireland the way she grew up in Ireland, and so she was making a strong political statement."

18. Andy Kaufman was actually voted off SNL

Image Source/ NBCNotorious for being unpredictable and spontaneous, Andy Kaufman wasn't exactly a favourable SNL cast member. After his stint wrestling women roused Dick Ebersol, Kaufman asked the audience to vote for him to stay or go. 170,000 voted for him to stay, while 195,000 voted for him to go, and he never appeared on the show again.

19. SNL is, in fact, big in politics

Image Source/ Rolling StoneSNL is notorious for it's humorous comedy sketches of well-known political figures, audiences can't get enough. Well, voters have actually admitted to voting for their chosen candidate based on what they've seen on SNL. This has since been coined "The SNL Effect."

20. Most SNL sketches never actually made it to air

Image Source/ Den of GeekBeing as big as it is, it's hardly surprising that most of the sketches that were written for SNL never made it onto the television. The material must go through rounds of scrutiny to make sure it's perfect for the show. While 40-50 sketches are written every week, only around eight of them make it on air.

21. SNL's worst-performing movie was It's Pat

Image Source/ The New York TimesReleased in 1994, 'It's Pat' became the worst-performing SNL movie after only grossing $60,000. SNL had celebrated the success of the highest-grossing SNL movie just two years before with 'Wayne's World', which had actually made over $183 million across the world.

22. Conan O’Brien had doubts about Mike Myers’s Wayne Campbell

Image Source/ The IndependentWhile just starting out, Mike Myers approached SNL writer Conan O'Brien to ask his opinions on the character he was developing: Wayne. Conan actually told Mike that he could do much better with the character, but Mike ignored the advice and wrote the sketch. Conan has since said: “This poor kid is going to have to learn the hard way.”

23. Larry David suddenly quit as an SNL writer... or did he?

Image Source/ Entertainment Weekly1980's SNL writer Larry David found it hard to get his sketches on air during the show. On one occasion, Larry actually stormed up to producer Dick Ebersol and quit, just five minutes before the show was due to air. He quickly realised his mistake and turned up to work on Monday morning like nothing had happened!

24. Rachel Dracht's idea behind Debbie Downer has something to do with 9/11...

Image Source/ EsquireRachel Dracht has spoken out about her inspiration behind the SNL character Debbie Downer. While on vacation, Rachel was approached by a guest who asked where she lived. When she responded with New York, they proceeded to ask if she was there during September 11. I think it's clear how this then came about!

25. Eddie Murphy saved SNL

Image Source/ NBC NewsDespite his rocky start getting onto the show, it's actually been told that Eddie Murphy saved SNL single-handedly. Author of 'Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live' spoke about how Eddie Murphy saved the show from cancellation following Lorne Michael's departure in 1980.

26. Nora Dunn boycotted Andrew Dice Clay on SNL

Image Source/ Is It Funny Or OffensiveNora Dunn outright refused to appear on the show when Andrew Dice Clay was hosting back in the 90s. She actually said that it was his misogynistic stand-up routines that was the reason behind her distaste towards him. It seemed that this marked the end of Nora's SNL career. She's since said: “Saturday Night Live is why I have a name, but it also has its own baggage."

27. SNL's intern was our own Aubrey Plaza

Image Source/ Hollywood.comWell known now for her portrayal of April on 'Parks and Recreation', Aubrey Plaza was actually SNL's intern for a period time in 2005. After taking improv classes in school, she was eventually passed over after auditioning and was offered a part in Judd Apatow's 'Funny People'.

28. Darrell Hammond holds the SNL record for this one thing...

Image Source/ Indie WireDarrell Hammond was on SNL for a lengthy amount of time, 14 years to be exact, and it is hardly surprising that he holds a record for something. He has actually said the iconic "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" over 70 times on air, making him the person to have spoken it the most.

29. US Office writer Mindy Kaling turned down SNL

Image Source/ WikipediaOriginally auditioning to be at the forefront of SNL, Mindy Kaling didn't quite get the offer she wanted. After her audition, the producers and talent coordinators offered her a writing position instead. She actually had to turn down the opportunity due to her commitments as a writer for 'The Office'.

30. Paul Reubens was beat out by Gilbert Gottfried in 1980

Image Source/ The Daily BeastNot only did Jim Carrey lose out in 1980, so did Paul Reubens (or rather Pee-wee Herman). Paul auditioned alongside Gilbert Gottfried and was livid when he didn't get the part. In an interview with San Francisco Chronicle, he said: "I was so bitter and angry. I thought, You better think about doing something to take this to the next level."