These People Were Rejected From Saturday Night Live, And Look At Them Now

We’ve seen a ton of great actors go on to great things after a successful stint on Saturday Night Live. The iconic sketch show has been a fantastic jumping off point for so many comedians we know and love. It’s not the only jumping off point, though.

Tons of wonderful comedic actors auditioned for SNL and didn’t make the cut. Their careers didn’t end there. They went on to make Ace Ventura, star in a slew of Coen Brothers movies, and even win Oscars. Keep reading to find out which of your favorite comedians weren’t quite ready for prime time.

Mindy Kaling

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Mindy Kaling auditioned for SNL while she was working as a writer on The Office. She wanted to relocate to New York and join the writing staff at Saturday Night Live.

Greg Daniels, her boss at The Office, told her he would waive her contract if she got a cast slot, but not if she got a writing position. Kaling stayed in L.A., got cast on The Office, and then eventually got her own show, The Mindy Project.