Saturday Night Live premiered almost 45 years ago and since then, the show has given the world some of the many comic geniuses. SNL has continually delivered sketches and digital shorts that go viral and the show owes its success to the creative people who pour their heart and soul into it. Unfortunately, when you put so many creative minds together and subject them to continued pressure, fights and arguments are bound to happen. Even the best SNL cast members have had rough days. In this video, we tell you about 15 fights that happened on Saturday Live. While some of these fights ended up in fistfights and punches, others turned into decade-long feuds. We bet you will be surprised to know the reason why Chevy Chase and Will Ferrell have a mutual disliking for each other.
Chevy Chase vs Bill Murray
Back in the 70s, ‘Bill Murray or Chevy Chase: Who’s your favourite?’ was a common question and fans often found it difficult to take sides. In 1976, SNL creator Lorne Michaels chose Bill Murray to replace Chevy Chase, the original anchor of the Weekend Update segment on SNL. Murray became a favourite of SNL fans in only a short amount of time and Chase obviously had a hard time digesting this fact. Rumour has it that when Chase returned to host an episode during season 3 of the show, he and Murray got into a proper fight and Murray’s brother had to pull the two apart.
Chevy Chase vs Terry Sweeney
Bill Murray isn’t the only one Chevy Chase hated or offended. Ten years after he got into a Hollywood fight with Murray, Chevy Chase did not think twice before making fun of Robert Downey Jr.’s deceased father. The American comedian and screenwriter did not flinch once while saying on National Television that Robert Downey Sr. had died and gone to hell. And he once again crossed all lines when he wrote a comedy sketch about Terry Sweeney, the first openly gay male cast member of Saturday Night Live, getting AIDS. This time, Chase was so out of line that he had to apologize to Sweeney, which Chase did not like at all.
Chevy Chase vs Will Ferrel
Chevy Chase is not only one of the original Saturday Night Live cast members, but also one of the biggest Hollywood actors of the 80s. His dry wit played a key role in winning him the love and laughter of audiences. It is, therefore, very surprising that the legendary funnyman appears to have receded into oblivion. We think the reason can be the number of people Chevy offends. During the 1990s, Chevy picked up beef with Will Ferrel after the he had heard Chase making some questionable statements to female staff members, which bordered on sexual assault.
Eddie Murphy and David Spade
Saturday Night Live played a key role in establishing Eddie Murphy’s career as a comic artist as well as an actor. In fact, Murphy’s character on the show was so famous that the creators of 30 Rock used it as inspiration for the character of Tracy Morgan. However, in an interview with Jerry Seinfeld, Morgan confessed that he had only a few regrets in life and one of them was yelling at SNL cast member David Spade. So, what really happened between Spade and Murphy?
Well, while doing Hollywood Minute on Saturday Night Live, Spade poked fun at Eddie and called him a ‘falling star’ after his A Vampire in Brooklyn tanked at the box office. The incident did not go well with Eddie, who called Spade on the following Monday and let him have it.
The tussle between David Spade and Eddie Murphie lasted years and was the main reason why Eddie stayed away from SNL for almost two decades. You may remember this as one of the most unforgettable showdowns on SNL, but wait till we tell you about the argument between Louis C.K. and Michael Lorne. So, stick around. Meanwhile, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel for more interesting videos like this one.
John Belushi vs. Female Writers
Female writers aren’t funny — this statement is not only misogynistic but also completely untrue. Over time, the women of Saturday Night Live have delivered one incredible comedy sketch after another, rightly earning the title of the Queens of Sketch Comedy. However, John Belushi, being the misogynist that he was, often rallied the ‘women writers aren’t funny’ idea on SNL and even tried to sabotage the work of women writers. During an interview with Oprah, Jane Curtin, who rose to fame with her 1979-1980 stint on SNL, shared with Oprah that women on Saturday Night Live were not able to contribute their work because men often sabotaged them – and one such man was John Belushi.
Chris Kattan vs Norman MacDonald
In November 1997, in an interview given to Rolling Stone, Norm Macdonald made his feelings for Chris Kattan abundantly clear to the world when he called Kattan gay and unfunny. In the same article, Kattan responded by calling MacDonald an asshole. However, how and why did things get so sour between the two SNL alums? In 2015, Kattan shared that during their early SNL days, Kattan and MacDonald got into a bizarre argument during a pitch meeting. The meeting ended with two calling each other all kinds of names. However, Kattan later retracted this statement.
Norm Macdonald vs. The Higher Ups at NBC
Norm Macdonald was two very opposite personalities on stage and off stage. While in reality, he was shy and quiet, he would set the stage on fire with his one-liners and perfect comic timing. For a time, he had the prized position of anchoring the Weekend Update segments, and although he did well, he did piss some people off, among which were the higher-ups in NBC. Macdonald wouldn’t stop mentioning the OJ Simpson case, which rubbed many people the wrong way. The next thing he knew, lo and behold, he was out of the show.
Anonymous SNL Cast Member vs an Elevator Operator
Jane Curtin, who is often referred to as the Queen of the Deadpan, is one of the original cast members of SNL and has seen many comedians make the journey from being anonymous comedians to audience’s favourites. According to Curtin, while some people take fame well, some others take it to their head quite quickly. In an interview with TV critic Tom Shales, Curtin shared that an SNL cast member once punched an elevator operator in the face after the poor fellow made the mistake of asking the cast member for their ID. Unfortunately, Jane did not disclose the name of this anonymous cast member.
Kanye West vs. The Setup Crew
It’s no secret that celebrities are prone to overreacting and throwing fits. It’s also no secret that Kanye West is an A-lister when it comes to throwing a hissy fit. Back in 2016, West was invited for an episode of Saturday Night Live. True to his usual temperamental nature, the rapper created a scene with guns blazing when someone on the set moved a prop. He went up against the entire backstage, ranting how he wanted everything right, so it could ‘break the internet’. Of course, we’ve left out some of his more explicit phrasings.
Milton Berle vs. the Producers, Cast, and Crew
While many have caused scenes on the sets of Saturday Night Live, Milton Berle did something truly unique – he created such a ruckus that he was banned from the show, and the episode in question was never rerun. Back in 1979, Berle was invited as a guest host on Saturday Night Live. While it seemed great at the start, it went downhill very quickly. Berle hijacked the production, did something very unlike the show’s format, and ended it with a staged standing ovation.
Producer Michaels was against Berle from the very start but relented because an associate producer insisted it would go well. The most disturbing part of Berle’s entire gig was he would walk around in front of everyone in his underwear and a robe. And he took it a step too far by whipping out his favourite body part when writer Alan Zweibel merely commented about the many jokes on Berle’s manhood.
Cheri Oteri vs. Another Writer on SNL
It’s embarrassing when you behave in an unbecoming way in front of an idol, and writer Cheri Oteri had the misfortune to experience this first-hand. On a certain day, Oteri and her writing partner got into a huge brawl, and not the silent kind. When Oteri walked off, she spotted Bill Murray, who she idolizes. Oteri explained in an interview that the need for 90 minutes’ worth of content every week put immense pressure on the writers, and at times, the stress got to them. Luckily for her, Murray was a sport, and when she apologized for her behaviour the next day, he assured her it was perfectly normal.
Mike Myers vs. Dana Carvey
Performers Mike Myers and Dana Carvey of Saturday Night Live fame are extremely believable actors. As a viewer, you are likely to believe they’re great friends, but the reality is far from it. In the 90s, both comedians were cast in a movie inspired by a Wayne’s World sketch that they performed during the show. There were rumours Myers tried to ensure Carvey wasn’t a part of the film, so there was no chance of him being upstaged. In another instance, Carvey said Myers stole his impression of Michaels for a character in another film.
Janeane Garofalo vs. SNL’s ‘Boy Club’
The mid-90s was a hard time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, especially if you were female. Performers Janeane Garofalo said the environment on set was toxic, and one had to endure what was similar to a boy club. She also mentioned she felt the writing was poor, and the sketches were homophobic and generally not up to the standard. Comedian Chris Elliot also said that the general environment on set was toxic. Between 1992 and 1995, much of the cast left as a result of the unfavourable conditions.
The Writers vs. Lorne Michaels
No one likes being underpaid, and the same is true for the writers of Saturday Night Live. Apparently, during the early 80s, the show’s writers felt they were grossly underpaid, and they decided they wouldn’t stay quiet about it. What ensued was no peaceful protest; they got riotous and behaved like an angry mob. When Michaels came to see what the ruckus was all about, they confronted him, and what did he do? Nothing, he just quietly walked back to his office, shutting the door behind him.
Louis C.K. vs. Lorne Michaels
Creator and producer Lorne Michaels and the comedian Louis CK had a disagreement when the latter was invited to host SNL for the second time. Louis C.K. wanted to do a 12-minute monologue, something that’s not in line with the show’s format, and Michaels agreed to only a 7-minute one.
What followed was an angry explosion from Louis C.K. Michaels consoled him that no one had ever done a 7-minute monologue before, so this was already beyond the show’s normal standard. When Louis C.K. remained unbending and threatened to continue on for longer on stage, Michaels put an end to it by saying that would be unprofessional.
One would imagine that in an era where everyone knows everything, all thanks to the internet, celebrities would be more careful about getting into fights and scuffles. However, turns out writers and celebrities are just like everyone else, sometimes they find it hard to keep their temper under check. Did you enjoy this video on celebrity fights that happened on Saturday Night Live? Is there any that we missed? If yes, please let us know in the comments section. Meanwhile, before you sign out, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated about all our latest videos.
