Looper calls the Seagal episode "the biggest train wreck in SNL's storied history." They claim that NBC has tried to the best of their ability to ensure that no clips of the episode can be found-the whole episode was even omitted from the season when it was released to Netflix. He didn't realize that you can't tell somebody they're stupid on Wednesday and expect them to continue writing for you on Saturday." He just wasn't funny, and he was very critical of the cast and writing staff. "The biggest problem with Steven Seagal," Meadows said, "was that he would complain about jokes that he didn't get, so it was like-you can't explain something to somebody in German if they don't speak German. 5, while on Rob Lowe's new podcast, Literally!, Spade said the root of Seagal's struggle was his unwillingness to let loose, make fun of himself, and trust the writers and comedians.Īnother cast member during Seagal's hosting, Tim Meadows, discussed the infamous show in the book Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests. While playing "Plead the Fifth" on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2015, former SNL cast member David Spade admitted that Seagal was "tough to work with." Spade said it was hard because Seagal was not willing to play along, which is the whole basis for the show. Michaels isn't the only SNL staffer to display disdain for Seagal. That would be Steven Seagal." Shutterstock
During Cage's opening monologue, he said the audience members probably think he's "the biggest jerk who's ever been on the show," to which Lorne responded, "No, no. According to Looper, although Seagal did act like a bit of a diva during his week at SNL, that was apparently more forgivable than his failure of a performance on the show.Ĭo-creator and producer Lorne Michaels confirmed his contempt for Seagal during a 1992 episode hosted by Nicolas Cage. The host wasn't responsible for causing a ruckus, a fire, or a media storm-he was just extremely unfunny and inflexible. Seagal's behavior on SNL back in 1991 was bad enough to have him banned from ever being welcomed back again.