SNL Unleashed: 13 Behind-the-Scenes Tales of Saturday Night Live

      As Saturday Night Live kicks off its 51st season, we delve into some behind-the-scenes anecdotes that highlight how some of the most outrageous moments occur away from the spotlight.

      From inappropriate language to notorious protests, certain incidents left Lorne Michaels and his team feeling uneasy.

      So, without further ado, live from New York… it’s Saturday night.

      Bill Murray vs. Chevy Chase

      Warner Bros. – Credit: C/O

      In a tale recounted by Nick De Semlyen in his excellent book Wild and Crazy Guys, Bill Murray punched Chevy Chase during the eleventh episode of Season 3, which aired on February 18, 1978, after Chase returned to host.

      Murray had taken over for Chase when he quit the show midway through Season 2, and the SNL crew felt abandoned by Chase, as noted by Semlyen. His comeback left a bad impression, the author noted.

      Leading up to the taping, Murray and Chase exchanged insults, culminating in Murray landing a punch. This sparked “a huge altercation,” according to John Landis, an eyewitness cited in the book. “They were two big guys really going at it.” Yet Murray characterized it as “a Hollywood fight; a don’t-touch-my-face kind of thing.”

      Nonetheless, the show continued, and Chase and Murray eventually reconciled for the film Caddyshack in 1980.

      The Mask of Jeff Daniels

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Before Jeff Daniels hosted the October 5, 1991 episode, he followed a typical tradition among hosts: a visit to the makeup department for a face mask fitting.

      SNL star David Spade detailed the process in his humorous memoir, Almost Interesting: To create a mold for a dummy or a special effect, a plaster-like substance is applied to the face after a stocking cap is placed overhead, with two straws inserted for breathing. The process typically takes about 15 minutes.

      However, Daniels' mask hardened so completely that it became stuck, as Spade explained. Lorne Michaels had to summon a plastic surgeon to 30 Rock, and the plaster was painstakingly removed. At one point, the surgeon resorted to using an X-Acto knife, trimming Daniels' eyebrows and eyelashes in the process. Ultimately, the mask was removed, allowing Daniels to proceed with the episode the next night.

      “If you watch that old show, you can see his eyebrows were painted on,” Spade noted.

      Chris Farley Showers with Mike Myers

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      The late Chris Farley was celebrated as one of the funniest cast members to ever grace SNL, but he was also known for his relentless pranking and boundary-pushing nature.

      Mike Myers recalled on the Fly on the Wall podcast a bizarre ongoing joke where Farley would unexpectedly join him in the shower, pressing against him while professing his love.

      “I’d shout at him, ‘Farley, get the f— out of here! Get the f— out!’ I couldn’t hit him hard because it was too funny,” Myers shared.

      Farley’s antics persisted week after week, and Myers, overwhelmed by the demands of the show, always forgot to expect it.

      “Every week I forgot — you’d think you’d remember,” Myers added. The distraction of his work was the reason for this forgetfulness.

      Richard Pryor Hosts

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Lorne Michaels went to great lengths to persuade NBC executives to allow Richard Pryor to host the seventh episode on December 13, 1975.

      Fearing Pryor might be too crude and unpredictable, Michaels acquiesced to a five-second delay, enabling curse words to be bleeped — a first for SNL at its original airing.

      The delay turned out to be advantageous. Although Pryor managed to avoid any explicit four-letter words, he did use a three-letter word that rhymes with “sass” on two occasions.

      According to the book Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, the person operating the delay failed to catch both instances, but they were edited from the later West Coast broadcast.

      The Fight to Save Charles Rocket

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Charles Rocket was part of the tumultuous 1980-81 season that followed the exodus of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players and SNL creator Lorne Michaels (who returned later in the decade).

      As many fans know, Rocket gained notoriety when he let a curse slip during a February 21, 1981 segment inspired by the popular Dallas storyline “Who Shot J.R.?”. He blurted out, “It’s the first time I’ve ever been shot in my life. I’d like to know who the f— did it.” (Check out the immediate reactions after his outburst, above.)

      According to the book Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live, producer Jean Douman