SNL Gone Wild: 13 Behind-the-Scenes Tales from Saturday Night Live

      As Saturday Night Live kicks off its 51st season, here are some behind-the-scenes tales that highlight how some of the most outrageous moments happened offstage.

      From inappropriate comments to notorious protests, these incidents left Lorne Michaels and his team anxious.

      So with that, live from New York… it’s Saturday night.

      Bill Murray vs. Chevy Chase

      Warner Bros. – Credit: C/O

      In his excellent book Wild and Crazy Guys, Nick De Semlyen recounts an incident where Bill Murray punched Chevy Chase upon Chase's return to host the eleventh episode of Season 3 on February 18, 1978.

      Murray had taken Chase's place after Chase left during Season 2, leading the SNL cast to feel that Chase had “abandoned them,” as Semlyen notes. His return, according to the author, “left a bad taste for everyone.”

      Prior to the taping, Murray and Chase exchanged insults, culminating in Murray throwing a punch at the host. This escalated into “a huge altercation,” as described by eyewitness John Landis in the book. “They were both large men and really going for it.” However, Murray later characterized it as “a Hollywood fight; a don’t-touch-my-face kinda thing.”

      The show went on. Eventually, Chase and Murray reconciled amiably, collaborating in 1980’s Caddyshack (above).

      The Mask of Jeff Daniels

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Before Jeff Daniels hosted the episode on October 5, 1991, he underwent a common procedure for many hosts: he had a mask made in the makeup department.

      As detailed by SNL star David Spade in his engaging memoir, Almost Interesting, “if the makeup department wants to create a dummy resembling you or needs footage of your head exploding, a plaster-like substance is poured on your face to make a mold for a replica.”

      This process involves placing a stocking cap over the individual's head while inserting two straws for breathing as the substance hardens. It typically takes about 15 minutes.

      However, Daniels' mask hardened to the point that it wouldn't come off, as Spade explained. Lorne Michaels called a plastic surgeon to rush to 30 Rock, leading to the plaster being peeled from Daniels’ face. At one point, the surgeon had to use an X-Acto knife, which resulted in cutting Daniels' eyebrows and eyelashes. Ultimately, the mask was removed, and Daniels went on with the episode the following night.

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

      That’s Daniels with Dana Carvey, left, at the start of the episode. Honestly, we wouldn't have noticed.

      Chris Farley Showers with Mike Myers

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      The late, great Chris Farley was among the funniest individuals to grace SNL and became a successful movie star with films like Tommy Boy. Backstage, he was known for his relentless pranks and pushing boundaries.

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

      “I’d hit him. I’d go ‘Farley, get the f— out of here! Get the f— out!’ I could only hit him so hard because it was so amusing,” Myers recalled.

      Yet, Farley persisted week after week, catching Myers off guard as he juggled the show’s demands.

      “Every week I forgot—you’d think you’d remember,” Myers said. He explained that the reason he didn’t remember was due to being so consumed by the show’s workload.

      Richard Pryor Hosts

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Lorne Michaels took considerable measures to persuade NBC executives to allow Richard Pryor to host the seventh episode on December 13, 1975.

      Fearing Pryor's unpredictability and profanity, Michaels accepted a five-second delay to censor any inappropriate language—marking the first instance in which Saturday Night Live was not live at its initial airing.

      The delay proved useful. Pryor did not use any four-letter words but repeated a three-letter word that rhymes with "sass" twice.

      According to Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad’s book Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live, the censor overseeing the delay inadvertently let both instances of the word slip by. However, both were cut from the taped version broadcast on the West Coast.

      The Fight to Save Charles Rocket

      NBC – Credit: NBC

      Charles Rocket was part of the tumultuous 1980-81 season that followed the departure of all the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players and Lorne Michaels (who returned midway through the '80s).

      As SNL fans know, Rocket gained notoriety for a flub during a February 21, 1981 segment inspired by the Dallas storyline “Who Shot J.R.?” Rocket