Aniston auditioned for Saturday Night Live in 1990. Adam Sandler wanted Aniston to be on the show and was disappointed when she opted to go with Friends. Julia Sweeney, who got the gig over many others that year (including Lisa Kudrow), says that Aniston’s claim of being offered the SNL gig, but turning it down to do Friends, is BS.
In 1992, Colbert fell short of expectations and failed to wow the producers at Saturday Night Live. SNL writer Robert Smigel was super impressed with Colbert at the showcase at Chicago’s Second City, but the other scouts weren’t. However, Smigel did manage to get Colbert and Steve Carell jobs as writers on The Dana Carvey Show in 1996 and he also had them voice The Ambiguously Gay Duo.
A young, less-jaded (just kidding, that’s not possible) Louis C.K. auditioned for Saturday Night Live in 1993. He auditioned with Laura Kightlinger, Sarah Silverman, Jay Mohr, and Dave Attell at Catch a Rising Star. Of the group, Kightlinger, Silverman, and Mohr made the cut.
But it wasn’t all for naught – Robert Smigel asked Louis C.K. to write for Late Night with Conan O’Brien. He then went on to write, direct, and star in some of the highest-rated comedy on TV.
Glover was already working as a writer for 30 Rock in 2008 when he heard that Saturday Night Live was looking for someone to play the newly-elected President Obama in sketches. With Kenan Thompson as the only black cast member at the time, it was kind of strange when Fred Armisen got that gig over Glover, but all we can remember is Jay Pharoah as Obama. Glover emerged unscathed and had a very successful run on Community as well as a flourishing career as his musical alter ego Childish Gambino.