It's no coincidence that there is a direct line from Saturday Night Live to hosting a late-night TV show. SNL producer Lorne Michaels has his hands in multiple shows, and the same talents that make someone a standout SNL cast member translate to a host gig.
Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers have all carved out impressive careers behind a late-night TV desk. And all three got their chance thanks to working with Lorne Michaels on Saturday Night Live. Consider the crossover among writers, and you have even more proof that SNL can make someone a star.
However, three current late-night TV stars had a shot at joining Saturday Night Live only to see things fall apart. It didn't curtail their careers too much ... but it's fun to imagine where they'd be had their SNL auditions been successful.
Stephen Colbert
Long before The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Late Show, Stephen Colbert was an improv performer and actor. SNL producer Robert Smigel scouted Colbert and thought he'd be worth giving an audition.
But Colbert's 1992 audition proved unsuccessful. A snippet of it was shown during the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special alongside looks at some other "almost made its." Colbert also shared he auditioned in 1996.
Things clearly worked out for Colbert. He still worked with SNL on Smigel's "TV Funhouse," voice one-half of the Ambiguously Gay Duo. While he would have loved to be on SNL, Colbert is likely happy with his Late Show career (and impressive net worth).
Amber Ruffin
Amber Ruffin has developed a strong stand-up comedy career in addition to being a late-night TV star. She's been a writer and on-air talent for Late Night with Seth Meyers for years.
In 2020, she began hosting The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock. The series aired 36 episodes before the streaming service announced it would return only for special occassions.
Ruffin auditioned for Saturday Night Live in 2013. The show opened a search for a Black woman to add to the cast, leading to Ruffin, Tiffany Haddish, and other comedians trying out. Ultimately, SNL hired Sasheer Zamata. Ruffin began writing for Late Night the following year.
Bill Maher
It's hard to imagine Bill Maher doing anything that wasn't Bill Maher-centric. But there was a time the Real Time host almost became a Saturday Night Live cast member.
Legendary SNL writer Jim Downey discussed how it all went down during an appearance on The Al Franken Podcast. The sketch show considered Maher as a "Weeked Update" anchor after Kevin Nealon left the job in 1994.
Al Franken wanted the job, but some people behind-the-scenes campaigned for Maher. The comedian was a year in to Politically Incorrect at that time.
In the end, neither Franken nor Maher got the job. Norm Macdonald emerged as a candidate late in the process and wound up with the "Weekend Update" job. The rest is history as Macdonald and Downey went on to create some of the most memorable SNL jokes of all time.