QUICK EXIT

Ben Stiller Explains Why He Left ‘SNL’ After Four Episodes

The actor was on the sketch comedy show briefly in 1989.

Ben Stiller has opened up about why he infamously left Saturday Night Live in 1989 after only appearing on four episodes of the iconic sketch comedy show.

In an interview with The New York Times, Stiller said that while he “discovered comedy” through SNL, the experience of being a writer and cast member wasn’t what he thought it would be.

“It had been my dream to be on Saturday Night Live, but looking back on it, I don’t remember exactly how I had the gumption, but for whatever reason, I followed that instinct," he said. “I got too nervous, I didn’t enjoy it, and I wanted to be making short films.”

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Stiller noted that his mom, who helped him with his SNL audition tape, would have made a better cast member than him. Stiller’s mother, Anne Meara, was part of a popular comedy duo with his father, Jerry.

The actor said that he had an opportunity to make The Ben Stiller Show on MTV, which factored into his decision.

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He said that SNL creator Lorne Michaels wasn’t hard on him for leaving the show. “He was like, ‘Okay. Ben’s going to do what Ben’s going to do.‘”

Stiller continued: “It wasn’t great, but I knew that I couldn’t do well there because I wasn’t great at live performing.”