Damon Wayans Reflects on Getting Fired from 'SNL' After Going Off Script

Wayans deliberately deviated from a live sketch in 1986, citing frustrations with stereotypical roles and rejected ideas during his brief tenure on the show.

Damon Wayans was fired from 'Saturday Night Live' in 1986 after intentionally going off script during a live sketch called 'Mr. Monopoly.'
Wayans revealed in the Peacock docuseries 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night' that he felt stifled by the show's writers, who often cast him in stereotypical roles he found offensive.
Eddie Murphy had advised Wayans to write his own sketches to avoid being pigeonholed, but Wayans said his pitches were frequently rejected, including one titled 'The Gifted Rapper.'
During the live 'Mr. Monopoly' sketch, Wayans played his character as an effeminate stereotype, a move he admitted was intended to provoke his firing by Lorne Michaels.
Despite the firing, Wayans later returned to 'SNL' to perform stand-up in the same season’s finale and went on to achieve significant success with the sketch show 'In Living Color' and other projects.

The Hollywood Reporter