There are many iconic television shows that have come and gone over the years. One of the most iconic late-night shows is none other than Saturday Night Live. Over the years there have been a number of famous faces who have appeared on the iconic show, and have launched so many careers. To be a cast member of Saturday Night Live was a huge honor, and so many actors and actresses wanted their shot at being on the show.

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Believe it or not, there have been many actors and actresses who have tried out to be on Saturday Night Live but have shockingly been turned down. Even though these celebrities had their Saturday Night Live dreams crushed, they still went on to be successful in their own right, so much so that it's really hard to believe that they were ever turned down in the first place.

10 Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey is one of the funniest men in Hollywood and it's hard to believe that Saturday Night Live would ever turn him down. Jim actually auditioned for the show multiple times, first trying out in Season 6, and then again in Season 11. Both times Jim was rejected in the early rounds and he didn't even get to audition in front of the show's creator, Lorne Michaels. Instead, Jim turned to In Living Color, where he made a name for himself on that show instead. We're sure SNL wished they hired him, though.

9 Zach Galifianakis

Zach Galifianakis is another famous funnyman in Hollywood that tried out for Saturday Night Live and didn't get the part. Back in 1999, Zach auditioned for the show, but unfortunately, they turned him down and he didn't get to be on the show. Although he didn't get to actually be on the show, he did have the opportunity to become a part-time writer for the show, where he contributed for two weeks. Luckily for Zach, we all know that he went on to be quite a successful actor and comedian in his own ways.

8 Jennifer Coolidge

Growing up, Jennifer Coolidge was a part of the improv-comedy school based in Los Angeles called The Groundlings. Other members of the group included some famous faces like Chris Kattan, Will Ferrell, and Cheri Oteri. In 1995 the group decided to fly to New York City to try out for Saturday Night Live, and unfortunately for Jennifer, she was the only one in the group that was not cast on the show.

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Of course, she was upset at the fact that she wasn't able to be on Saturday Night Live, however, looking back at it Jennifer decided that not being cast on the show was a good thing, as she didn't think she was able to handle all of the stress of being on the show. Instead, she went on to have her own successful career.

7 Steve Carell

In 1995 right after Steve Carell married his wife and fellow comedian Nancy Walls, the two of them decided that they were going to go to New York City and audition to be on Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately for Steve Carell, his wife was cast on the show and he wasn't. It wasn't just anyone that beat out Steve for a spot on the show — it was none other than Will Ferrell. It wound up working out for Steve, though, as he went on to have his own career and star in The Office. 

6 Kel Mitchell

Back in the day, Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson were big names on Nickelodeon with their hit show Kenan & Kel. For those of you who are big Saturday Night Live fans, you'd know that Kenan is currently one of the big stars on the show. Back in 2003, both Kenan and Kel tried out for the show together, hoping that they would both make it on. Unfortunately for Kel, his audition really didn't go as well as he hoped it would. Although Kel appreciated the experience of trying out, SNL just wasn't meant for him.

5 John Goodman

You'd think that John Goodman would be the perfect person to join the cast of Saturday Night Live, right? Unfortunately, the creators of the show really didn't think so. John first auditioned back in 1980 when the entire cast was being replaced. Even though he wasn't chosen to be a cast member, John went on to do something even better — he hosted Saturday Night Live a total of 13 times. Not bad for someone who wasn't able to crack the cast of the show, huh?

4 Geena Davis

Geena Davis is another famous face that tried out for Saturday Night Live and didn't get to be on the cast. Being on Saturday Night Live was a goal that Geena Davis had, and a dream of hers to be on the cast. As a result, she decided to follow her dreams and give it a shot. Unfortunately for Geena, her audition didn't go the way that she wanted it to, and the SNL creators turned her down. Luckily for Geena, though, she went on to have her own successful career without the help of SNL.

3 Lisa Kudrow

It's pretty hard to believe that someone like Lisa Kudrow wouldn't make the cast of Saturday Night Live, but unfortunately, she didn't. She was also a part of The Groundlings, however, SNL creator Lorne Michaels didn't find the characters she played to be appealing.

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At the time, Kathy Griffin, as well as Julia Sweeny, were also with The Groundlings. Julia went on to be a part of the SNL cast while Kathy and Lisa did not. Luckily for Lisa, she was cast in Friends a few years later, and the fact that she didn't make it on Saturday Night Live didn't really matter.

2 Kevin Hart

Believe it or not, Kevin Hart didn't make the Saturday Night Live cast when he tried out, despite the fact that he is absolutely hilarious. Kevin explained that his audition didn't go well at all — he did an impression of former basketball player and coach, Avery Johnson. Unfortunately, he didn't nail the impression and SNL creator Lorne Michaels didn't know who Kevin was impersonating. As a result, he didn't have the opportunity to become a cast member. It worked out in the end, though, as Kevin went on to be one of the most successful comedians out there today.

1 Mindy Kaling

We all know Mindy Kaling from The Office, but many people don't know that while she was on the show, she also auditioned for Saturday Night Live. It has always been a childhood dream of Mindy's to be a cast member of Saturday Night Live. As a result, she made a deal with the producers of The Office that if she got a role on SNL, they would let her out of her contract. Unfortunately, for Mindy, she didn't make the cut and she stayed with The Office which turned out to be a good idea as it made a name for herself.

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