At the height of his career, Chris Kattan was one of Saturday Night Live’s biggest stars. The actor/comedian made his debut on the long-running late-night sketch comedy show back in 1996. Around this time, Kattan presented various humorous skits with fellow SNL star Will Ferrell (the two would even go on to do a film together, although it appears as though they have had a falling out since). After several years in the spotlight, however, Kattan started to appear less and less.RELATED: Fans Think This Colossal Flop Ruined Chris Kattan's CareerFor instance, Kattan stayed on as a regular cast member on SNL until 2003 when he announced his departure. Since then, the actor mostly focused on his film career. And more recently, he also surprised fans by becoming a Celebrity Big Brother contestant.

Why Did Chris Kattan Stop Acting?

Kattan may have worked rather steadily over the years, but there were certainly years when the actor wasn’t visible on television and the big screen. And while it is possible that Kattan may have just wanted to take a little break, it’s more likely he didn’t take any gigs as he was recovering from an onstage incident. In Kattan’s case, sketch comedy proved to be physically dangerous.

“As a physical comedian, I had always been worried about waking up with a whole different body one day,” the actor wrote in his memoir, Baby Don’t Hurt Me: Stories and Scars from Saturday Night Live. “That fear became my reality. After those forty-five seconds on the ‘SNL’ stage in May of 2001, my body would never, ever be the same.”

While performing a sketch, Kattan fell backwards into a “rickety chair,” causing him to land hard onstage. In the process, the actor also hit his head. Carl Lauryssen, MD, who examined Kattan, noted that something was seriously wrong with the actor following the incident.

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“The diagnosis was he had an incomplete spinal cord injury,” Lauryssen told Variety. “I don’t know the specifics of the spinal injury, I think he fell backward. In that process he injured the lower cervical spine and injured the spinal cord as a result of that.” Kattan would go on to undergo five surgeries following the incident. The actor also revealed that it led to addiction struggles, which also affected his acting career.

Despite everything he’s been through, Kattan has rallied back, determined to keep going. Over the years, he starred in various films, including Adam Sandler’s Netflix comedy, The Ridiculous 6. Since leaving SNL as a cast member, the actor has returned as a guest star too.

That said, Kattan also admitted that his relationship with the show has become “complicated.” “But whenever I go back to visit everyone opens their arms and are so sweet,” the actor further remarked. “It’s a different energy than when it was when you are in the cast. It’s healthier.”

Meanwhile, more recently, Kattan also tried his hand at reality tv Celebrity Big Brother. However, he later decided to cut his stay in the Big Brother house short, much to viewers’ surprise.

Why Did Chris Kattan Leave Celebrity Big Brother?

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Fans were probably hoping that Kattan would stay on Celebrity Big Brother until the end. However, it seems the actor realized that he had to go soon as he and his fellow contestants were admitted into the house. More than anything, he was concerned about not being able to stay in touch with his family.

“Being cut off from the outside world is not easy,” Kattan told GlobalTV. “People from the outside are not allowed to communicate with you. I had some family issues going on. My stepdad is very sick and I wasn’t able to find out how he was doing. That was hard.”

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At the same time, it also seems that Kattan struggled to get any restful sleep while he was inside the Big Brother house as he reportedly suffered from neck issues. At one point, fellow contestant Miesha Tate even offered her bed to Kattan.

That said, the actor made it clear that he was still capable of participating in the show’s physical challenges. “I’m fine. In order to work on other projects, I’m fine,” Kattan later said. “Riding a reindeer up and down might do something to your neck and was something to look out for but other than that, I was fine to do physical stuff.”

What’s Next For Chris Kattan?

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Following his Celebrity Big Brother exit, fans will be glad to know that Kattan has several projects in the works. For instance, he’s set to appear in the upcoming holiday comedy The Best Worst Christmas Ever, which also stars Geoff Stults and Jessica Szohr.

In addition, Kattan also stars in the upcoming parody Naked & Afraid: Special Edition. Meanwhile, Kattan will also appear in the action-comedy Selfie with Terence Howard and Anita Briem. The actor has also been attached to another comedy film alongside fellow former SNL cast member Jon Lovitz. At the same time, fans can also catch Kattan on his new show on YouTube, Hey Kattan.

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