SNL Original Cast Member Explains How the Show Has Changed for the Worse: 'I Keep Expecting It to Attack...'

Garett Morris, who was the OG Saturday Night Live cast member said that the show caters to multiple people now. Read the article to know more.

Written by Sakshi Shelke , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Nov 08, 2024 | 12:45 PM GMT | 96.8K

Garrett Morris (CC: Getty images)

Garrett Morris, an original cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, is sharing his unfiltered opinions about the long-running late-night sketch show. During a recent interview, he expressed that the program caters to too many people.

While speaking with The Guardian, the veteran actor said, “I don't see the courage or the experimental impulses,” adding, “That was the whole core of what happened in the first 10 years. I keep expecting it to attack in a funny way and bring out the foibles not only of individuals but of the government and all that.”

He expressed that, although people still watch the show, these days they “are catering to too many people too much of the time.”

For the unversed, Lorne Michaels, SNL’s creator, originally hired Morris to write sketches during the show’s first season. He later received a promotion and became a cast member, working alongside Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, and Jane Curtin.

Morris revealed that during his time there, racism was prevalent among Lorne’s writers. However, he clarified that Lorne himself was not a racist. Morris recalled that when he was hired, he was the only Black writer, and Lorne wanted to have a Black presence on late-night television. Despite resistance from others who wanted the show to be entirely white, Lorne did not bow to that pressure.

Saturday Night Live continues to air today, having recently embarked on its 50th season. So far, guests this season have included Billie Eilish, Kamala Harris, Chappell Roan, John Mulaney, Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton, and many more.

As far as his SNL career goes, Morris served on the show until its fifth season. The actor has served in the industry for decades, making his career trajectory very impressive.

Apart from the comedy sketch show, he has also worked in The Jaime Foxx Show, Martin, Self Made, Cooley High, and Two Broke Girl, in which he famously portrayed the character of Earl.