John Mulaney Reveals Awkward Celebrity Rejections While at Saturday Night Live

John Mulaney dishes on some of the celebrities that rejected his joke submissions while a writer on Saturday Night Live. The Emmy Award-winning writer and comedian made a name for himself on Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2013 and is now hitting it big with several stand-up routines and specials, just like his most recent Netflix special, Baby J, which is what lands Mulaney as a guest on the Hot Ones YouTube show. Coincidentally, Mulaney’s appearance is also the 300th episode of Hot Ones, and during the discussion host Sean Evans broached the topic of the worst rejection Mulaney ever got from an SNL host during a pitch meeting.

“No need to name names, but what’s the worst reaction you ever recall getting from an SNL celebrity host to a sketch that you pitched them in?” Hot Ones host Sean Evans asked John Mulaney. Though he was told he didn’t have to name names, Mulaney went on to list Josh Brolin and Mick Jagger, while also giving examples.

“Josh Brolin went, ‘Well this isn’t funny,’ as I was writing something and I started to walk him through it,” the comedian said. “It was so matter-of-fact I wouldn’t even call it the worst. I found it completely valuable. And it was early enough on Tuesday night that I didn’t proceed with it.”

“I remember we had a joke when Mick Jagger hosted that was, “Hey everyone. I’m Mick Jagger, so mothers lock up your daughters, and daughters lock up your mothers,’” he said. “And he listened and he went, ‘No, I don’t like that.’” Mulaney also said he made Seth Meyers read the joke to Jagger so he wouldn’t have to bear the brunt of the feedback. 

Fans Worry that Saturday Night Live Has Been Canceled

Because of the lapse in new Saturday Night Live episodes, fans have begun wondering if the beloved NBC sketch comedy show has been canceled. Saturday Night Live has not cancelled—not technically, at least. While the few remaining episodes of the show’s 48th season were cancelled because of the ongoing writers’ strike, it’s fully expected the NBC mainstay will return for Season 49 later this year.

At one point, SNL creator Lorne Michaels even said he wanted to stick with the show until its upcoming 50th season.

“The 50th will be a big event,” Michaels said. “We’ll bring everyone back from all 50 years and hosts and all of that. It will be a very emotional and very strong thing. There won’t be as many plus-ones, I can tell you that much.”