Why was Sarah Silverman fired from SNL? Comedian credits Conan O’Brien for saving career after firing

Sarah Silverman had a swift exit from Saturday Night Live in its nineteenth season. She was neither embroiled in controversy nor guilty of misconduct — merely a victim to the show’s systematized firing scheme.

“I wasn’t fired for anything I did,” Silverman explained recently on The Howard Stern Show, adding: “It was just sort of housekeeping.”

Regardless, the move did surprise her. At that stage, Silverman had no means of anticipating that being sacked was even a remote possibility.

“It never occurred to me that was possible,” she reflected.

The unanticipated dismissal would have set her comedy career off course — thanks to Conan O’Brien, it didn’t.

“Conan was the best thing for me,” Silverman shared with Stern. “That was his first year [on Late Night], was my first and only year at SNL. And he put me on all the time, even after I was let go… that was the start for me.” Claiming those repeat appearances on O’Brien’s show revived her career, Silverman can be seen telling Stern in clips of the interview available on YouTube: “I wouldn’t have been able to be on Conan without SNL, and it was an incredible kind of boot camp experience."

A magical experience — with anxiety behind the scenes

Silverman referred to her time on SNL as “so magical” and “so amazing,” but noted that the work culture was psychologically damaging. She recalled:

“There’s just something about it where they just have this energy that puts you in your place where you feel like a piece of shit, and you’re terrified.” She added: “The anxiety… it’s very hard to be zen and chill there.”

She commended Andy Samberg’s recent SNL50 sketch for addressing the emotional burden cast members endure, exclaiming:

“It was very honest — I thought a lot of people connected to it that were there. We all feel like losers here for some reason.”

Looking back: Fired, but grateful

Although she was blindsided at the time, Silverman now sees the firing as a necessary step in her journey. She said:

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“I think it’s definitely for the best.”

The experience ultimately became a catalyst for her long-running career in comedy, acting, and writing. While she didn’t last at SNL, Silverman holds no bitterness about her exit. Instead, she remains grateful — particularly to Conan O’Brien — for giving her a lifeline when she needed it most.

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