Lamorne Morris Shares How a Failed 'SNL' Audition Benefited His Career (EXCLUSIVE)

Hollywood is absolutely on fire in 2024, and there's no sign of it slowing down! As fall film festival schedules get rolling, keep an eye on Saturday Night (formerly SNL 1975) — one of the year's most thrilling and possibly underrated flicks.

This film takes audiences on a chaotic ride through the mayhem leading up to the launch of NBC's Saturday Night, which would later become the iconic Saturday Night Live. With a star-studded cast that includes the incredible Lamorne Morris, it’s a must-watch for sure!

In a recent chat with Distractify, the Emmy-nominated actor — who partnered with Mike's Hard Lemonade — dished about the black-comedy drama film and even gave us the scoop on his very own SNL audition.

When chatting about his role in Saturday Night, we couldn't help but ask Lamorne Morris if he'd ever auditioned for the real late-night sketch show. As it turns out, he did — but he didn't land the gig. While that might sound like a bummer, Lamorne hinted to Distractify that it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise!

Lamorne shared with Distractify that he auditioned for SNL the same year he landed New Girl. He clarified it wasn't an "official audition" but more of an informal opportunity.

Since his manager at the time had worked with SNL talent and he was a new client on her list, she suggested he give it a shot. He jumped at the opportunity and quickly put together some characters — but the job didn't pan out.

In the end, Lamorne felt it all worked out perfectly. He told Distractify, "But then New Girl came within weeks afterward … so I think I lucked out. I lucked out there."

And lucked out he did! Not only did he get to be part of one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, but now, he gets to fulfill that SNL dream by portraying one of the show's pioneers, Garrett Morris (despite the shared last name, they're not related), in a feature film!

In the film, which hits theaters on Oct. 11, 2024, Lamorne Morris plays one of his longtime idols: Garrett Morris. Even though they're not related, Lamorne previously admitted that he used to pretend the Martin star was his dad when he was younger!

When asked what it was like to step into the shoes of someone he's admired for so long, Lamorne told Distractify, "It was strange. You know, it was really, really strange."

"But I was put at ease before filming when I spoke to him and got the chance to hang out with him," he shared. "He took the pressure off of me. He said, 'I'm not precious. Be honest about my time there. And that's it, just you know, put it out there that I tried my best and I worked hard. And that's it. The rest is up to your interpretation.'

Lamorne expressed his gratitude for Garrett's relaxed approach and revealed he's "very excited" for Garrett and the world to see the "great film" he and the cast and crew created.

Hard work is essential, but everyone needs a break sometimes! To celebrate dedication and perseverance, Mike's Hard Lemonade has teamed up with Lamorne Morris for an epic event in New York City.

On Tuesday, August 20, Lamorne and Mike's Hard Lemonade are bringing the Mike's Jobstacle Course to the Big Apple! This interactive pop-up invites participants (21 and up) to tackle so-called "easy" jobs like predicting the weather as a weatherperson, navigating a maze of shelves as a bookseller, and taste-testing candy. Those who conquer the Mike's Jobstacle Course will be rewarded for their "hard day" of fun!

Speaking about the partnership, Lamorne told Distractify that it "aligned perfectly" with his actual lifestyle.

"It's not often that … you partner with someone and you're on the same page, even before you start," he stated. "The campaign's [message] being 'You should reward yourself after a hard day's work' [is perfect because] that's how I reward myself after a hard day's work!"

Lamorne added, "I come from a background of a lot of hard workers and a lot of hard-working folks. My mom worked the same job for over 30-something years. I've had a ton of jobs in my life, and I still continuously work on different jobs, especially as an actor, you go from movie to movie and show to show."

"And after work, that's literally what I like to go and do," he continued. "And so, when they brought this up, I thought, 'Oh, this is perfect.' This is not a reach or anything. This is in my wheelhouse and it's what I actually do."

Mike's Jobstacle Course will take place at 477 Broadway in New York from 2-8 p.m. EST.