Why Samuel L. Jackson Thought He Was Banned From 'Saturday Night Live'

After so many years of not returning to the sketch comedy series, Samuel L. Jackson is opening up about why he thought he was banned from Saturday Night Live.

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For years, the Pulp Fiction actor thought he was banned from Saturday Night Live after dropping the f-bomb in a 2012 sketch. But, a decade later, he met with the show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, where he asked about the supposed bad, wondering if he could ever host again.

“Are you ever gonna let me back on the show?” Jackson asked Michaels, as explained on the Awardist podcast. That’s when he found out, 10 years later, that he’s still got an invite to host the show once again.

Even though he got confirmation otherwise, Jackson still doesn’t seem to believe Lorne, saying, “So maybe I’m not. I don’t know.”

It was back in March that Jackson first revealed who put him on that supposed banned list, blaming longtime cast member Kenan Thompson.

“Kenan [Thompson] got me banned from Saturday Night Live,” he told Ellen DeGeneres Show guest host Leslie Jones a couple months ago. “He didn’t cut me off soon enough and I said the forbidden word on television.”

Though it is his signature catchphrase, Jackson–who first hosted the sketch comedy show in 1998–isn’t the only person to swear on a live telecast of SNL. According to E! News, Kristen Stewart also dropped the f-word in her 2017 opening monologue and was later invited back to host in 2019. Sam Rockwell let the word slip in a 2018.

Well, now that we know Samuel L. Jackson isn’t banned, another hosting gig is in order. Let’s make it happen, Lorne!