Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr returned to reflect on their experience in the cast of the eleventh season of SNL, a year acknowledged to be a tough one for the show. Surprisingly, with such a glamorous cast in place, the season failed to draw the viewers’ attention and very nearly signaled the show’s ceased production.
An Unforgettable but Transient One
To Anthony Michael Hall, being a cast member of SNL was like a dream come true; this was because he used to watch the show often. When he was cast in the show, he noticed that he could get his Weird Science co-star and best friend, Robert Downey Jr., onto the show too. He insisted on getting an audition for him, which eventually won him a place in the cast as well.
Even though his run on SNL was short, it would go on to be spotlighted in Robert Downey Jr.’s entire career. The season the show was on would have been a struggle, but it laid down the foundation for his stardom in Hollywood. Months later he gained international prominence as Iron Man and still holds the record of being the only Saturday Night Live cast member to attain Oscar winner status.
The Challenges of Season 11
The 1985-86 season of Saturday Night Live had the misfortune of having to deal with several problems: the loss of Eddie Murphy, for one thing. Even though a couple of new characters tried their best to handle it, the show could not find its way with the public. SNL was temporarily removed from the air before NBC changed its mind on bringing the show back.
Though season 11 might not have been the peak of SNL, it is a significant year in the show business careers of Robert Downey Jr. and Hall. A great management blunder of an experimental TV channel in original programming and creation transformed into a springboard for their more successful future, thus emphasizing that no deviation was mega wrong.
