There Have Been Tragic Losses
A comedian’s dark side is unfortunately all too common, even among the funniest of them. For this and other reasons, there have been a number of tragic deaths within the SNL community. Gilda Radner, Danitra Vance, and Tom Davis all died of cancer, while John Belushi and Chris Farley both succumbed to their addictions.
There Have Been Tragic Losses
Michael O’Donoghue was 54 when he died of a brain hemorrhage and Charles Rocket, a cast member, took his own life. As the show’s first head writer, he was also the show’s first character to speak a word.
Victoria Jackson Gave Out Bibles
Between 1986 and 1992, Victoria Jackson appeared on Saturday Night Live as an actress, comedian, and singer. Because Jackson is a right-wing Christian conservative, she had to reach out to her co-stars. Jackson left Bible audio cassettes in the mail slots of her coworkers.
Victoria Jackson Gave Out Bibles
She remarked, “Maybe I’m overcompensating, because everybody here is dying and going to hell, and I’m supposed to tell them about Jesus.” The rest of the cast was not pleased with the course of action.