Saturday Night Live can't add everyone that auditions to their cast, and often it depends on chemistry with whatever personalities are already there. And failing to get on the high profile show probably helps some comedians in the long run. Just look at a young, clean-shaven Zach Galifianakis, whose bit is about a scratch-and-sniff head shot that smells like "failure and onions."
The video above includes some SNL audition bits from Andy Kaufman, Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader and more; but it also includes some extremely well known comedians that Lorne Michaels and co. passed on. In addition to a Joey-lookin' Galifianakis, there was also Kevin Hart, Stephen Colbert, and Jim Carrey as a post-atomic-blast Elvis Presley.
Before we file this away in a what could've been bin, it obviously all turned out well for all four of them not making it onto SNL: Galifianakis joined The Wolfpack, Kevin Hart became the highest grossing live-comedian, Colbert got two of his own variety shows, and Carrey went to In Living Color. All part of the bigger plan? It's a marathon, not a sprint.