List of Saturday Night Live cast members

Original cast (left to right): Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, and Chevy Chase

As of September 2024 ^[update] , the late-night live variety series Saturday Night Live (SNL) has featured 167 cast members. The ensemble was originally referred to as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players. ^[1]

List

As of 2024, 167 comedians have served as cast members on the show. Sid Caesar is the only person to be named an honorary cast member. Caesar was presented with a plaque during the goodnights of his hosting stint in 1983. ^[2]

Table

Saturday Night Live cast members ^[a]

Performer	Time on SNL	No. of seasons	Repertory player	Featured player	Middle group	"Weekend Update" anchor	Hosted	Best of...	Writer
Fred Armisen	2002–2013	11	Y	Y			Y
Aristotle Athari	2021–2022	1		Y
Dan Aykroyd	1975–1979	4	Y			Y	Y	Y	Y
Peter Aykroyd †	1980	1		Y					Y
Morwenna Banks	1995	1	Y
Vanessa Bayer	2010–2017	7	Y	Y
Jim Belushi	1983–1985	2	Y						Y
John Belushi †	1975–1979	4	Y					Y	Y
Beck Bennett	2013–2021	8	Y	Y
Jim Breuer	1995–1998	3	Y
Paul Brittain	2010–2012	2		Y
A. Whitney Brown	1986–1991	6		Y					Y
Aidy Bryant	2012–2022	10	Y	Y
Beth Cahill	1991–1992	1		Y
Dana Carvey	1986–1993	7	Y				Y	Y
Chevy Chase	1975–1976	2	Y			Y	Y	Y	Y
Michael Che	2014–present	11	Y	Y		Y			Y
Ellen Cleghorne	1991–1995	4	Y		Y
George Coe †	1975	1	Y
Billy Crystal	1984–1985	1	Y			Y	Y		Y
Jane Curtin	1975–1980	5	Y			Y
Joan Cusack	1985–1986	1	Y
Pete Davidson	2014–2022	8	Y	Y			Y
Tom Davis †	1977–1980	3		Y					Y
Mikey Day	2016–present	9	Y	Y					Y
Denny Dillon	1980–1981	1	Y
Andrew Dismukes	2020–present	5	Y	Y					Y
Jim Downey	1980	1		Y					Y
Robert Downey Jr.	1985–1986	1	Y				Y
Brian Doyle-Murray	1980, 1981–1982	2	Y	Y		Y			Y
Rachel Dratch	1999–2006	7	Y	Y
Robin Duke	1981–1984	4	Y						Y
Nora Dunn	1985–1990	5	Y
Christine Ebersole	1981–1982	1	Y			Y
Dean Edwards	2001–2003	2		Y
Abby Elliott	2008–2012	4	Y	Y
Chris Elliott	1994–1995	1	Y
Jimmy Fallon	1998–2004	6	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y
Siobhan Fallon	1991–1992	1			Y
Chris Farley †	1990–1995	5	Y		Y		Y	Y
Will Ferrell	1995–2002	7	Y				Y	Y
Tina Fey	2000–2006	6	Y	Y		Y	Y		Y
Chloe Fineman	2019–present	6	Y	Y
Will Forte	2002–2010	8	Y	Y			Y
Al Franken	1977–1980, 1986, 1988–1995	11		Y					Y
Heidi Gardner	2017–present	8	Y	Y
Janeane Garofalo	1994–1995	1	Y
Ana Gasteyer	1996–2002	6	Y
Gilbert Gottfried †	1980–1981	1	Y
Mary Gross	1981–1985	4	Y			Y			Y
Christopher Guest	1984–1985	1	Y			Y			Y
Bill Hader	2005–2013	8	Y	Y			Y
Anthony Michael Hall	1985–1986	1	Y
Brad Hall	1982–1984	2	Y			Y
Rich Hall	1984–1985	1	Y						Y
Darrell Hammond	1995–2009	14	Y
Phil Hartman †	1986–1994	8	Y				Y	Y	Y
Marcello Hernández	2022–present	3	Y	Y
Lauren Holt	2020–2021	1		Y
Jan Hooks †	1986–1991	5	Y
Yvonne Hudson	1980–1981	1		Y
Melanie Hutsell	1991–1994	3	Y	Y	Y
Victoria Jackson	1986–1992	6	Y
James Austin Johnson	2021–present	4	Y	Y
Punkie Johnson	2020–2024	4	Y	Y
Leslie Jones	2014–2019	5	Y	Y					Y
Colin Jost	2014–present	12	Y	Y		Y			Y
Chris Kattan	1996–2003	8	Y	Y				Y
Tim Kazurinsky	1981–1984	4	Y						Y
Molly Kearney	2022–2024	2		Y
Laura Kightlinger	1994–1995	1		Y					Y
Taran Killam	2010–2016	6	Y	Y
David Koechner	1995–1996	1	Y
Gary Kroeger	1982–1985	3	Y
Matthew Laurance	1980–1981	1		Y
Michael Longfellow	2022–present	3	Y	Y
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	1982–1985	3	Y				Y
Jon Lovitz	1985–1990	5	Y				Y	Y
Norm Macdonald †	1993–1998	5	Y	Y		Y	Y		Y
Gail Matthius	1980–1981	1	Y			Y
Michael McKean	1994–1995	2	Y				Y
Mark McKinney	1995–1997	3	Y						Y
Kate McKinnon	2012–2022	11	Y	Y			Y
Tim Meadows	1991–2000	10	Y		Y			Y	Y
Laurie Metcalf	1981	1		Y
Seth Meyers	2001–2014	13	Y	Y		Y	Y		Y
John Milhiser	2013–2014	1		Y
Dennis Miller	1985–1991	6	Y			Y
Jerry Minor	2000–2001	1		Y					Y
Finesse Mitchell	2003–2006	3	Y	Y
Alex Moffat	2016–2022	6	Y	Y
Jay Mohr	1993–1995	2		Y					Y
Kyle Mooney	2013–2022	9	Y	Y
Tracy Morgan	1996–2003	7	Y				Y	Y
Garrett Morris	1975–1980	5	Y						Y
Bobby Moynihan	2008–2017	9	Y	Y
Eddie Murphy	1980–1984	4	Y	Y			Y	Y	Y
Bill Murray	1977–1980	4	Y			Y	Y		Y
Mike Myers	1989–1995	7	Y	Y			Y	Y	Y
Kevin Nealon	1986–1995	9	Y	Y		Y			Y
Laraine Newman	1975–1980	5	Y
Don Novello	1979–1980 1985–1986	2		Y			Y		Y
Luke Null	2017–2018	1		Y
Ego Nwodim	2018–present	7	Y	Y
Mike O'Brien	2013–2014	1		Y					Y
Michael O'Donoghue †	1975	1	Y						Y
Cheri Oteri	1995–2000	5	Y					Y
Ashley Padilla	2024–present	1		Y
Chris Parnell	1998–2006	8	Y	Y
Nasim Pedrad	2009–2014	5	Y	Y
Jay Pharoah	2010–2016	6	Y	Y
Joe Piscopo	1980–1984	4	Y						Y
Amy Poehler	2001–2008	8	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y
Emily Prager	1981	1		Y
Randy Quaid	1985–1986	1	Y
Colin Quinn	1996–2000	5	Y	Y		Y			Y
Gilda Radner †	1975–1980	5	Y					Y
Chris Redd	2017–2022	5	Y	Y
Jeff Richards	2001–2004	3	Y	Y
Rob Riggle	2004–2005	1		Y
Ann Risley	1980–1981	1	Y
Tim Robinson	2012–2013	1		Y					Y
Chris Rock	1990–1993	3	Y		Y		Y	Y
Charles Rocket †	1980–1981	1	Y			Y
Tony Rosato †	1981–1982	2	Y						Y
Jon Rudnitsky	2015–2016	1		Y
Maya Rudolph	2000–2007	9	Y	Y			Y
Andy Samberg	2005–2012	7	Y	Y			Y		Y
Adam Sandler	1991–1995	5	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y
Horatio Sanz	1998–2006	8	Y	Y		Y
Tom Schiller	1980	1		Y					Y
Rob Schneider	1990–1994	4	Y	Y	Y				Y
Paul Shaffer	1979–1980	1		Y			Y
Molly Shannon	1995–2001	7	Y	Y			Y	Y
Harry Shearer	1979–1980, 1984–1985	2	Y	Y					Y
Sarah Sherman	2021–present	4	Y	Y
Martin Short	1984–1985	1	Y				Y		Y
Sarah Silverman	1993–1994	1		Y			Y		Y
Jenny Slate	2009–2010	1		Y
Robert Smigel	1991–1993	2		Y					Y
David Spade	1990–1996	6	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y
Pamela Stephenson	1984–1985	1	Y
Ben Stiller	1989	1		Y			Y		Y
Cecily Strong	2012–2022	11	Y	Y		Y
Jason Sudeikis	2005–2013	9	Y	Y			Y		Y
Julia Sweeney	1990–1994	4	Y		Y
Terry Sweeney	1985–1986	1	Y						Y
Kenan Thompson	2003–present	22	Y	Y
Chloe Troast	2023–2024	1		Y
Danitra Vance †	1985–1986	1	Y
Melissa Villaseñor	2016–2022	6	Y	Y
Dan Vitale †	1985–1986	1		Y
Devon Walker	2022–present	3	Y	Y
Nancy Walls	1995–1996	1	Y
Emil Wakim	2024–present	1		Y
Michaela Watkins	2008–2009	1		Y
Damon Wayans	1985–1986	1		Y			Y
Patrick Weathers	1980–1981	1		Y
Noël Wells	2013–2014	1		Y
Brooks Wheelan	2013–2014	1		Y
Jane Wickline	2024–present	1		Y
Kristen Wiig	2005–2012	7	Y	Y			Y
Casey Wilson	2008–2009	2		Y
Fred Wolf	1996–1996	2		Y					Y
Bowen Yang	2019–present	6	Y	Y					Y
Sasheer Zamata	2014–2017	4	Y	Y
Alan Zweibel	1980	1		Y					Y

Timeline

Lighter colors denote "featured players" versus repertory cast members.

Tenures

Longest tenures

The following comedians have served as cast members on the show for more than 9 seasons:

Saturday Night Live cast members with the longest tenures

Performer	No. of seasons [b]	Years on the show	Notes
Kenan Thompson	22 [3]	2003–present	Promoted to repertory player in his third season on the show.
Darrell Hammond	14	1995–2009	At the time of his departure, Hammond had the longest tenure as a cast member on the show. In 2014, Hammond returned to the show as the announcer following the death of longtime announcer Don Pardo.
Seth Meyers	12 ½ [c]	2001–2014	Meyers anchored Weekend Update from 2006 to 2014. At the time of his departure, he was the longest-serving Weekend Update anchor, however, he has been surpassed by current anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che in terms of episodes. [4] He left the show to become the host of Late Night . He also served as head writer for 9 seasons.
Colin Jost	11 ½ [c] [5]	2014–present	Jost has been a writer at SNL since 2005, and has been anchoring Weekend Update since 2014. He had also been a head writer for the show from 2012 to 2015, and again from 2017 until 2022. [6]
Fred Armisen	11	2002–2013	Promoted to repertory player in his third season on the show.
Michael Che	11 [7]	2014–present	Che has been a writer for SNL since 2013, and started anchoring Weekend Update a year later. Che and Jost are the show's longest running Weekend Update anchors, and serving as co-head writers together from 2017 until 2022. [6]
Cecily Strong	10 ½ [c] [d] [5]	2012–2022
Kate McKinnon	10 ½ [c] [d]	2012–2022	McKinnon has stated in an interview that she would've left the show a few years earlier had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic [8]
Aidy Bryant	10	2012–2022	In an interview, Bryant said that she postponed her departure by a couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [9]
Al Franken	10 [e]	1977–1980, 1986, 1988–1995	Worked as a writer the first two seasons, and promoted to cast member in Season 3. He left the show in 1980, but returned when Lorne Michaels came back in 1985, regaining his writing and on-air featured status until 1995.
Tim Meadows	9½ [c]	1991–2000	At the time of his departure, Meadows had the longest continuous tenure as a cast member on the show.

Shortest tenures

Two people have been publicly announced as having been hired to the cast, but never performed as cast members:

• Catherine O'Hara, hired in 1981, quit before appearing on air. ^[10] She has subsequently hosted the show twice.
• Shane Gillis was announced as a cast member in 2019, but the offer was withdrawn due to controversies surrounding past use of racial stereotypes. ^[11] Gillis went on to host episode 12 of season 49. ^[12] Eight months after Gillis hosted the show, executive producer Lorne Michaels revealed that the decision to fire Gillis was not his, and it was forced on him by NBC executives. ^[13]

One person was credited as a cast member but did not actually appear on the show as such.

• Emily Prager was hired as part of Ebersol's temporary season six cast following the termination of Jean Doumanian. She was credited for one episode even though she did not appear on the show, as her skit was cut after dress rehearsal. She was not chosen for season seven of the show. Prager had worked as a writer on the show, and also made several appearances in skits prior to being officially named as a member of the cast.

The following cast members spent less than a full 20-episode season on the show. ^[14]

Saturday Night Live cast members with the shortest tenures

Performer	No. of episodes	Notes
George Coe	1	He was one of the original "Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players", because NBC wanted someone older in the cast. He was credited as a cast member for only the first episode, though he continued to make several uncredited appearances throughout the first season.
Laurie Metcalf	1	She was hired as part of Ebersol's temporary season six cast following the termination of Jean Doumanian, and appeared on-camera in a Weekend Update piece. When the show was put on hiatus for retooling, she was not chosen to return to the show for season seven.
Emily Prager	1	She was hired as part of Ebersol's temporary season six cast following the termination of Jean Doumanian. Although she did not appear in the single episode for which she was credited as a featured player, she had appeared uncredited in five previous episodes, between 1977 and 1981. When the show was put on hiatus for retooling, she was not chosen to return to the show for season seven.
Dan Vitale	3	Hired as an on-and-off featured player for season 11, he was only credited with appearing in three episodes throughout the season.
Morwenna Banks	4	She was hired as a repertory player for the last four episodes of season 20, but was let out of her contract as part of a major cast overhaul Lorne Michaels had planned for season 21.
Ben Stiller	4	Before becoming a cast member, he submitted a short film – a parody of the film The Color of Money – that was shown on the season 12 episode hosted by Charlton Heston. He was hired during season 14, but quit after four episodes due to creative differences. Despite this, he returned to host in 1998 and 2011 and later had a recurring role as Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's ex-lawyer.
Fred Wolf	4	He had been a writer since 1993 and, was named as a co-head writer at the start of season 21 in 1995, and became a featured player near the end for the last four episodes of the season. However, he only appeared in and was credited for episodes 17, 18, and 20. His last episode was in the third episode of the 22nd season, after which he decided to leave the show for good.
Tom Schiller	7	One of the show writers who was made a cast member during season five, he left the show at the end of the season. He made several short films during his time at the show, including several after his brief time in the cast.
Patrick Weathers	7	Hired as a featured cast member for season six, he was fired along with many of Doumanian's cast.
Yvonne Hudson	8	She was a recurring extra during season five, and became the first black female cast member in season six. Like many of Doumanian's cast, she was fired mid-season.
Jim Downey	9	He was hired as one of many writers-turned-featured players in season five, and though he left the cast after the season, he returned to the show as a writer in the mid-1980s and remained with it on-and-off until 2013.
Matthew Laurance	10	Hired as a featured player during season six, he was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Alan Zweibel	11	A writer for the show before joining the cast in season five, he left after the season finale.
Gilbert Gottfried	12	He joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Michael O'Donoghue	12	One of the original "Not Ready for Primetime Players" and the show's first head writer, he was dropped as a cast member after a few episodes. He remained with the show as a writer (leaving and returning twice) and occasional on-screen performer.
Ann Risley	12	She joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Charles Rocket	12	He joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul, after having said "fuck" on-air one episode prior.
Damon Wayans	12	Hired for season 11 as a featured player, he was fired mid-season for improvising on the air. He returned as a guest to perform stand-up comedy on season 11's last episode and hosted SNL in 1995.
Beth Cahill	13	She joined the show during season 17 as an off-and-on featured player. She did not return the following season, as she was fired along with castmate Siobhan Fallon.
Denny Dillon	13	She joined the cast for season six and was let go after the finale as part of the cast overhaul. She auditioned for the show's first season, but did not make the cut.
Gail Matthius	13	She joined the cast for season six and was let go after the season ended.
Paul Shaffer	13	After being the band's pianist for the first five seasons, he joined the cast during season five, but left after the finale. He hosted SNL in 1987, making him the only member of the house band to do so.
Janeane Garofalo	14	She joined the cast during season 20, but quit mid-season due to creative differences.
Michaela Watkins	15	She joined the show on the first episode after the 2008 United States presidential election, then was let go before the start of season 35.
Peter Aykroyd	16	He joined the show midway through season five, but left at the end of the season, after only 16 episodes.

President of the United States impressionists

Portrayal of sitting Presidents of the United States

Sitting president	Performer (years)
Gerald Ford	Chevy Chase (1975–1976)
Jimmy Carter	Dan Aykroyd (1977–1979) Joe Piscopo (1980–1981)
Ronald Reagan	Charles Rocket (1981) Joe Piscopo (1981–1984) Harry Shearer (1984) Randy Quaid (1985–1986) Robin Williams (1986) [f] Phil Hartman (1986–1989)
George H. W. Bush	Dana Carvey (1989–1993)
Bill Clinton	Phil Hartman (1993–1994) Michael McKean (1994–1995) Darrell Hammond (1995–2001)
George W. Bush	Will Ferrell (2001–2002) Chris Parnell (2002–2003) Darrell Hammond (2003) Will Forte (2004–2006) Jason Sudeikis (2006–2008)
Barack Obama	Fred Armisen (2009–2012) Jay Pharoah (2012–2016)
Donald Trump	Alec Baldwin (2017–2020) [g]
Joe Biden	Alex Moffat (2021) James Austin Johnson (2021–2023) Jason Sudeikis (2021) [h] Mikey Day (2023–2024) Dana Carvey (2024–present) [g]

Darrell Hammond had the longest tenure portraying a U.S. president, portraying Bill Clinton from 1995–2001 and George W. Bush during 2003. He, Joe Piscopo, and Phil Hartman are the only cast members to have portrayed two sitting presidents. Jason Sudeikis portrayed two sitting presidents, but the portrayal of the second president was performed as a host, rather than a cast member. Dana Carvey also portrayed two sitting presidents, with the portrayal of the second president performed as a recurring guest.

George H. W. Bush grew fond of Dana Carvey's impersonation of him. Carvey was invited to headline a White House Christmas party in 1992, during the lame duck period after Bush had lost the election. ^[15] Two years later, on October 22, 1994, when Carvey hosted the show for the first time, Bush appeared in pre-recorded videos, in both the cold open and the opening monologue, critiquing Carvey's impersonation of him. ^{[16] [17]}

Presidents are not usually portrayed on Saturday Night Live after they leave office. Exceptions are limited to the portrayal of former president Richard Nixon who left office prior to the launch of the show in 1975, Bill Clinton who appeared in sketches related to the presidential campaigns of his wife, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump who continued to be politically active after leaving office. Dan Aykroyd portrayed Nixon from 1975–79, and Darrell Hammond portrayed Nixon on episode 12 of season 34. James Austin Johnson portrayed Trump in several episodes of seasons 47–50. ^[18]

Impersonation of Donald Trump

Main article: Saturday Night Live parodies of Donald Trump

Donald Trump, having been a public figure before being president, was portrayed by several cast members over the years. He was portrayed by Phil Hartman (1988–1990), Darrell Hammond (1999–2011, 2015–2016), Jason Sudeikis (2012) and Taran Killam (2015). Alec Baldwin started impersonating Trump as a guest during the 42nd season of SNL in late 2016, when Trump was the Republican nominee during the 2016 United States presidential elections. Baldwin continued with the guest impersonations of Trump after the elections when Trump was president-elect, as well as after Trump was sworn in as president. Baldwin continued to impersonate Trump throughout Trump's first presidency.

Alec Baldwin's impersonation of Donald Trump earned him an Emmy award in 2017, in spite of his public declaration that he "loathes the role." At the end of Season 44, Baldwin publicly announced that he will cease impersonating Trump, but changed his mind prior to the beginning of Season 45 after SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels convinced him to continue with the impersonation. ^{[19] [20]} Following the 2020 presidential elections in which Trump lost re-election, Baldwin tweeted "I don't believe I've ever been this overjoyed to lose a job before!" ^[21] As of 2024, Baldwin’s recurring guest appearances during Trump's presidency makes Trump the only sitting U.S. President in the show’s history who wasn’t portrayed by a member of the show’s principal cast. Although since Trump has been re-elected, he'll likely be played by cast member James Austin Johnson; still making Baldwin the only non-cast member to portray a sitting president throughout at least one term.

Trump has criticized Baldwin's portrayal on multiple occasions. In response, Baldwin taunted Trump with statements such as "release your tax returns and I'll stop." ^[22] In June 2021, after Trump had left office, it was reported that while Trump was in office he had inquired if the Federal Communications Commission or the United States Justice Department could force SNL to stop portraying him. Trump denied that he has ever made such an inquiry, but claimed that his portrayal by SNL "should be considered an illegal campaign contribution from the Democrat Party." He also criticized Baldwin's portrayal of him, but praised Darrell Hammond's portrayal of him. ^[23]

Returning to host

Over three dozen former SNL cast members have returned to host the show. The first former cast member to come back and host the show was Chevy Chase in February 1978. Chase is also the first former cast member to reach the Five-Timers Club, and is the most frequent-former cast member to host (although he got banned from hosting in 1997).

In addition to Chase, other former cast members that are in the Five-Timers Club are Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, and Kristen Wiig. Fey is also the most frequent former female cast member to host the show.

The show's 22nd season is notable, as seven of the 20 hosts were former cast members. They included Dana Carvey, Robert Downey Jr., Phil Hartman, Chris Rock, Martin Short, Chase and Mike Myers.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was the first former female cast member to come back to host the show; hosting it near the end of it's 31st season in May 2006. ^[24]

While the majority of cast members who also hosted the show were first cast members and then hosted after leaving the show, there have been two cast members who have hosted the show prior to joining the cast: Billy Crystal (he hosted the show twice during the ninth season prior to joining the cast in the tenth season) and Michael McKean (he hosted the show in the tenth season and joined the cast in the nineteenth season). McKean is also the only eventual cast member who first appeared as a musical guest (with Spinal Tap, May 1984).

Eddie Murphy is the only cast member to have hosted the show while still a cast member. He also holds the distinction of having the longest gap between successive hosting of the show. There was a 35 year and 6 day gap between his second and third hostings of the show.

Adam Sandler and Dan Aykroyd tie the record of the longest gap between leaving the show as a cast member and returning as a host. Both hosted the show for the first time nine days shy of 24 years from last appearance as cast. However, both made appearances on the show during the gap. On the flip side, Bill Murray holds the record for having the shortest gap between leaving the show and returning to host at 287 days after leaving the cast.

Saturday Night Live cast members who have hosted

Host	Number of episodes	First hosted	Last hosted
Fred Armisen	1	May 21, 2016
Dan Aykroyd	1	May 17, 2003
Dana Carvey	4	October 22, 1994	February 5, 2011
Chevy Chase	8 [25]	February 18, 1978	February 15, 1997
Billy Crystal	2	March 17, 1984	May 12, 1984
Pete Davidson	1	October 14, 2023 [7]
Robert Downey Jr.	1	November 16, 1996
Jimmy Fallon	3	December 17, 2011	April 15, 2017
Chris Farley	1	October 25, 1997
Will Ferrell	5	May 14, 2005	November 23, 2019
Tina Fey	6	February 23, 2008	May 19, 2018
Will Forte	1	January 22, 2022
Bill Hader	2	October 11, 2014	March 17, 2018
Phil Hartman	2	March 23, 1996	November 23, 1996
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	3	May 13, 2006	April 16, 2016
Jon Lovitz	1	November 8, 1997
Norm Macdonald	1	October 23, 1999
Michael McKean	1	November 3, 1984
Kate McKinnon	1	December 16, 2023
Seth Meyers	1	October 13, 2018
Tracy Morgan	2	March 14, 2009	October 17, 2015
Eddie Murphy	3	December 11, 1982	December 21, 2019
Bill Murray	5	March 7, 1981	February 20, 1999
Mike Myers	1	March 22, 1997
Don Novello	2	January 14, 1984	May 12, 1984
Amy Poehler	2	September 25, 2010	December 19, 2015
Chris Rock	3	November 2, 1996	October 3, 2020
Maya Rudolph	3	February 18, 2012	May 11, 2024
Andy Samberg	1	May 17, 2014
Adam Sandler	1	May 4, 2019
Paul Shaffer	1	January 31, 1987
Molly Shannon	2	May 12, 2007	April 8, 2023
Martin Short	4	December 6, 1986	December 10, 2022
Sarah Silverman	1	October 4, 2014
David Spade	2	November 7, 1998	March 12, 2005
Jason Sudeikis	1	October 23, 2021
Ben Stiller	2	October 24, 1998	October 8, 2011
Damon Wayans	1	April 8, 1995
Kristen Wiig	5	May 11, 2013	April 6, 2024

The "SNL Curse"

Although SNL is best known as the launchpad for many successful careers, eight former cast members have died before the age of 60. This has given rise to^{[ failed verification ]} a superstition known as the "Saturday Night Live Curse". ^{[26] [27]}

Allegedly "cursed" Saturday Night Live cast members

Cast member	Age	Date of death	Cause of death
John Belushi	33	March 5, 1982	Belushi died of a drug overdose from a speedball injection (cocaine and heroin). Belushi's death led to the conviction of Cathy Smith for administering the fatal injection.
Gilda Radner	42	May 20, 1989	Radner died from ovarian cancer. She was originally scheduled to host the season 13 finale, a first for a former female cast member. However, SNL was canceled due to a 1988 Writers Guild of America strike. Radner's health worsened the following year. Moments before the season 14 finale, news broke of Radner's death. In lieu of the opening monologue Steve Martin, visibly shaken, introduced a replay of the "Dancing in the Dark" sketch he and Radner had performed in a 1978 episode; [28] her ex-husband G. E. Smith performed a musical tribute to Radner with the SNL Band.
Danitra Vance	40	August 21, 1994	Vance died of breast cancer, which had returned after a remission three years earlier.
Michael O'Donoghue	54	November 8, 1994	O'Donoghue died from cerebral hemorrhage after suffering from severe chronic migraine headaches for most of his life. Bill Murray honored O'Donoghue's memory in an appearance on a season 20 episode [29] (hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker with musical guest R.E.M.) by replaying his sketch "Mr. Mike's Least Loved Bedtime Stories: The Soiled Kimono" from 1977. [30]
Chris Farley	33	December 18, 1997	Influenced by Belushi, Farley died of a drug overdose from a speedball injection. Farley's death occurred less than two months after he came back to host SNL, which turned out to be his final television appearance.
Phil Hartman	49	May 28, 1998	Hartman was murdered by his wife, Brynn, while he slept in his Encino, California, home. Before committing this crime, Brynn had allegedly consumed a combination of cocaine, alcohol, and the antidepressant drug Zoloft, and then committed suicide. During SNL's 25th anniversary special in 1999, several of Hartman's peers honored his memory by replaying his sketch "Love Is a Dream" from 1988.
Charles Rocket	56	October 7, 2005	Rocket was found dead in his Canterbury, Connecticut, backyard. Local police concluded his death a suicide; Rocket had allegedly taken his own life by slashing his throat with a box cutter.
Jan Hooks	57	October 9, 2014	Hooks died after battling throat cancer for several months. Two days after her death, Hooks was given a tribute on SNL during the third episode of its 40th season, in which a sketch she had filmed with Hartman, "Love Is a Dream", was re-aired. [31]

See also

• Saturday Night Live Band
• List of Saturday Night Live guests
• List of Saturday Night Live writers

Notes

1. This list includes both repertory and featured players past and present, but omits SNL writers and others who were not listed as cast members during the show's credits. The dates given are those of the years they were part of the cast. The chart also shows whether the cast member has served as a guest host, appeared as the anchorperson of the "Weekend Update" segment (by any of its titles), or has been the subject of their own "Best of" home video collection. Many of the cast members were writers as well. "Middle group" performers are introduced after the main cast by the announcer saying "...with" and reading off these performers before ending with featured players.
2. For cast members who are still active on the show, the number of seasons assumes that the cast members will continue to serve in that role through the end of the current season
3. ½ season is used to indicate a portion of a season, not necessarily 50% of the episodes of the partial season
4. Strong is listed ahead of McKinnon because Strong appeared in 9 episodes in her partial season, whereas McKinnon appeared in 5 episodes in her partial season
5. Franken was a cast member in 11 different seasons. The reason he is not shown as having been a cast member in 10 ½ seasons is that in one season (the 11th season) he served as a cast member for only one episode, and in his final season (the 20th season), he departed after the second to last episode.
6. Performed once when Williams hosted the show, on November 22, 1986.
7. Impersonation performed as a recurring guest.
8. Performed once when Sudeikis hosted the show, on October 23, 2021. During his time as cast member, Sudeikis portrayed Joe Biden when Biden was a candidate for president during the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, as well as Vice President after the election.

References

1. Marx, Sienkiewicz & Becker 2013, p. 6.
2. Lloyd, Robert (February 13, 2024). "Sid Caesar, an appreciation: Making light of civility's fragility". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on March 7, 2024.
3. "Kenan Thompson: Saturday Night Live repertory-player". NBC.
4. White, Peter (October 23, 2021). "'SNL': Colin Jost Breaks Seth Meyers' Weekend Update Record". Deadline. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
5. "Saturday Night Live". NBC.com. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
6. "Miles Teller/Kendrick Lamar". Saturday Night Live. Season 48. Episode 1. October 1, 2022. Event occurs at Closing credits. NBC.
7. White, Peter; Grobar, Matt (October 4, 2023). "'SNL': Pete Davidson & Bad Bunny Among Hosts As NBC Show Sets Returns With SAG-AFTRA Blessing, Full Cast Comes Back For Season 49 & Chloe Troast Joins". Deadline. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
8. "Interview: Kate McKinnon on Saying Good-bye to SNL". August 11, 2022.
9. "Aidy Bryant's 'SNL' Exit Interview: 'I Was Worried I Was Going to be Fully Crying'". June 21, 2022.
10. Haring, Bruce (January 27, 2024). "Catherine O'Hara Confesses Why She Left 'Saturday Night Live' Cast After One Week".
11. Otterson, Joseph (September 16, 2019). "Shane Gillis Out From 'Saturday Night Live'". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
12. Deggans, Eric (February 25, 2024). "Shane Gillis struggles in a 'Saturday Night Live' monologue that avoids the obvious". NPR. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
13. Evans, Greg (October 25, 2024). "SNL creator Lorne Michaels says Shane Gillis firing was forced by NBC". The Independent.
14. Graham, Mark (September 10, 2009). "21 SNL Cast Members Who Only Lasted a Season". Vulture. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
15. Rosenwald, Michael S. (December 2, 2018). "'Wouldn't be prudent': George H.W. Bush's unlikely friendship with Dana Carvey". The Washington Post.
16. "Bush Cold Open". NBC.
17. "George H. W. Bush Supports Dana Carvey Cold Open". NBC.
18. Garber, Megan. "Saturday Night Live Can't Resist Donald Trump". The Atlantic . Retrieved 2021-11-07.
19. Kreps, Daniel (June 7, 2019). "Alec Baldwin 'So Done' With Portraying Trump on 'SNL'". Rolling Stone .
20. Schaffstall, Katherine (October 21, 2019). "Alec Baldwin on Why He Returned to 'SNL' as Trump". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 24, 2022.
21. Hibberd, James (November 8, 2020). "Alec Baldwin 'overjoyed' to lose SNL job playing Donald Trump". Entertainment Weekly .
22. Butler, Bethonie (June 7, 2019). "All the times Alec Baldwin has suggested he's done playing Trump on 'Saturday Night Live'". The Washington Post .
23. Johnson, Ted (June 22, 2021). "Donald Trump Denies That He Asked Justice Department To Go After 'Saturday Night Live'". Deadline Hollywood.
24. Coyle, Jake (May 11, 2006). "Julia Louis-Dreyfus to Host 'SNL'". Washington Post . Archived from the original on 2017-03-16. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
25. "SNL Archives | Cast | Chevy Chase". SNL Archives. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
26. "Is There A 'Saturday Night Live' Curse?". HuffPost. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
27. Caroline Donnelly (28 May 2008). "7 Tragic SNL Deaths". Mental Floss.
28. "SNL Transcripts: Steve Martin: 04/22/78: Dancing In The Dark". SNL Transcripts Tonight. October 8, 2018.
29. "Michael O'Donoghue Tribute". snltranscripts.jt.org. 8 October 2018.
30. "SNL Transcripts: Miskel Spillman: 12/17/77: Least-Loved Bedtime Tale: The Soiled Kimono". snltranscripts.jt.org. 8 October 2018.
31. Aaron Crouch (11 Oct 2014). "'SNL' Remembers Jan Hooks With Emotional Tribute". Hollywood Reporter.

Bibliography

• Marx, Nick; Sienkiewicz, Matt; Becker, Ron (2013). "Introduction: Situating Saturday Night Live in American Television Culture". In Marx, Nick; Sienkiewicz, Matt; Becker, Ron (eds.). Saturday Night Live and American TV. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 1–21. ISBN   978-0-253-01090-2. JSTOR   j.ctt16gznsz.4.

External links

• A visual history from The New York Times
• A 2015 ranking from Rolling Stone