Template:Short description

Template:As of, 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.Template:Sfn

ListEdit

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

TableEdit

Saturday Night Live cast membersTemplate:Efn
Performer Time on SNL No. of seasons Repertory player Featured player Middle groupTemplate:Efn Weekend Update anchor Hosted Best of... Writer
Fred Armisen 20022013 11 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Aristotle Athari 2021–2022 1 Template:Y
Dan Aykroyd 19751979 4 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Peter Aykroyd 1980 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Morwenna Banks 1995 1 Template:Y
Vanessa Bayer 20102017 7 Template:Y Template:Y
Jim Belushi 19831985 2 Template:Y Template:Y
John Belushi 19751979 4 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Beck Bennett 20132021 8 Template:Y Template:Y
Jim Breuer 19951998 3 Template:Y
Paul Brittain 20102012 2 Template:Y
A. Whitney Brown 19861991 6 Template:Y Template:Y
Aidy Bryant 20122022 10 Template:Y Template:Y
Beth Cahill 1991–1992 1 Template:Y
Dana Carvey 19861993 7 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Chevy Chase 19751976 2 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Michael Che 2014–present 11 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Ellen Cleghorne 19911995 4 Template:Y Template:Y
George Coe 1975 1 Template:Y
Billy Crystal 1984–1985 1 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Jane Curtin 19751980 5 Template:Y Template:Y
Joan Cusack 1985–1986 1 Template:Y
Pete Davidson 20142022 8 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Tom Davis 19791980 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Mikey Day 2016–present 9 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Denny Dillon 1980–1981 1 Template:Y
Andrew Dismukes 2020–present 5 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Jim Downey 1980 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Robert Downey Jr. 1985–1986 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Brian Doyle-Murray Template:Hs1980,
1981–1982
2 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Rachel Dratch 19992006 7 Template:Y Template:Y
Robin Duke 19811984 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Nora Dunn 19851990 5 Template:Y
Christine Ebersole 1981–1982 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Dean Edwards 20012003 2 Template:Y
Abby Elliott 20082012 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Chris Elliott 1994–1995 1 Template:Y
Jimmy Fallon 19982004 6 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Siobhan Fallon 1991–1992 1 Template:Y
Chris Farley 19901995 5 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Will Ferrell 19952002 7 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Tina Fey 20002006 6 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Chloe Fineman 2019–present 6 Template:Y Template:Y
Will Forte 20022010 8 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Al Franken 19791980,
1986,
19881995
8 Template:Y Template:Y
Heidi Gardner 2017–present 8 Template:Y Template:Y
Janeane Garofalo 1994–1995 1 Template:Y
Ana Gasteyer 19962002 6 Template:Y
Gilbert Gottfried 1980–1981 1 Template:Y
Mary Gross 19811985 4 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Christopher Guest 1984–1985 1 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Bill Hader 20052013 8 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Anthony Michael Hall 1985–1986 1 Template:Y
Brad Hall 19821984 2 Template:Y Template:Y
Rich Hall 1984–1985 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Darrell Hammond 19952009 14 Template:Y
Phil Hartman 19861994 8 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Marcello Hernández 2022–present 3 Template:Y Template:Y
Lauren Holt 2020–2021 1 Template:Y
Jan Hooks 19861991 5 Template:Y
Yvonne Hudson 1980–1981 1 Template:Y
Melanie Hutsell 19911994 3 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Victoria Jackson 19861992 6 Template:Y
James Austin Johnson 2021–present 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Punkie Johnson 20202024 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Leslie Jones 20142019 5 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Colin Jost 2014–present 12 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Chris Kattan 19962003 8 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Tim Kazurinsky 19811984 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Molly Kearney 20222024 2 Template:Y
Laura Kightlinger 1994–1995 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Taran Killam 20102016 6 Template:Y Template:Y
David Koechner 1995–1996 1 Template:Y
Gary Kroeger 19821985 3 Template:Y
Matthew Laurance 1980–1981 1 Template:Y
Michael Longfellow 2022–present 3 Template:Y Template:Y
Julia Louis-Dreyfus 19821985 3 Template:Y Template:Y
Jon Lovitz 19851990 5 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Norm Macdonald 19931998 5 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Gail Matthius 1980–1981 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Michael McKean 19941995 2 Template:Y Template:Y
Mark McKinney 19951997 3 Template:Y Template:Y
Kate McKinnon 20122022 11 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Tim Meadows 19912000 10 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Laurie Metcalf 1981 1 Template:Y
Seth Meyers 20012014 13 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
John Milhiser 2013–2014 1 Template:Y
Dennis Miller 19851991 6 Template:Y Template:Y
Jerry Minor 2000–2001 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Finesse Mitchell 20032006 3 Template:Y Template:Y
Alex Moffat 20162022 6 Template:Y Template:Y
Jay Mohr 19931995 2 Template:Y Template:Y
Kyle Mooney 20132022 9 Template:Y Template:Y
Tracy Morgan 19962003 7 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Garrett Morris 19751980 5 Template:Y Template:Y
Bobby Moynihan 20082017 9 Template:Y Template:Y
Eddie Murphy 19801984 4 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Bill Murray 19771980 4 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Mike Myers 19891995 7 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Kevin Nealon 19861995 9 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Laraine Newman 19751980 5 Template:Y
Don Novello 1979–1980
1985–1986
2 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Luke Null 2017–2018 1 Template:Y
Ego Nwodim 2018–present 7 Template:Y Template:Y
Mike O'Brien 2013–2014 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Michael O'Donoghue 1975 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Cheri Oteri 19952000 5 Template:Y Template:Y
Ashley Padilla 2024–present 1 Template:Y
Chris Parnell 19982006 8 Template:Y Template:Y
Nasim Pedrad 20092014 5 Template:Y Template:Y
Jay Pharoah 20102016 6 Template:Y Template:Y
Joe Piscopo 19801984 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Amy Poehler 20012008 8 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Emily Prager 1981 1 Template:Y
Randy Quaid 1985–1986 1 Template:Y
Colin Quinn 19962000 5 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Gilda Radner 19751980 5 Template:Y Template:Y
Chris Redd 20172022 5 Template:Y Template:Y
Jeff Richards 20012004 3 Template:Y Template:Y
Rob Riggle 2004–2005 1 Template:Y
Ann Risley 1980–1981 1 Template:Y
Tim Robinson 2012–2013 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Chris Rock 19901993 3 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Charles Rocket 1980–1981 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Tony Rosato 19811982 2 Template:Y Template:Y
Jon Rudnitsky 2015–2016 1 Template:Y
Maya Rudolph 20002007 9 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Andy Samberg 20052012 7 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Adam Sandler 19911995 5 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Horatio Sanz 19982006 8 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Tom Schiller 1980 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Rob Schneider 19901994 4 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Paul Shaffer 1979–1980 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Molly Shannon 19952001 7 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Harry Shearer 1979–1980,
1984–1985
2 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Sarah Sherman 2021–present 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Martin Short 1984–1985 1 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Sarah Silverman 1993–1994 1 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Jenny Slate 2009–2010 1 Template:Y
Robert Smigel 19911993 2 Template:Y Template:Y
David Spade 19901996 6 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Pamela Stephenson 1984–1985 1 Template:Y
Ben Stiller 1989 1 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Cecily Strong 20122022 11 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Jason Sudeikis 20052013 9 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Julia Sweeney 19901994 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Terry Sweeney 1985–1986 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Kenan Thompson 2003–present 22 Template:Y Template:Y
Chloe Troast 2023–2024 1 Template:Y
Danitra Vance 1985–1986 1 Template:Y
Melissa Villaseñor 20162022 6 Template:Y Template:Y
Dan Vitale 1985–1986 1 Template:Y
Devon Walker 2022–present 3 Template:Y Template:Y
Nancy Walls 1995–1996 1 Template:Y
Emil Wakim 2024–present 1 Template:Y
Michaela Watkins 2008–2009 1 Template:Y
Damon Wayans 1985–1986 1 Template:Y Template:Y
Patrick Weathers 1980–1981 1 Template:Y
Noël Wells 2013–2014 1 Template:Y
Brooks Wheelan 2013–2014 1 Template:Y
Jane Wickline 2024–present 1 Template:Y
Kristen Wiig 20052012 7 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Casey Wilson 20082009 2 Template:Y
Fred Wolf 19961996 2 Template:Y Template:Y
Bowen Yang 2019–present 6 Template:Y Template:Y Template:Y
Sasheer Zamata 20142017 4 Template:Y Template:Y
Alan Zweibel 1980 1 Template:Y Template:Y

TimelineEdit

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


<timeline> ImageSize =width:1000 height:2000 PlotArea =left:110 bottom:60 top:0 right:40 Alignbars =justify DateFormat =mm/dd/yyyy Period =from:01/01/1975 till:12/31/2024 TimeAxis =orientation:horizontal format:mm/dd/yyyy

ScaleMajor =unit:year increment:2 start:01/01/1975

ScaleMinor =unit:year increment:2 start:01/01/1976

Colors=

 id:brown value:rgb(0.5, 0.25, 0)
 id:gray  value:gray(0.8)

LineData =

 at:10/11/1975 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/18/1976 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/24/1977 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:10/07/1978 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:10/13/1979 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:11/15/1980 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/03/1981 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/25/1982 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/08/1983 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/06/1984 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:11/09/1985 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:10/11/1986 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:10/17/1987 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:10/08/1988 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/30/1989 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/29/1990 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/28/1991 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/26/1992 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/25/1993 color:black layer:back width:1.0
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 at:10/02/1999 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
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 at:09/29/2001 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/05/2002 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/04/2003 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/02/2004 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/01/2005 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/30/2006 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/29/2007 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/13/2008 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/26/2009 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/25/2010 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/25/2011 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/24/2012 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/15/2013 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/27/2014 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/03/2015 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:10/01/2016 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/30/2017 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/29/2018 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
 at:09/28/2019 color:gray  layer:back width:0.7
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 at:10/02/2021 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/01/2022 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:10/14/2023 color:black layer:back width:1.0
 at:09/30/2024 color:black layer:back width:1.0

BarData =

 bar:aykroyd      text:"Dan Aykroyd"
 bar:belushi      text:"John Belushi"
 bar:chase        text:"Chevy Chase"
 bar:coe          text:"George Coe"
 bar:curtin       text:"Jane Curtin"
 bar:morris       text:"Garrett Morris"
 bar:newman       text:"Laraine Newman"
 bar:odonoghue    text:"Michael O'Donoghue"
 bar:radner       text:"Gilda Radner"
 bar:murray       text:"Bill Murray"
 bar:davis        text:"Tom Davis"
 bar:franken      text:"Al Franken"
 bar:aykroydp     text:"Peter Aykroyd"
 bar:downey       text:"Jim Downey"
 bar:murraybr     text:"Brian Doyle-Murray"
 bar:novello      text:"Don Novello"
 bar:schiller     text:"Tom Schiller"
 bar:shaffer      text:"Paul Shaffer"
 bar:shearer      text:"Harry Shearer"
 bar:zweibel      text:"Alan Zweibel"
 bar:dillon       text:"Denny Dillon"
 bar:duke         text:"Robin Duke"
 bar:gottfried    text:"Gilbert Gottfried"
 bar:hudson       text:"Yvonne Hudson"
 bar:kazurinsky   text:"Tim Kazurinsky"
 bar:laurance     text:"Matthew Laurance"
 bar:matthius     text:"Gail Matthius"
 bar:metcalf      text:"Laurie Metcalf"
 bar:murphy       text:"Eddie Murphy"
 bar:piscopo      text:"Joe Piscopo"
 bar:prager       text:"Emily Prager"
 bar:risley       text:"Ann Risley"
 bar:rocket       text:"Charles Rocket"
 bar:rosato       text:"Tony Rosato"
 bar:weathers     text:"Patrick Weathers"
 bar:ebersole     text:"Christine Ebersole"
 bar:gross        text:"Mary Gross"
 bar:bhall        text:"Brad Hall"
 bar:kroeger      text:"Gary Kroeger"
 bar:louisdreyfus text:"Julia Louis-Dreyfus"
 bar:belushiji    text:"Jim Belushi"
 bar:crystal      text:"Billy Crystal"
 bar:guest        text:"Christopher Guest"
 bar:rhall        text:"Rich Hall"
 bar:short        text:"Martin Short"
 bar:stephenson   text:"Pamela Stephenson"
 bar:brown        text:"A. Whitney Brown"
 bar:cusack       text:"Joan Cusack"
 bar:downeyr      text:"Robert Downey Jr.
 bar:dunn         text:"Nora Dunn"
 bar:hall         text:"Anthony Michael Hall"
 bar:lovitz       text:"Jon Lovitz"
 bar:miller       text:"Dennis Miller"
 bar:quaid        text:"Randy Quaid"
 bar:sweeney      text:"Terry Sweeney"
 bar:vance        text:"Danitra Vance"
 bar:vitale       text:"Dan Vitale"
 bar:wayans       text:"Damon Wayans"
 bar:carvey       text:"Dana Carvey"
 bar:hartman      text:"Phil Hartman"
 bar:hooks        text:"Jan Hooks"
 bar:jackson      text:"Victoria Jackson"
 bar:nealon       text:"Kevin Nealon"
 bar:myers        text:"Mike Myers"
 bar:stiller      text:"Ben Stiller"
 bar:farley       text:"Chris Farley"
 bar:meadows      text:"Tim Meadows"
 bar:rock         text:"Chris Rock"
 bar:sandler      text:"Adam Sandler"
 bar:schneider    text:"Rob Schneider"
 bar:spade        text:"David Spade"
 bar:sweeneyj     text:"Julia Sweeney"
 bar:cahill       text:"Beth Cahill"
 bar:cleghorne    text:"Ellen Cleghorne"
 bar:fallon       text:"Siobhan Fallon"
 bar:hutsell      text:"Melanie Hutsell"
 bar:smigel       text:"Robert Smigel"
 bar:macdonald    text:"Norm Macdonald"
 bar:mckean       text:"Michael McKean"
 bar:mohr         text:"Jay Mohr"
 bar:silverman    text:"Sarah Silverman"
 bar:banks        text:"Morwenna Banks"
 bar:elliott      text:"Chris Elliott"
 bar:garofalo     text:"Janeane Garofalo"
 bar:kightlinger  text:"Laura Kightlinger"
 bar:mckinney     text:"Mark McKinney"
 bar:shannon      text:"Molly Shannon"
 bar:breuer       text:"Jim Breuer"
 bar:ferrell      text:"Will Ferrell"
 bar:hammond      text:"Darrell Hammond"
 bar:kattan       text:"Chris Kattan"
 bar:koechner     text:"David Koechner"
 bar:oteri        text:"Cheri Oteri"
 bar:quinn        text:"Colin Quinn"
 bar:walls        text:"Nancy Walls"
 bar:wolf         text:"Fred Wolf"
 bar:gasteyer     text:"Ana Gasteyer"
 bar:morgan       text:"Tracy Morgan"
 bar:fallonj      text:"Jimmy Fallon"
 bar:parnell      text:"Chris Parnell"
 bar:sanz         text:"Horatio Sanz"
 bar:dratch       text:"Rachel Dratch"
 bar:rudolph      text:"Maya Rudolph"
 bar:fey          text:"Tina Fey"
 bar:minor        text:"Jerry Minor"
 bar:edwards      text:"Dean Edwards"
 bar:meyers       text:"Seth Meyers"
 bar:poehler      text:"Amy Poehler"
 bar:richards     text:"Jeff Richards"
 bar:armisen      text:"Fred Armisen"
 bar:forte        text:"Will Forte"
 bar:mitchell     text:"Finesse Mitchell"
 bar:thompson     text:"Kenan Thompson"
 bar:riggle       text:"Rob Riggle"
 bar:sudeikis     text:"Jason Sudeikis"
 bar:hader        text:"Bill Hader"
 bar:samberg      text:"Andy Samberg"
 bar:wiig         text:"Kristen Wiig"
 bar:wilson       text:"Casey Wilson"
 bar:elliotta     text:"Abby Elliott"
 bar:moynihan     text:"Bobby Moynihan"
 bar:watkins      text:"Michaela Watkins"
 bar:pedrad       text:"Nasim Pedrad"
 bar:slate        text:"Jenny Slate"
 bar:bayer        text:"Vanessa Bayer"
 bar:brittain     text:"Paul Brittain"
 bar:killam       text:"Taran Killam"
 bar:pharoah      text:"Jay Pharoah"
 bar:mckinnon     text:"Kate McKinnon"
 bar:bryant       text:"Aidy Bryant"
 bar:robinson     text:"Tim Robinson"
 bar:strong       text:"Cecily Strong"
 bar:bennett      text:"Beck Bennett"
 bar:jost         text:"Colin Jost"
 bar:milhiser     text:"John Milhiser"
 bar:mooney       text:"Kyle Mooney"
 bar:oBrien       text:"Mike O'Brien"
 bar:wells        text:"Noël Wells"
 bar:wheelan      text:"Brooks Wheelan"
 bar:zamata       text:"Sasheer Zamata"
 bar:che          text:"Michael Che"
 bar:davidson     text:"Pete Davidson"
 bar:jones        text:"Leslie Jones"
 bar:rudnitsky    text:"Jon Rudnitsky"
 bar:day          text:"Mikey Day"
 bar:moffat       text:"Alex Moffat"
 bar:villaseñor   text:"Melissa Villaseñor"
 bar:gardner      text:"Heidi Gardner"
 bar:null         text:"Luke Null"
 bar:redd         text:"Chris Redd"
 bar:nwodim       text:"Ego Nwodim"
 bar:fineman      text:"Chloe Fineman"
 bar:yang         text:"Bowen Yang"
 bar:dismukes     text:"Andrew Dismukes"
 bar:holt         text:"Lauren Holt"
 bar:johnson      text:"Punkie Johnson"
 bar:athari       text:"Aristotle Athari"
 bar:johnsonja    text:"James Austin Johnson"
 bar:sherman      text:"Sarah Sherman"
 bar:hernández    text:"Marcello Hernández"
 bar:kearney      text:"Molly Kearney"
 bar:longfellow   text:"Michael Longfellow"
 bar:walker       text:"Devon Walker"
 bar:troast       text:"Chloe Troast"
 bar:padilla      text:"Ashley Padilla"
 bar:wakim        text:"Emil Wakim"
 bar:wickline     text:"Jane Wickline"

PlotData =

 width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
 bar:Aykroyd      from:10/11/1975 till:05/26/1979 color:red
 bar:Belushi      from:10/11/1975 till:05/26/1979 color:orange
 bar:Chase        from:10/11/1975 till:10/30/1976 color:green
 bar:Coe          from:10/11/1975 till:10/11/1975 color:blue
 bar:Curtin       from:10/11/1975 till:05/24/1980 color:purple
 bar:Morris       from:10/11/1975 till:05/24/1980 color:red
 bar:Newman       from:10/11/1975 till:05/24/1980 color:orange
 bar:ODonoghue    from:10/11/1975 till:11/08/1975 color:green
 bar:Radner       from:10/11/1975 till:05/24/1980 color:blue
 bar:Murray       from:01/15/1977 till:05/24/1980 color:purple
 bar:Davis        from:11/17/1979 till:05/24/1980 color:pink
 bar:Franken      from:12/15/1979 till:05/24/1980 color:lightorange
 bar:Franken      from:05/24/1986 till:05/24/1986 color:lightorange
 bar:Franken      from:10/22/1988 till:05/06/1995 color:lightorange
 bar:Aykroydp     from:01/26/1980 till:05/24/1980 color:limegreen
 bar:Downey       from:01/26/1980 till:05/24/1980 color:skyblue
 bar:Murraybr     from:01/26/1980 till:05/24/1980 color:lavender
 bar:Murraybr     from:10/03/1981 till:05/22/1982 color:lavender
 bar:Novello      from:12/08/1979 till:05/17/1980 color:pink
 bar:Novello      from:11/23/1985 till:05/24/1986 color:pink
 bar:Schiller     from:04/19/1980 till:04/19/1980 color:lightorange
 bar:Shaffer      from:11/17/1979 till:05/24/1980 color:limegreen
 bar:Shearer      from:10/20/1979 till:02/08/1980 color:skyblue
 bar:Shearer      from:02/09/1980 till:05/24/1980 color:blue
 bar:Shearer      from:10/06/1984 till:01/12/1985 color:blue
 bar:Zweibel      from:04/19/1980 till:04/19/1980 color:lavender
 bar:Dillon       from:11/15/1980 till:04/11/1981 color:red
 bar:Duke         from:04/11/1981 till:05/12/1984 color:orange
 bar:Gottfried    from:11/15/1980 till:03/07/1981 color:green
 bar:Hudson       from:12/20/1980 till:04/11/1981 color:skyblue
 bar:Kazurinsky   from:04/11/1981 till:05/12/1984 color:purple
 bar:Laurance     from:12/13/1980 till:03/07/1981 color:pink
 bar:Matthius     from:11/15/1980 till:04/11/1981 color:orange
 bar:Metcalf      from:04/11/1981 till:04/11/1981 color:limegreen
 bar:Murphy       from:12/13/1980 till:01/23/1981 color:skyblue
 bar:Murphy       from:01/24/1981 till:04/14/1984 color:blue
 bar:Piscopo      from:11/15/1980 till:05/12/1984 color:purple
 bar:Prager       from:04/11/1981 till:04/11/1981 color:pink
 bar:Risley       from:11/15/1980 till:03/07/1981 color:orange
 bar:Rocket       from:11/15/1980 till:03/07/1981 Color:green
 bar:Rosato       from:04/11/1981 till:05/22/1982 color:blue
 bar:Weathers     from:12/13/1980 till:02/14/1981 color:lavender
 bar:Ebersole     from:10/03/1981 till:05/22/1982 color:red
 bar:Gross        from:10/03/1981 till:04/13/1985 color:orange
 bar:Bhall        from:09/25/1982 till:05/12/1984 color:green
 bar:Kroeger      from:09/25/1982 till:04/13/1985 color:blue
 bar:Louisdreyfus from:09/25/1982 till:04/13/1985 color:purple
 bar:Belushiji    from:10/22/1983 till:04/13/1985 color:red
 bar:Crystal      from:10/06/1984 till:04/13/1985 color:orange
 bar:Guest        from:10/06/1984 till:04/13/1985 color:green
 bar:Rhall        from:10/06/1984 till:04/13/1985 color:blue
 bar:Short        from:10/06/1984 till:04/13/1985 color:purple
 bar:Stephenson   from:10/06/1984 till:04/13/1985 color:red
 bar:Brown        from:03/15/1986 till:03/16/1991 color:lightorange
 bar:Cusack       from:11/09/1985 till:05/24/1986 color:green
 bar:Downeyr      from:11/09/1985 till:05/24/1986 color:blue
 bar:Dunn         from:11/09/1985 till:05/19/1990 color:purple
 bar:Hall         from:11/09/1985 till:05/24/1986 color:red
 bar:Lovitz       from:11/09/1985 till:05/19/1990 color:orange
 bar:Miller       from:11/09/1985 till:05/18/1991 color:green
 bar:Quaid        from:11/09/1985 till:05/24/1986 color:blue
 bar:Sweeney      from:11/09/1985 till:05/24/1986 color:purple
 bar:Vance        from:11/09/1985 till:05/24/1986 color:red
 bar:Vitale       from:11/23/1985 till:02/08/1986 color:lightorange
 bar:Wayans       from:11/09/1985 till:03/15/1986 color:limegreen
 bar:Carvey       from:10/11/1986 till:02/06/1993 color:blue
 bar:Hartman      from:10/11/1986 till:05/14/1994 color:purple
 bar:Hooks        from:10/11/1986 till:05/18/1991 color:red
 bar:Jackson      from:10/11/1986 till:05/16/1992 color:orange
 bar:Nealon       from:10/11/1986 till:10/16/1987 color:limegreen
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 bar:Myers        from:01/21/1989 till:02/16/1990 color:skyblue
 bar:Myers        from:02/17/1990 till:05/16/1992 color:blue
 bar:Myers        from:12/05/1992 till:01/21/1995 color:blue
 bar:Stiller      from:03/25/1989 till:04/22/1989 color:lavender
 bar:Farley       from:09/29/1990 till:09/27/1991 color:magenta
 bar:Farley       from:09/28/1991 till:05/13/1995 color:red
 bar:Meadows      from:02/09/1991 till:10/01/1993 color:redorange
 bar:Meadows      from:10/02/1993 till:05/20/2000 color:orange
 bar:Rock         from:09/29/1990 till:09/27/1991 color:teal
 bar:Rock         from:09/28/1991 till:05/15/1993 color:green
 bar:Sandler      from:02/09/1991 till:09/27/1991 color:skyblue
 bar:Sandler      from:09/28/1991 till:10/01/1993 color:oceanblue
 bar:Sandler      from:10/02/1993 till:05/13/1995 color:blue
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 bar:Schneider    from:09/28/1991 till:09/25/1992 color:lightpurple
 bar:Schneider    from:09/26/1992 till:05/14/1994 color:purple
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 bar:Spade        from:09/28/1991 till:10/01/1993 color:magenta
 bar:Spade        from:10/02/1993 till:05/18/1996 color:red
 bar:Sweeneyj     from:11/10/1990 till:09/27/1991 color:redorange
 bar:Sweeneyj     from:09/28/1991 till:05/14/1994 color:orange
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 bar:Fallon       from:09/28/1991 till:05/16/1992 color:lightpurple
 bar:Hutsell      from:11/16/1991 till:09/25/1992 color:pink
 bar:Hutsell      from:09/26/1992 till:10/01/1993 color:magenta
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 bar:Ferrell      from:09/30/1995 till:05/18/2002 color:blue
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 bar:Kattan       from:09/28/1996 till:05/17/2003 color:red
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 bar:Walls        from:09/30/1995 till:05/18/1996 color:purple
 bar:Wolf         from:04/13/1996 till:10/19/1996 color:pink
 bar:Gasteyer     from:09/28/1996 till:05/18/2002 color:orange
 bar:Morgan       from:09/28/1996 till:05/17/2003 color:green
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 bar:Sanz         from:09/25/1999 till:05/20/2006 color:red
 bar:Dratch       from:10/23/1999 till:09/28/2001 color:lightorange
 bar:Dratch       from:09/29/2001 till:05/20/2006 color:orange
 bar:Rudolph      from:05/06/2000 till:09/28/2001 color:limegreen
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 bar:Fey          from:10/07/2000 till:09/28/2001 color:skyblue
 bar:Fey          from:09/29/2001 till:05/20/2006 color:blue
 bar:Minor        from:10/07/2000 till:05/19/2001 color:lavender
 bar:Edwards      from:09/29/2001 till:05/17/2003 color:pink
 bar:Meyers       from:09/29/2001 till:10/03/2003 color:lightorange
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 bar:Armisen      from:10/02/2004 till:05/18/2013 color:purple
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 bar:Forte        from:10/04/2003 till:05/15/2010 color:red
 bar:Mitchell     from:10/04/2003 till:09/30/2005 color:lightorange
 bar:Mitchell     from:10/01/2005 till:05/20/2006 color:orange
 bar:Thompson     from:10/04/2003 till:09/30/2005 color:limegreen
 bar:Thompson     from:10/01/2005 till:end        color:green
 bar:Riggle       from:10/02/2004 till:05/21/2005 color:skyblue
 bar:Sudeikis     from:05/07/2005 till:09/29/2006 color:lavender
 bar:Sudeikis     from:09/30/2006 till:05/18/2013 color:purple
 bar:Hader        from:10/01/2005 till:09/29/2006 color:pink
 bar:Hader        from:09/30/2006 till:05/18/2013 color:red
 bar:Samberg      from:10/01/2005 till:09/29/2006 color:lightorange
 bar:Samberg      from:09/30/2006 till:05/19/2012 color:orange
 bar:Wiig         from:11/12/2005 till:09/29/2006 color:limegreen
 bar:Wiig         from:09/30/2006 till:05/19/2012 color:green
 bar:Wilson       from:02/23/2008 till:05/16/2009 color:skyblue
 bar:Elliotta     from:11/15/2008 till:09/24/2010 color:lavender
 bar:Elliotta     from:09/25/2010 till:05/19/2012 color:purple
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 bar:Pharoah      from:09/15/2012 till:05/21/2016 color:green
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</timeline>

TenuresEdit

Longest tenuresEdit

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 seasonsTemplate:Efn Years on the show Notes
Kenan Thompson 22<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> ||2003–present ||Promoted to repertory player in his third season on the show.

Darrell Hammond 14 19952009 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 ½Template:Efn 20012014 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> He left the show to become the host of Late Night. He also served as head writer for 9 seasons.

Colin Jost 11 ½Template:Efn<ref name="autogenerated1"/> 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.<ref name="S48E1">Template:Cite episode</ref>
Fred Armisen 11 20022013 Promoted to repertory player in his third season on the show.
Michael Che 11<ref name="Deadline">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>|| 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.<ref name="S48E1"/>

Cecily Strong 10 ½Template:EfnTemplate:Efn<ref name="autogenerated1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || 20122022 ||

Kate McKinnon 10 ½Template:EfnTemplate:Efn 20122022 McKinnon has stated in an interview that she would've left the show a few years earlier in 2020 had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Aidy Bryant 10 20122022 In an interview, Bryant said that she planned to leave at the end of the show's 45th season in 2020, but ended up postponning her departure by two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=variety>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Tim Meadows Template:Efn 19912000 At the time of his departure, Meadows had the longest tenure as a cast member on the show.

Shortest tenuresEdit

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Gillis went on to host episode 12 of season 49<ref name="GillisHostSNL">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and episode 13 of season 50.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Saturday Night Live cast members with the shortest tenures
Performer No. of episodes Notes
George Coe (1975) 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.
Tom Schiller (1980) 1 One of the show writers and resident filmmakers who was made a featured player for only one episode: the April 19, 1980 show in season five. He left the show at the end of the season. He made several short films during his time at the show, including some after his brief time in the cast, and made several short films between seasons 14 and 19.
Alan Zweibel (1980) 1 A writer for the show who, along with Tom Schiller, was credited as a featured player for only the April 19, 1980 episode in season five. He left the show as a writer after the season finale.
Laurie Metcalf (1981) 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 (1981) 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 (1985–1986) 2 Hired as an on-and-off featured player for season 11, he was only credited with appearing in two episodes throughout the season but appeared uncredited in a few more.
Michael O'Donoghue (1975) 3 One of the original "Not Ready for Primetime Players" and the show's first head writer. He was only credited as a cast member for the first, third, and fourth episode before being dropped. He remained with the show as a writer (leaving and returning twice). He was only officially a cast member for three episodes, though he would continue as an occasional on-screen performer, often billed as a special guest in the opening credits as "impressionist Michael O'Donoghue" or as his alter ego "Mr. Mike."
Jim Downey (1980) 3 He was one of many writers-turned-featured players in season five, only being credited for three episodes. Though he left the show after the season, he returned to the show as a writer in 1984, and was promoted to head writer the next season in 1985, a position he held for 10 years. After resigning as head writer, he remained with the show on-and-off until 2013.
Ben Stiller (1989) 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.
Morwenna Banks (1995) 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.
Fred Wolf (1996) 4 He had been a writer since 1993 and, was named as a co-head writer at the start of season 21 in 1995 (being one of the few writers from the previous season to return), 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 (the only episode of that season he was credited for), after which he decided to leave the show for good.
Peter Aykroyd (1980) 6 Dan Aykroyd's brother Peter joined the show midway through season five, but left at the end of the season, after only being credited for six episodes.
Yvonne Hudson (1980–1981) 6 She was a recurring extra during season five, and became the first black female cast member in season six when she was made a featured player. She was fired from the cast midseason but continued to appear in extra parts.
Matthew Laurance (1980–1981) 8 Hired as a featured player during season six, he was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Patrick Weathers (1980–1981) 8 Hired as a featured cast member for season six, he was fired along with many of Doumanian's cast.
Paul Shaffer (1979–1980) 10 After being the band's pianist for the first five seasons, he joined the cast during season five, being credited sporadically throughout the season, but left with the rest of the original cast and writers after the finale. He hosted SNL in 1987, making him the only member of the house band to do so.
Robert Smigel (1991–1993) 10 A longtime writer of SNL who appeared occasionally uncredited until becoming a featured player for the 1991–92 season. He remained with the show through the 1992–93 season before leaving to be the head writer of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Smigel returned to write his "TV Funhouse" segment from 1996 until 2008, but did not come back to the cast. He was only credited during the opening montage for four episodes in his first season as a featured player and for six episodes in his second season.
Tom Davis (1979–1980) 12 Davis was hired as one of the original writers for its first five seasons, and became a featured cast member for season 5, but left with the rest of the original cast and writers after the season finale. Davis did return as a writer for the show from 1985 to 1994, before leaving the show for good.
Gilbert Gottfried (1980–1981) 12 He joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Ann Risley (1980–1981) 12 She joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Charles Rocket (1980–1981) 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 (1985–1986) 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.
Don Novello (1979–1980, 1985–1986) 13 SNL writer Don Novello appeared frequently throughout the show's history as his character Father Guido Sarducci, but he was only a featured player for part of the 1979–80 season and part of the 1985–86 season, credited sporadically only when he would appear on the show. He made many more appearances outside of these two runs as a featured player, but he was usually credited as a "special guest" in the opening or not credited at all. Novello even returned to host and co-host two episodes as Sarducci in 1984.
Denny Dillon (1980–1981) 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 (1980–1981) 13 She joined the cast for season six and was let go after the season ended.
Beth Cahill (1991–1992) 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.
Sarah Silverman (1993–1994) 14 Silverman joined the writing staff at the beginning of season 19 and was introduced as a featured player in the season's sixth episode. She was fired from both positions at the end of the season.
Janeane Garofalo (1994–1995) 14 She joined the cast during season 20, but quit mid-season due to creative differences.
Michaela Watkins (2008–2009) 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.

President of the United States impressionistsEdit

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)Template:Efn
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)Template:Efn
Joe Biden Alex Moffat (2021)
James Austin Johnson (2021–2023)
Jason Sudeikis (2021)Template:Efn
Mikey Day (2023–2024)
Dana Carvey (2024)Template:Efn
Donald Trump James Austin Johnson (2025–present)

Darrell Hammond had the longest tenure portraying a U.S. president, portraying Bill Clinton from 1995 to 2001 and George W. Bush during 2003. He, Joe Piscopo, Phil Hartman, and James Austin Johnson 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 to 1979, and Darrell Hammond portrayed Nixon on episode 12 of season 34. James Austin Johnson portrayed Trump during the period between Trump's two presidencies (seasons 47–50).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Impersonation of Donald TrumpEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} 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" due to his personal disdain for Trump. 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the 2020 presidential elections in which Trump lost re-election, Baldwin's tenure as Trump ended in the subsequent episode; he responded by tweeting "I don't believe I've ever been this overjoyed to lose a job before!"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> From the beginning of Trump's second term to present, he was portrayed by cast member James Austin Johnson (who played the role several times between Trump's two presidencies).

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."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Returning to hostEdit

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 (he is also one of few hosts banned from hosting, having last hosted in 1997). Chase returned as a guest at the 50th Anniversary Special.

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 has hosted six times, which makes her the most frequent former female cast member to host the show. Martin Short is the most recent member of the Five-Timers Club, having hosted the show most recently on December 21, 2024, during the show's 50th season.

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 its 31st season in May 2006.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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, with his second and third hostings of the show having been 35 years and 6 days apart.

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 their last appearance as cast members. 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<ref name="Chevy Chase's guest appearances">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || February 18, 1978 || February 15, 1997

Billy Crystal 2 March 17, 1984 May 12, 1984
Pete Davidson 1 October 14, 2023<ref name="Deadline"/>
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 4 November 2, 1996 December 14, 2024
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 5 December 6, 1986 December 21, 2024
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"Edit

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 toTemplate:Failed verification a superstition known as the "Saturday Night Live Curse".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Allegedly "cursed" Saturday Night Live cast members
Cast member Age Date of death Cause of death
Template:Sortname 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.
Template:Sortname 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 put on a production hiatus due to the 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;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> her ex-husband G. E. Smith performed a musical tribute to Radner with the SNL Band.

Template:Sortname 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<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> (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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Sortname 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.
Template:Sortname 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. After killing Hartman, she committed suicide. During SNLTemplate:'s 25th anniversary special in 1999, several of Hartman's peers honored his memory by replaying his sketch "Love Is a Dream" from 1988.
Template:Sortname 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.
Template:Sortname 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

See alsoEdit

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NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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BibliographyEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Saturday Night Live