Steve Martin, Kate McKinnon and More of Saturday Night Live’s Most Successful Cast Members Ever

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Steve Martin, Kate McKinnon and More of Saturday Night Live's Most Successful Cast Members Ever

“Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” For more than 40 years, Saturday Night Live has been a staple of the television industry — and has created some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Notable alumni of the comedy variety series include Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Tina Fey and Adam Sandler, who have all forged their own paths in the comedy world since exiting SNL. Despite leaving the Emmy-winning series, many of the show’s biggest names still look back fondly at their time as cast members. “I was 23 years old when I started here,” Sandler said during his May 2019 hosting gig. “I had some of the best years of my life here. I always tell [my wife and kids] how SNL was the greatest time in my life. My daughter asked me, ‘If it was the greatest, then why did you leave?’” The Happy Gilmore star was fired from SNL in 1995 and opened up about the experience on The Howard Stern Show in late 2019. “I was probably sad, covering up the sadness with being mad, saying ‘yeah f--k you,’” he said at the time. “I am f--king old enough now. I realize what Saturday Night Live did for me ... Everything turned out great. … Maybe I would’ve never left because I’m not good at saying goodbye. They had to get rid of me somehow.” [jwplayer VHnNd92k-l3ahXupL] Other SNL stars like Pete Davidson and Kate McKinnon have launched successful film careers before even leaving the comedy series. After joining the cast in 2012, McKinnon’s quirky comedic style landed her roles in 2015’s Sisters, 2016’s Ghostbusters, 2017’s Rough Night and 2019’s Yesterday. Davidson, for his part, has starred in several movies since his 2014 SNL debut and has fascinated fans with his dating life. Despite making controversial comments about the show that sparked his career, the Staten Island native has nothing but love for his SNL family. "I will be there as long as they allow me to be," he told Entertainment Tonight in June 2020. "I think I’m very lucky to be on that show and I’m really lucky to have Lorne Michaels as, you know, not only a mentor and a boss, but a friend. I’ll be there as long as they allow it." One year later, the Suicide Squad star admitted that he wasn't certain he'd return to Studio 8H after season 46 came to an end. "Speaking for myself, I don't know what the plan is. Everything's kind of up in the air right now just depending on scheduling," he said during an interview with Gold Derby. "It is my seventh year and that's what the contract is usually for. [The finale] was really emotional. I worked with these guys for a fourth of my life. ... I started there with acne and left with tattoos. It was just like a crazy, long period of time, and [I] wasn't ready for the season to end yet because I was really having so much fun." He previously joked during a roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter in May 2021 that he was "ready to hang up the jersey" after seven seasons on the show. The following year, Davidson announced his exit from the comedy series. Scroll down to see more of SNL’s most successful cast members. [podcast_block]

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Norm Macdonald

The Canada native made a name for himself as one of Saturday Night Live’s most memorable “Weekend Update” hosts, which he co-anchored for three years. He was a cast member from 1993 to 1998, famously impersonating the late Burt Reynolds eight times. One of his most iconic skits was portraying the 1972 version of Reynolds during Celebrity Jeopardy. After leaving SNL, Macdonald starred in his own comedy series, The Norm Show. His TV career continued to thrive with roles on A Minute With Stan Hooper, The Middle, Skylanders Academy, The Orville and Mike Tyson Mysteries. He was also a consulting producer on Roseanne in 2018 and an executive producer on Netflix’s Norm Macdonald Has a Show and teamed up with fellow SNL alum Adam Sandler in Grown Ups and Jack and Jill.

In September 2021, Macdonald’s rep confirmed to Us Weekly that he died after a private nine-year battle with cancer. He was 61.

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Bowen Yang

The "Las Culturistas" podcast host joined the SNL writing staff in September 2018 and was promoted to featured player one year later. Yang is the show's first Chinese American performer and only its third-ever openly gay male star. His playful interpretation of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic quickly became a viral hit during season 46, earning him a 2021 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

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Kate McKinnon

The New York native joined the SNL cast in 2012 and quickly became one of its most recognizable stars. Her time on the series has led to roles in several movies, including Ghostbusters (2016), Rough Night (2017), The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) and Bombshell (2019). She has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards and won twice for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, first in 2916 and again in 2017.

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Pete Davidson

Before becoming one of the youngest cast members in SNL history, Davidson appeared on the MTV shows Guy Code, Wild 'n Out, and Failosophy. He joined the variety show during its 40th season in 2014 and turned heads with his honest (and sometimes controversial) segments on “Weekend Update.” Since SNL shot him into the spotlight, Davidson’s love life has become a hot topic.

He’s dated Kate Beckinsale, Margaret Qualley, Kaia Gerber and Cazzie David, and was engaged to Ariana Grande from June to October 2018. He began seeing Kim Kardashian in 2021 after she hosted the show.

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Kenan Thompson

The All That alum has been a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy series since 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history. He married model Christina Evangeline in November 2011 and the pair later welcomed two daughters, Georgia in 2014 and Gianna in 2018. In 2020, he scored his second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on SNL.

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Bill Hader

The Oklahoma native played a handful of unforgettable characters during his eight-year stint on SNL, including Stefon and elderly newscaster Herb Welch. His most memorable impressions span from Lindsey Buckingham and Charlie Sheen, to Julian Assange and Dateline’s Keith Morrison. Since leaving SNL in 2013, Hader has starred in Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck (2015) and HBO’s Barry (which premiered in 2018).

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Steve Martin

The comedian, beloved and revered for his epic "King Tut" skit, has gone on to become one of America's most successful comedy actors in films and TV shows. Martin is perhaps best known for his movie roles in 1991's Father of the Bride, as well as several '80s hits including Roxanne, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and The Man With Two Brains. He later created the Tony and Grammy-nominated musical Bright Star with Edie Brickell, which debuted on Broadway in 2016. He returned to TV in 2021 with Only Murders in the Building.

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Andy Samberg

After launching his career via SNL, Samberg emerged as one of its most brilliant minds, solidifying his comedy status as a member of The Lonely Island. He has since become the central character in his own TV show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as Detective Jake Peralta. The Fox comedy series won the 2014 Golden Globe for Best Television Series and Best Actor in a TV Comedy Series for Samberg. In 2020, he starred alongside Cristin Milioti in Hulu’s Palm Springs.

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Ben Stiller

The comedian memorably reviewed Rain Main in one notable “Weekend Update” appearance with fellow comic Mike Meyers. Since then, Stiller has become one of America's most beloved faces in funny movies, including 2001 sleeper hit Zoolander, 2000's Meet the Parents, 2004's DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, as well as the Night at the Museum series. In 2018, he directed the critically-acclaimed Showtime miniseries, Escape at Dannemora.

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Eddie Murphy

As a regular on SNL from 1980 to 1984, Murphy made his mark playing characters like Mr. Robinson (a spoof of children's show host Mr. Rogers), Gumby and a grown-up version of the Little Rascals' Buckwheat. After leaving the cast, he became a bonafide movie star, appearing in films including Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, and The Nutty Professor. More recently, he was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the 2006 film Dreamgirls. He returned to the SNL studio to host the 2019 Christmas episode, marking his first appearance on the show in 35 years.

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Billy Crystal

Crystal was a cast member and writer during the show's 10th season, in 1984 and 1985. Though his time on SNL was short-lived, he made a memorable impression with impersonations of Fernando Lamas and Prince. A few years later, he starred in the 1987 hit The Princess Bride, which was followed by a string of successes including 1989’s When Harry Met Sally, 1991’s City Slickers and 2001’s Monsters Inc.

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Adam Sandler

Sandler started at Saturday Night Live in 1990 not as a cast member — but as a writer. He became a featured player in 1991, making a name for himself with original songs including "The Thanksgiving Song" and "The Chanukah Song." After being fired from the show in 1995, he went on to star in funny flicks like 1995’s Billy Madison, 1996’s Happy Gilmore, 1998’s The Wedding Singer and 1999’s Big Daddy. In 2019, he stunned with his performance in the Independent Spirit Award-winning drama Uncut Gems.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Louis-Dreyfus was just 21 years old when she joined SNL in 1982, making her the second-youngest female cast member in history next to Abby Elliot. Following her 1985 departure, she worked with Woody Allen before landing a career-making role as Elaine Benes on NBC's Seinfeld in 1989. Other notable credits include Arrested Development, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep.

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Phil Hartman

Hartman was a cast member on SNL from 1986 to 1994. During that time, he performed as over 70 different characters, including Ronald Reagan, Barbara Bush and Bill Clinton. Between seasons, he starred in movies like Coneheads (1993) and So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993). In 1995, he landed a role on NewsRadio, for which he was posthumously nominated for an Emmy after his 1998 death.

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Amy Poehler

An alum of Chicago's Second City improv theater, Poehler was part of SNL's female-dominated era in the early to mid-2000s. In her seven years with the show, she co-anchored “Weekend Update” with Tina Fey, earned two Emmy nominations and played former first lady Hillary Clinton. After leaving SNL in 2008, she starred on NBC's Parks and Recreation with Adam Scott, Aziz Ansari and Rashida Jones from 2009 to 2015. After forming Paper Kite Productions, an all-female company, she executive produced shows like Broad City, Difficult People and Russian Doll. 

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Tina Fey

Fey was hired as a writer for SNL in 1997. Three years later, she began performing in sketches and co-anchoring “Weekend Update” with Jimmy Fallon. Her 2004 movie Mean Girls made her a surefire star, and in 2006, she left SNL to develop and star on critically acclaimed series 30 Rock. She returned to SNL for frequent guest appearances as Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin ahead of the 2008 election. Fey's other work includes the films Baby Mama (2008), Date Night (2010) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015 to 2019). In 2018, she transformed Mean Girls into a Tony-nominated musical.

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Chevy Chase

As one of the original cast members of SNL, Chase introduced almost every show of the first season with the now-famous phrase "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" He left in 1976 after just one year, but has hosted and guest-starred multiple times since. His post-SNL career includes the National Lampoon's franchise, Fletch, Caddyshack and NBC's Community.

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John Belushi

Another original cast member of SNL, Belushi appeared on the show from 1975 to 1979. After leaving the variety show, he made his mark on Hollywood with comedies like Animal House (1978), Blues Brothers (1980) and Neighbors (1981). In 1982, Belushi died from a combined drug intoxication and was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Dan Aykroyd

Aykroyd was known on SNL for his impersonations of Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon, as well as for characters like Beldar (the Coneheads patriarch) and Georg Festrunk (one of the "Two Wild and Crazy Guys" Czech brothers, with frequent guest star Steve Martin). After leaving in 1979, he began a successful film career with movies including The Blues Brothers (1980), Ghostbusters (1984) and Driving Miss Daisy (1989), for which he earned an Oscar nomination. In 2016, he had a cameo in the female-fronted Ghostbusters remake.

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Will Ferrell

From 1995 to 2002, Ferrell performed impersonations of George W. Bush and Alex Trebek, as well as original characters like Spartan cheerleader Craig Buchanan and Morning Latte co-host Tom Wilkins. After SNL, he starred in Elf (2003), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and The Other Guys (2010). He also had a brief recurring role on The Office in 2011. He launched the Funny or Die website with Adam McKay in 2007. 

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Kristen Wiig

Wiig made her SNL debut in 2005 and earned four Emmy nominations throughout her seven years as a cast member. Wiig created now-iconic characters like the Target Lady and Gilly, and stole scenes with her impressions of Kathie Lee Gifford, Liza Minnelli and Taylor Swift. Before her SNL exit in 2012, she wrote, produced and starred in 2011’s Bridesmaids. Since then, she’s appeared in 2014’s Skeleton Twins with fellow SNL alum Bill Hader and in 2016’s Ghostbusters reboot. 

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Robert Downey Jr.

Downey Jr. was on the show for just one season, from 1985 to 1986, but has worked steadily ever since. He appeared in more than two dozen movies and TV shows between the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s, including Weird Science (1985) and Chaplin (1992). Following a series of public struggles with substance abuse in his youth, the New York native has turned his career around, playing Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2008 to 2019.

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Bill Murray

Murray's three years on SNL helped launch his successful movie career, which includes box-office hits like Caddyshack (1980), Tootsie (1982), Groundhog Day (1993) and Space Jam (1996). More recent credits include the Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and Moonrise Kingdom (2012), In 2004, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in Lost in Translation.

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Jimmy Fallon

Fallon became a fan favorite on SNL with impersonations of Carson Daly and Barry Gibb. From 2000 to 2004, he co-anchored “Weekend Update” with Tina Fey. Following his departure from the show in 2004, he appeared in Fever Pitch (2005) and Whip It (2009) before taking over Late Night from Conan O'Brien in 2009. NBC announced that Fallon would succeed Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show in 2014.  

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Mike Myers

During his time as a recurring cast member from 1989 to 1995, Myers created now-iconic characters like Coffee Talk hostess Linda Richman and Wayne Campbell (of the sketch-turned-movie Wayne's World). After SNL, he played the title role in the Austin Powers franchise and voiced the main character in Dreamworks' Shrek series.

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Chris Rock

Rock's tenure on SNL from 1990 to 1993 gave him national exposure, leading to a guest-starring role on In Living Color. In 1994, he headlined his first HBO comedy special, which was followed by 1996's groundbreaking stand-up special, Bring the Pain. He later began a successful film career, starring in movies like Bad Company (2002), Madagascar (2005), The Longest Yard (2005) and Death at a Funeral (2010). He is set to star in the fourth season of FX's Fargo, airing in September 2020. 

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David Spade

Spade was a cast member on SNL from 1990 to 1996, during which time he became known for sarcastic characters like the Hollywood Minute reporter. A year after leaving the variety show, he joined the cast of Just Shoot Me!, which ran until 2003. Other notable credits include The Emperor's New Groove (2000), Rules of Engagement (2007 to 2013) and Grown Ups (2010). In July 2019, he began hosting Comedy Central's late night show Lights Out With David Spade.

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Seth Meyers

Meyers joined SNL in 2001, playing characters including Anderson Cooper, Carrot Top, and Ryan Seacrest. He was the show's head writer and "Weekend Update" anchor from 2006 until his exit in February 2014, nearly one year after NBC announced that he would be taking over as host of Late Night. In 2019, he released a critically-acclaimed stand-up special on Netflix called Lobby Baby, detailing life with his and wife Alexi's sons Axel and Ashe Meyers.