List of Saturday Night Live cast members

For information on the cast lineup as of September 2018, see Saturday Night Live (season 44).

The original cast (l to r): Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, and Chevy Chase

As of September 2018, the late night live variety series Saturday Night Live (SNL) has featured 151 cast members. The ensemble was originally referred to as the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players."

All cast members

The list below 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.

Performer	Years active	No. of seasons	Repertory player	Featured player only	"Weekend Update" anchor	Hosted	Best of...	Writer
Fred Armisen	2002–2013	11	Y			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
Jim Belushi	1983–1985	2	Y					Y
John Belushi	1975–1979	4	Y				Y	Y
Beck Bennett	2013–present	6	Y
Jim Breuer	1995–1998	3	Y
Paul Brittain	2010–2012	2		Y
A. Whitney Brown	1986–1991	6		Y				Y
Aidy Bryant	2012–present	7	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	5	Y		Y			Y
Ellen Cleghorne	1991–1995	4	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–present	5	Y
Tom Davis	1977–1980	3		Y				Y
Mikey Day	2016–present	3	Y					Y
Denny Dillon	1980–1981	1	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
Rachel Dratch	1999–2006	7	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
Chris Elliott	1994–1995	1	Y
Jimmy Fallon	1998–2004	6	Y		Y	Y	Y
Siobhan Fallon	1991–1992	1		Y
Chris Farley	1990–1995	5	Y			Y	Y
Will Ferrell	1995–2002	7	Y			Y	Y
Tina Fey	2000–2006	6	Y		Y	Y		Y
Will Forte	2002–2010	8	Y
Al Franken	1977–1980 1986 1988–1995	11		Y				Y
Heidi Gardner	2017–present	2		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
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
Jan Hooks	1986–1991	5	Y
Yvonne Hudson	1980–1981	1		Y
Melanie Hutsell	1991–1994	3	Y
Victoria Jackson	1986–1992	6	Y
Leslie Jones	2014–present	5	Y					Y
Colin Jost	2014–present	6	Y		Y			Y
Chris Kattan	1996–2003	8	Y				Y
Tim Kazurinsky	1981–1984	4	Y					Y
Laura Kightlinger	1994–1995	1		Y				Y
Taran Killam	2010–2016	6	Y
David Koechner	1995–1996	1	Y
Gary Kroeger	1982–1985	3	Y
Matthew Laurance	1980–1981	1		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
Gail Matthius	1980–1981	1	Y		Y
Michael McKean	1994–1995	2	Y			Y
Mark McKinney	1995–1997	3	Y
Kate McKinnon	2012–present	8	Y
Tim Meadows	1991–2000	10	Y				Y	Y
Laurie Metcalf	1981	1		Y
Seth Meyers	2001–2014	13	Y		Y			Y
John Milhiser	2013–2014	1		Y
Dennis Miller	1985–1991	6	Y		Y			Y
Jerry Minor	2000–2001	1		Y				Y
Finesse Mitchell	2003–2006	3	Y
Alex Moffat	2016–present	3	Y
Jay Mohr	1993–1995	2		Y				Y
Kyle Mooney	2013–present	6	Y
Tracy Morgan	1996–2003	7	Y			Y	Y
Garrett Morris	1975–1980	5	Y					Y
Bobby Moynihan	2008–2017	9	Y
Eddie Murphy	1980–1984	4	Y			Y	Y	Y
Bill Murray	1977–1980	4	Y		Y	Y		Y
Mike Myers	1989–1995	7	Y			Y	Y	Y
Kevin Nealon	1986–1995	9	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	1		Y
Mike O'Brien	2013–2014	1		Y				Y
Michael O'Donoghue	1975	1	Y					Y
Cheri Oteri	1995–2000	5	Y				Y
Chris Parnell	1998–2006	8	Y
Nasim Pedrad	2009–2014	5	Y
Jay Pharoah	2010–2016	6	Y
Joe Piscopo	1980–1984	4	Y					Y
Amy Poehler	2001–2009	8	Y		Y	Y	Y
Emily Prager	1981	1		Y
Randy Quaid	1985–1986	1	Y
Colin Quinn	1996–2000	5	Y		Y			Y
Gilda Radner	1975–1980	5	Y				Y
Chris Redd	2017–present	2		Y
Jeff Richards	2001–2004	3	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
Charles Rocket	1980–1981	1	Y		Y
Tony Rosato	1981–1982	2	Y					Y
Jon Rudnitsky	2015–2016	1		Y
Maya Rudolph	2000–2007	7	Y			Y
Andy Samberg	2005–2012	7	Y			Y		Y
Adam Sandler	1991–1995	5	Y				Y	Y
Horatio Sanz	1998–2006	8	Y		Y
Tom Schiller	1980	1		Y				Y
Rob Schneider	1990–1994	4	Y					Y
Paul Shaffer	1979–1980	1		Y		Y
Molly Shannon	1995–2001	7	Y			Y	Y
Harry Shearer	1979–1980 1984–1985	2	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
Pamela Stephenson	1984–1985	1	Y
Ben Stiller	1989	1		Y		Y
Cecily Strong	2012–present	7	Y		Y
Jason Sudeikis	2005–2013	9	Y					Y
Julia Sweeney	1990–1994	4	Y
Terry Sweeney	1985–1986	1	Y					Y
Kenan Thompson	2003–present	16	Y
Danitra Vance	1985–1986	1	Y
Melissa Villaseñor	2016–present	3	Y
Dan Vitale	1985–1986	1		Y
Nancy Walls	1995–1996	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
Kristen Wiig	2005–2012	7	Y			Y
Casey Wilson	2008–2009	2		Y
Fred Wolf	1996–1996	2		Y				Y
Sasheer Zamata	2014–2017	4	Y
Alan Zweibel	1980	1		Y				Y

Timeline

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

Notable tenures

Longest tenures

These are the cast members who have spent at least 10 seasons on the show.

Performer	No. of seasons	Years on the show	Notes
Kenan Thompson	16	2003–present	Thompson holds the record of being the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history. He is also the first person born after SNL's premiere in 1975 to have joined the cast (he was born in 1978). Thompson is also the only current cast member who was hired before 2010 to still be on the show.
Darrell Hammond	14	1995–2009	Hired after a cast overhaul, he is the last cast member hired in the 1990s to leave the show, and the oldest cast member to leave the show (age 53 when he left the show). In 2014, Hammond returned to the show where he replaced Don Pardo as the show's announcer after Pardo's death, and often appears in sketches, reprising old roles such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.
Seth Meyers	13	2001–2014	In 2006, he starting anchoring Weekend Update and in 2012, his tenure on Weekend Update reached its seventh season, making him the longest-serving Weekend Update anchor (breaking the records held by Dennis Miller and Tina Fey). He continued to anchor Update until he left the show in 2014 to take over hosting duties for Late Night.
Fred Armisen	11	2002–2013	Armisen joined the show in season 28 and left in at the end of season 38.
Al Franken		1977–1980; 1986; 1988–1995	Hired as a writer in the beginning of the series, as the show progressed, he and Tom Davis were allowed to perform material on-air sporadically. He left the show in 1980, but returned to the show when Lorne Michaels came back in 1985, regaining his writing and on-air featured status until 1995. Despite the long tenure, he was only credited for about 90 episodes. Later elected the junior United States Senator from Minnesota in 2008, and then resigned in January 2018.
Tim Meadows	10	1991–2000	Meadows joined the show in the second-half of season 16, and then left the show at the end of season 25, after ten seasons on the show. At the time that he left the show, he held the record for the longest consecutive tenure on the show.

Shortest tenures

These cast members spent less than a full 20-episode season on the show.

Performer	No. of episodes	Notes
Emily Prager	0	Hired by Dick Ebersol to be a featured player, she appeared in a few sketches at dress rehearsal in what would be the final episode of season six, due to the Writers' Guild of America going on strike in 1981. She did not return to the SNL cast in season seven. This technically makes her the shortest tenured SNL cast member. 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.
Laurie Metcalf	1	She also 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 the season seven cast.
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.
Fred Wolf	4	He's been a writer since 1992. However, he became a featured player in near the end season 21 for the last four episodes, however, he only appeared and was credited for episodes 17, 18, and 20. His last episode was in the 3rd episode of the 22nd season. After that episode, he decided to leave the show for good.
Tom Schiller	7	One of the show writers who was upgraded to cast member status during season five, he left the show at the end of the season.
Patrick Weathers	7	Hired as a featured cast member for season six, he was fired along with many of Doumanian's cast.
George Coe	8	He was one of the original "Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players", because NBC wanted someone older in the cast. He was credited for only the first three episodes, though he continued to make several uncredited appearances throughout the first season. He was later known for voicing the valet Woodhouse in the animated series Archer.
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-feature 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 has remained with it.
Matthew Laurance	10	Hired as a feature 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 dropped an f-bomb 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.

Youngest cast members

Performer	Age when joined show	Tenure
Anthony Michael Hall	17 years old	1985–1986
Eddie Murphy	19 years old	1980–1984
Robert Downey Jr.	20 years, 5 months	1985–1986
Pete Davidson	20 years, 10 months	2014–present
Abby Elliott	21 years, 5 months	2008–2012
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	21 years, 8 months	1982–1985
Sarah Silverman	22 years, 9 months	1993–1994
Jay Pharoah	22 years, 11 months	2010–2016

Oldest cast members

Performer	Age when joined show	Tenure
Leslie Jones	47 years old	2014–present
George Coe	46 years, 155 days	1975
Michael McKean	46 years, 147 days	1994–1995
Darrell Hammond	39 years old	1995–2009
Garrett Morris	38 years, 8 months	1975–1980
Phil Hartman	38 years, 1 month	1986–1994
Mike O'Brien	37 years old	2013–2014
Michaela Watkins	36 years, 11 months	2008–2009
Colin Quinn	36 years, 9 months	1996–2000
Christopher Guest	36 years, 8 months	1984–1985
Mikey Day	36 years, 7 months	2016–present

After 14 seasons, Hammond left as the show's oldest active cast member, ending his tenure at 53 years old during his final season in 2009.

President of the United States impressionists

Portraying the sitting President of the United States is considered "about as high [...] an honor that can be bestowed upon a cast member."

President	Performer (years)
Gerald Ford	Chevy Chase (1975–76)
Jimmy Carter	Dan Aykroyd (1977–79) Joe Piscopo (1980–81)
Ronald Reagan	Charles Rocket (1981) Joe Piscopo (1981–84) Harry Shearer (1984) Randy Quaid (1985–86) Phil Hartman (1986–89)
George H. W. Bush	Dana Carvey (1989–93)

President	Performer (years)
Bill Clinton	Phil Hartman (1993–94) Michael McKean (1994–95) 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 (2009–12) Jay Pharoah (2012–16)
Donald Trump	Alec Baldwin (2017–present)

Darrell Hammond had the longest tenure portraying a U.S. president, with Bill Clinton from 1995–2001, and George W. Bush during 2003. Hammond also portrayed Richard Nixon in season 34, episode 12.

There was also a sketch featuring Chris Farley, David Spade, Chris Elliott, Adam Sandler, and Tim Meadows auditioning for the role of Clinton. There was also a gag in a 2001 sketch with Tracy Morgan filling in for Will Ferrell as George W. Bush.

Another noteworthy presidential portrayal was that of Dan Aykroyd as former president Richard Nixon from 1975–79.

A web short Presidential Reunion released in 2010 and produced by Funny or Die reunites six SNL cast members who have portrayed sitting presidents. The cast members span all the sitting presidents that have been portrayed on SNL up to 2010 with the exception of Ronald Reagan. Jim Carrey, portrayed Ronald Reagan in the web short because two of the actors who had portrayed Reagan had died, and the remaining three had declined to appear in the reunion. Although he was never cast member for SNL, Carrey did audition to be a cast member for the 1980–81 season and has hosted the show in May 1996, January 2011, and October 2014.

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 (1988–90), Darrell Hammond (1999–11, 2015–16), Jason Sudeikis (2012) and Taran Killam (2015).

Emmy Awards

The Primetime Emmy Awards are presented by the American Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. These are the cast members who won or were nominated for an Emmy for their work while in the cast.

Year	Performer	Category	Result	Ref.
1976	Chevy Chase	Performance in a Variety or Music Program - Supporting Actor	Won
1977			Nominated
	John Belushi		Nominated
	Gilda Radner	Performance in a Variety or Music Program - Supporting Actress	Nominated
1978	Dan Aykroyd	Performance in a Variety or Music Program - Supporting Actor	Nominated
	John Belushi		Nominated
	Jane Curtin	Performance in a Variety or Music Program - Supporting Actress	Nominated
	Gilda Radner		Won
1984	Eddie Murphy	Performance in a Variety or Music Program	Nominated
	Joe Piscopo		Nominated
1985	Billy Crystal		Nominated
1986	Jon Lovitz		Nominated
1987			Nominated
1989	Dana Carvey		Nominated
1990			Nominated
1991			Nominated
1992			Nominated
1993			Won
1994	Phil Hartman		Nominated
	Mike Myers		Nominated
2000	Molly Shannon		Nominated
2001	Will Ferrell		Nominated

Year	Performer	Category	Result	Ref.
2008	Amy Poehler	Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Nominated
2009			Nominated
	Kristen Wiig		Nominated
2010			Nominated
2011			Nominated
2012			Nominated
	Bill Hader	Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Nominated
2013			Nominated
2014	Kate McKinnon	Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Nominated
2015			Nominated
2016			Won
2017			Won
	Vanessa Bayer		Nominated
	Leslie Jones		Nominated
2018	Aidy Bryant		Nominated
	Leslie Jones		Nominated
	Kate McKinnon		Nominated
	Kenan Thompson	Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Nominated

Both cast and hosts

As of May 2016, there are 33 SNL hosts who, at one point in their careers, were either a repertory or featured member of the SNL cast.

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	February 18, 1978	February 15, 1997
Billy Crystal	2	March 17, 1984	May 12, 1984
Robert Downey Jr.	1	November 16, 1996
Jimmy Fallon	3	December 17, 2011	April 15, 2017
Chris Farley	1	October 25, 1997
Will Ferrell	4	May 14, 2005	January 27, 2018
Tina Fey	6	February 23, 2008	May 19, 2018
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
Seth Meyers	1	October 13, 2018
Tracy Morgan	2	March 14, 2009	October 17, 2015
Eddie Murphy	2	December 11, 1982	December 15, 1984
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	2	November 2, 1996	November 1, 2014
Maya Rudolph	1	February 18, 2012
Andy Samberg	1	May 17, 2014
Paul Shaffer	1	January 31, 1987
Molly Shannon	1	May 12, 2007
Martin Short	3	December 6, 1986	December 15, 2012
Sarah Silverman	1	October 4, 2014
David Spade	2	November 7, 1998	March 12, 2005
Ben Stiller	2	October 24, 1998	October 8, 2011
Damon Wayans	1	April 8, 1995
Kristen Wiig	2	May 11, 2013	November 19, 2016

"SNL Curse"

Although SNL is best known as the launchpad for many successful careers, nine former cast members have died before the age of 60. This has given rise to a superstition known as the "Saturday Night Live Curse".

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). His 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 Writer's Guild of America (WGA) 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; 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 (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.
Chris Farley	33	December 18, 1997	Similar to Belushi, Farley died of a drug overdose from a speedball. His 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 later killed herself. 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.
Tom Davis	59	July 19, 2012	Davis died from head and neck cancer.
Jan Hooks	57	October 9, 2014	Hooks died of throat cancer after a long illness.

See also

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