List of Saturday Night Live cast members

For more current cast information, see Saturday Night Live (season 39).

The following is a list of Saturday Night Live cast members, past and present. The cast members of Saturday Night Live were originally referred to as the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players".

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

List of all cast members

As of March 2014, the show has featured 139 cast members. The list below includes both repertory and featured players, 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. Also noted on the chart is whether the cast member ever served as an episode's 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.

(d) denotes deceased

Performer	Years active	No. of seasons	Repertory player	Featured player only	"Weekend Update" anchor	Hosted	Best of...	Writer
Fred Armisen	2002–2013	11	Y
Dan Aykroyd	1975–1979	4	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y
Peter Aykroyd	1979–1980	1		Y				Y
Morwenna Banks	1995	1	Y
Vanessa Bayer	2010–present	4	Y
Jim Belushi	1983–1985	2	Y					Y
John Belushi (d)	1975–1979	4	Y				Y	Y
Beck Bennett	2013–present	1		Y
Jim Breuer	1995–1998	3	Y
Paul Brittain	2010–2012	2		Y
A. Whitney Brown	1985–1991	5		Y				Y
Aidy Bryant	2012–present	2	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
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
Tom Davis (d)	1977–1980	3		Y				Y
Denny Dillon	1980–1981	1	Y
Jim Downey	1979–1980	1		Y				Y
Robert Downey, Jr.	1985–1986	1	Y			Y
Brian Doyle-Murray	1979–1980 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 (d)	1990–1995	5	Y			Y	Y
Will Ferrell	1995–2002	7	Y			Y	Y
Tina Fey	1997–2006	9	Y		Y	Y		Y
Will Forte	2002–2010	8	Y
Al Franken	1977–1980 1985–1986 1988–1995	12		Y				Y
Janeane Garofalo	1994–1995	1	Y
Ana Gasteyer	1996–2002	6	Y
Gilbert Gottfried	1980–1981	1	Y
Mary Gross	1981–1985	4	Y		Y			Y
Christopher Guest	1984–1985	1	Y		Y			Y
Bill Hader	2005–2013	8	Y
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				Y
Phil Hartman (d)	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
Colin Jost	2014–present	1		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–present	4	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	3	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–present	1		Y
Dennis Miller	1985–1991	6	Y		Y			Y
Jerry Minor	2000–2001	1		Y				Y
Finesse Mitchell	2003–2006	3	Y
Kyle Mooney	2013–present	1		Y
Jay Mohr	1993–1995	2		Y				Y
Tracy Morgan	1996–2003	7	Y			Y	Y
Garrett Morris	1975–1980	5	Y					Y
Bobby Moynihan	2008–present	6	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
Mike O'Brien	2013–present	1		Y				Y
Michael O'Donoghue (d)	1975	1	Y					Y
Cheri Oteri	1995–2000	5	Y				Y
Chris Parnell	1998–2001 2002–2006	8	Y
Nasim Pedrad	2009–present	5	Y
Jay Pharoah	2010–present	4	Y
Joe Piscopo	1980–1984	4	Y					Y
Amy Poehler	2001–2008	8	Y		Y	Y	Y
Emily Prager	1981	1		Y
Randy Quaid	1985–1986	1	Y
Colin Quinn	1995–2000	5	Y		Y			Y
Gilda Radner (d)	1975–1980	5	Y				Y
Jeff Richards	2001–2004	3	Y
Rob Riggle	2004–2005	1		Y
Ann Risley	1980–1981	1	Y
Chris Rock	1990–1993	3	Y			Y	Y
Charles Rocket (d)	1980–1981	1	Y		Y
Tim Robinson	2012–2013	1		Y				Y
Tony Rosato	1981–1982	1	Y					Y
Maya Rudolph	2000–2007	8	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	1979–1980	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
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	2	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	11	Y
Danitra Vance (d)	1985–1986	1	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
Brooks Wheelan	2013–present	1		Y
Noël Wells	2013–present	1		Y
Kristen Wiig	2005–2012	7	Y			Y
Casey Wilson	2008–2009	2		Y
Fred Wolf	1995–1996	2		Y				Y
Sasheer Zamata	2014–present	1		Y
Alan Zweibel	1979–1980	1		Y				Y

Timeline of cast members

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

Family connections

Some cast members are related to former staff of the show. One example is Jim Belushi, who is the younger brother of cast member John Belushi. Before that, Bill Murray's older brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, was a writer and cast member. When Dan Aykroyd left the show in 1979, he was replaced by a series of short-lived featured players, one of whom was his brother Peter Aykroyd. Short-lived featured player Matthew Laurance is the identical twin brother of 1977–1980 SNL associate director and bit player Mitchell Laurance. Long-time writer and sometime performer Jim Downey is former cast member Robert Downey, Jr.'s uncle. Former SNL cast member Abby Elliott is the daughter of former cast member Chris Elliott (and granddaughter of Bob Elliott, who appeared on SNL as a guest performer on the 1978 Christmas episode hosted by Elliott Gould). Former featured player Paul Brittain is the nephew to Bob Newhart, who hosted the show in the 70s. Cast member Jason Sudeikis is the nephew of semi-frequent 90s host George Wendt, who portrayed Norm on the television show, Cheers.

Other staff are related by marriage. For instance, cast member Gilda Radner was briefly married to G. E. Smith, who later became the show's bandleader. Michael O'Donoghue was married to SNL band pianist Cheryl Hardwick. Cast members Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall were married in 1987. Former cast member and head writer Tina Fey is married to former show composer Jeff Richmond.

Notable tenures

The following is a list of the cast members with the longest tenures, who have spent at least eight seasons on the show.

Performer	No. of seasons	Notes
Darrell Hammond	14	Hammond was hired after a cast overhaul in 1995. He is the last cast member hired in the 1990s to leave the show, the oldest cast member to leave the show (53 when he left the show), and the longest-active cast member, spending 14 seasons on the show (1995–2009).
Seth Meyers	13	Meyers joined the show in 2001 and was the head writer and anchor of Weekend Update. In 2013, his tenure on Weekend Update reached its eighth year, making him the longest-serving Weekend Update anchor and breaking the records once held by Dennis Miller and Tina Fey. He left the show in 2014 to take over hosting duties for Late Night.
Al Franken	12	Franken was hired as a writer in the beginning of the series in 1975. 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 season 20 in 1995.
Fred Armisen	11	Armisen joined the show in 2002. He left the show in 2013. He is the show's longest-running Hispanic cast member (beating out the Chilean-born Horatio Sanz), as well as the longest-running Asian cast member (part Japanese). He left the show at the end of season 38.
Kenan Thompson	11	Thompson joined the show in 2003 and is on his eleventh season. He holds the records of longest-running cast member who was born after SNL premiered in 1975 and the first cast member born after 1975 to join the show's cast. Thompson is also the longest-active African-American cast member.
Tim Meadows	10	Meadows joined the show in early 1991. He left the show at the end of the season 25, after ten seasons on the show. He held the record for the longest-active cast member until 2005 (when Darrell Hammond broke the record).
Jason Sudeikis	9	Sudeikis joined the cast in 2005, towards the end of season 30, after having been a writer for the show since 2003. He left the show in 2013.
Kevin Nealon	9	Nealon joined the show in 1986. He served as anchor of Weekend Update for his sixth, seventh and eighth seasons, and gave up his position as anchor in his ninth season. Nealon quit the show after the last episode of season 20 in 1995.
Phil Hartman	8	Hartman, like Nealon, joined the show in 1986. He left in 1994 and hosted the show twice in 1996.
Chris Parnell	8	Parnell was hired in 1998 and was fired in 2001 to make way for new talent. About a year later, he was rehired and remained on the show until he was let go for the second time in 2006 due to budget cuts.
Horatio Sanz	8	Like Parnell, Sanz joined the show in 1998 and was let go due to budget cuts in 2006. He served as co-anchor of Weekend Update in season 31 with Poehler for a few episodes, after Fey gave birth to her first child, making him the show's only Hispanic Weekend Update anchor. He was the longest-running Hispanic cast member until Fred Armisen broke his record.
Maya Rudolph	8	Rudolph joined the show in early 2000. She was absent for most of season 31 following the birth of her child. She did not return to the show in 2008 after the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike ended.
Amy Poehler	8	Like Seth Meyers, Poehler joined the show in 2001. She served as co-anchor of Weekend Update with Tina Fey in 2004–06 and with Meyers in 2006–08. She left the series in 2008 to begin production on Parks and Recreation.
Will Forte	8	Forte joined the show, like Armisen, in 2002. He left the series after the release of MacGruber in 2010.
Bill Hader	8	Hader joined the show in 2005. He left the show in 2013.

The following is a list of the former cast members who have had the shortest tenures, spending less than a full 20-episode season on the show.

Performer	No. of episodes	Notes
Catherine O'Hara	0	In the early 1980s when SCTV was in between network deals, O'Hara was hired to replace Ann Risley when SNL was being retooled in 1981. However, she quit the show without ever appearing on air, choosing to go back to SCTV when the show signed on with NBC. Her SNL position was then given to fellow Canadian Robin Duke.
Emily Prager	1	Prager was hired by Dick Ebersol to be a featured player on the show. She appeared in a few sketches at dress rehearsal in what would be the final episode of the 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. 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	Like Prager, Metcalf was hired as part of Dick Ebersol's temporary season six cast following the termination of Jean Doumanian. Unlike Prager, she 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	Was hired as an on-and-off featured player for the season 11, he was only credited with appearing in three episodes throughout the season.
Morwenna Banks	4	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, Stiller submitted a short film—a parody of the movie The Color of Money – that was shown on the season 12 episode hosted by Charlton Heston. Stiller was hired during season 14, but quit after four episodes due to creative differences. Despite this, he returned to host in 1998 and 2011.
Tom Schiller	7	Schiller was 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	Weathers was hired as a featured cast member for season six, but was fired along with many of Doumanian's cast.
George Coe	8	Coe 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.
Yvonne Hudson	8	Hudson 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	Downey was hired as one of many writers-turned-feature players in season five. Even though he left the cast after the season, Downey returned to the show as a writer in the mid-1980s and has remained with it.
Matthew Laurance	10	Laurance was hired as a feature player during the sixth season and, like many of the cast, was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Alan Zweibel	11	Zweibel was a writer for the show before joining the cast during season 5, and left after the season finale.
Gilbert Gottfried	12	Gottfried joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Michael O'Donoghue	12	O'Donoghue was one of the original "Not Ready for Primetime Players," but was dropped after a few episodes. He remained with the show as a writer and occasional on-screen performer.
Ann Risley	12	Risley joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul.
Charles Rocket	12	Rocket joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul after dropping an f-bomb on live television.
Damon Wayans	12	Wayans was hired for season 11 as a featured player. He was fired mid-season for improvising on the air. Wayans returned as a guest to perform stand-up comedy on season 11's last episode and hosted SNL in 1995.
Beth Cahill	13	Cahill 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 cast mate Siobhan Fallon.
Denny Dillon	13	Dillon joined the cast for season six and was let go after the final episode of the season as part of the cast overhaul. She auditioned for the show's first season, but did not make the cut.
Gail Matthius	13	Matthius joined the cast for season six and was let go after the season ended.
Paul Shaffer	13	Shaffer joined the cast during season five after being a part of the show's house band; he left after the season's end. He hosted SNL in 1987, making him the only member of the house band to do so.
Janeane Garofalo	14	Garofalo joined the cast during season 20, but quit mid-season due to creative differences.
Michaela Watkins	15	Watkins 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	Aykroyd joined the show midway through season seven, but left at the end of the season, after only 16 episodes.

Youngest cast members

The following is a list of the youngest people to join the show

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 old	1985–1986
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–present

Oldest cast members

The following is a list of the oldest people to join the show.

Performer	Age when joined show	Tenure
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–present
Michaela Watkins	36 years, 11 months	2008–2009
Christopher Guest	36 years, 8 months	1984–1985
Billy Crystal	36 years, 7 months	1984–1985
Colin Quinn	36 years, 4 months	1995–2000

Darrell Hammond is currently the oldest cast member who left at 53 years old during his final season on the show.

Both cast and hosts

As of May 2014, there have been 30 performers who have hosted SNL who, at one point in their careers, were either a repertory or featured member of the SNL cast. The following performers have hosted SNL either before, during, or after their tenure as a member of the SNL cast.

Host	Number of episodes	First hosted	Last hosted
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	2	December 17, 2011	December 21, 2013
Chris Farley	1	October 25, 1997
Will Ferrell	3	May 14, 2005	May 12, 2012
Tina Fey	4	February 23, 2008	September 28, 2013
Phil Hartman	2	March 23, 1996	November 23, 1996
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	2	May 13, 2006	March 17, 2007
Jon Lovitz	1	November 8, 1997
Norm Macdonald	1	October 23, 1999
Michael McKean	1	November 3, 1984
Tracy Morgan	1	March 14, 2009
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	1	September 25, 2010
Chris Rock	1	November 2, 1996
Maya Rudolph	1	February 18, 2012
Paul Shaffer	1	January 31, 1987
Andy Samberg	1	May 17, 2014
Molly Shannon	1	May 12, 2007
Martin Short	3	December 6, 1986	December 15, 2012
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	1	May 11, 2013

President of the United States impressionists

Impersonating the incumbent President of the United States is considered "about as high of an honor that can be bestowed upon a cast member." The following is a list of people who have impersonated the sitting President.

President	Performer (years)
Richard Nixon	Dan Aykroyd (1975–79)
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 (2001–02) Chris Parnell (2002–03) Darrell Hammond (2003) Will Forte (2004–06) Jason Sudeikis (2006–08)
Barack Obama	Fred Armisen (2008–12) Jay Pharoah (2012–present)

Darrell Hammond had the longest tenure as a President impersonator, with Bill Clinton from 1995–2001 and time as George W. Bush during 2003. Hammond also impersonated Ronald Reagan in an 2009 episode hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.

Michael McKean portrayed Bill Clinton during a brief period after Phil Hartman's departure. 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.

Deceased cast members

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

Two cast members have died of a drug overdose at the age of 33 in parallel situations. John Belushi and Chris Farley overdosed from a "speedball," an injection of cocaine and heroin. Belushi's death led to the conviction of Cathy Smith for administering the fatal injection. Nearly four years before Belushi's death, SNL aired a short sketch titled Don't Look Back in Anger featuring an elderly Belushi as the last living of the "not ready for prime time" cast members. Farley's death occurred nearly two months after he came back to host SNL, which turned out to be his final television appearance.

Yep, they all thought I'd be the first to go. I was one of those live-fast, die-young, leave-a-good-looking-corpse types, you know?

— John Belushi, opening line of Don't Look Back in Anger, 11 March 1978

Original cast member Gilda Radner died on May 20, 1989 from ovarian cancer. Radner was originally scheduled to host the season 13 finale, a first for a former female cast member. However, the show was canceled due to a Writer's Guild of America strike. Radner's health worsened the following year. Hours before the season 14 finale, news came of Radner's death. Steve Martin delivered his visibly shaken monologue, followed by the sketch called "Dancing in the Dark" that he and Radner had performed on an episode he hosted in 1978, and a musical tribute to Radner performed by her ex- husband, G. E. Smith, and the SNL Band.

Season 11 cast member Danitra Vance died on August 21, 1994, three years after her breast cancer was put in remission.

Original cast member and writer Michael O'Donoghue died on November 8, 1994 of a 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 the season 20 episode (hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker with musical guest R.E.M.) by replaying O'Donoghue's sketch, "Mr. Mike's Least Loved Bedtime Stories: The Soiled Kimono" from December 1977.

Long-time performer Phil Hartman was shot to death on May 28, 1998 by his wife Brynn while he slept in his Encino, California home. Before committing the act, Brynn had allegedly consumed a combination of cocaine, alcohol, and the antidepressant drug Zoloft, and later killed herself.

Doumanian-era performer Charles Rocket was found dead on October 7, 2005 in his Canterbury, Connecticut backyard. Local police concluded that his death was a suicide. Rocket had allegedly taken his own life by slashing his throat with a box cutter.

Tom Davis, long-time show writer and featured player in the first five years, died on July 19, 2012, after suffering throat and neck cancer in the final three years of his life.

See also

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