People Break Down The Absolute Best SNL Cast Members Of All-Time

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Some of the best comedians of all time have passed through the doors of Saturday Night Live over at New York's Rockefeller Plaza, and many of them have gone on to achieve superstardom.

Some of the comic legends of the 1970s include Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Chevy Chase, while the 80s saw Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy.

Cast members making star turns today include Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, and recently exited actress, Cecily Strong.

With so many greats that have made millions laugh over the years, people have their wide-ranging favorites.


Curious to hear from fans online, Redditor Nickster1619 asked:

"Who is the best SNL cast member of all time?"

Repertory cast members from earlier seasons get a shout-out.

Known For Eugene–The Anal Retentive Chef

"Quite possible! It's Phil Hartman."

– Jaoxpax

The Larry King And Burt Reynolds Impersonator

"Idk about the best, but Norm McDonald was always my favorite."

– Burgerpocolypse

Memorable Sketch

"Norm did a skit where he played a police sketch artist who wasn't any good at eyes or hair so everybody had a giant hat and sunglasses. It was a rip on the Unabomber sketch with the hood, bandana and glasses. It was so dry and hilarious."

– tuenthe463

Best Weekend Update Host

"Norm was by far the best weekend update. No question. Seth Meyers and Tina Fey were second. I'm a big fan of Michael Che because I've been following him since he was doing stand-up. Who else? Dennis Miller, meh. Collin Quinn, I like the guy but he wasn't my favorite weekend update by a long shot. Norm was the perfect person for that gig."

– arcaneresistance

The "Beverly Hills Cop" Star

"Eddie Murphy. He carried the show when he was on it, and it probably would have been cancelled if he wasn’t there to do so."

– ovid10

Iconic Characters

"Seconding! Murphy was at a career peak during his time with the show, and his characters - Gumby, Mr. Robinson, Buckwheat - were iconic."

– Brilliant_Tourist400

The Church Lady

"Dana Carvey was incredible in his time."

– Iwannascream2

The 2000s boasted these greats.

Now Starring In "Barry"

"Bill Hader"

"I dont really watch a lot of SNL so my knowledge is limited. He just always appeared to be having a really good time on the show and he's one of the ones who could make me laugh sometimes."

– adios-b*tchachos

The Giggles

"I loved it when he’d get the giggles at something he was going to say and he couldn’t deliver it because of his laughter. That was as good as the joke."

– opossumonmyporch

Love To The Ladies

"Gotta send love to my ladies, it’s Tina Fey for me. Amy Poehler is also a goddess but I don’t remember her as much until Parks and Rec. Also Kenan Thompson? He had such a long run!"

– __nothankyou__

Kiss Me, Kate

"Kate McKinnon. She is the most versatile cast member of modern times."

– Guest8782

Longtime Cast Member

"Gotta give some love to Kenan. He is often the center and driver of the sketches. So consistent and has been there so long now."

– Naes422

No one made me crack up harder than the great comedy legend, Gilda Radner.

In 1975, the SNL alum was one of the original "Not Ready for Prime Time Players"–the freshman cast of the show's first season.

A character of hers I'll never forget was the know-it-all Weekend Update advice expert, Roseanne Roseannadanna. YouTube clips of her hilarious turn as the wacky consumer affairs reporter show her comedic timing and delivery brilliance.

Unfortunately, Radner left us too soon in 1989 having died from ovarian cancer. She was 42.

In college, I worked as a hostess and server at my favorite restaurant. I thought it would be fun to be a waitress, and doing it at a place where I would see my friends (since they ate there all the time), seemed like an extra perk.

Would I recommend everyone work in the service industry to build character and learn respect? Yes. Would I recommend anyone work in the service industry if they want to continue liking life? Absolutely not!

Working as a server made me realize how entitled people can be. Some people asked to sit at tables that were clearly reserved and then tried to seat themselves when we told them ‘no.’

Others decided to tip less when their bill was too high, and servers ended up losing money.

During football games, people even walked right past us to go into the bar area even when the area was full, and we tried to tell them we were at capacity. Half the time, I felt like screaming at customers, “Why are you coming in here? I don’t want you to!” And I wasn’t the only one.

One of my co-workers kept trying to win the lottery, so she could split her winnings with all the employees, and we could all quit. I had to recite pop culture lists in my head just to keep sane (like listing the first 151 Pokemon in order -- I actually shared this talent with my co-workers, which lead to the first and only fun night I had at the restaurant).

This isn’t the only job people should steer clear of. Redditors are ready to share which professions they wouldn’t recommend people go into.

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