For nearly 50 years, NBC's Saturday Night Live has kept audiences laughing every weekend with sketch comedy performed by an ensemble cast of comedians, accompanied by a different celebrity host and musical guest each week. The show first premiered in 1975 and was created by Lorne Michaels, and whether it's controversial or some viewers insist it has never matched the quality of its early seasons, it has still endured. In its time on the air, it has won over 90 Emmy Awards.
Many comedians have started their careers on the long-running show, including some brilliant, hilarious women, known for everything from spot-on impressions to their use of physical comedy in sketches which have since become important pieces of pop culture. The best of them were not only great to watch in their time on SNL but left an impression long after they left the show and are still beloved fans, in some cases even decades after their final appearance, and had continued success in comedy.
SNL
TV-14
Comedy
A famous guest host stars in parodies and sketches created by the cast of this witty show.
- Release Date
- October 11, 1975
- Creator
- Lorne Michaels
- Cast
- Bowen Yang , Chloe Fineman , Colin Jost , Ego Nwodim , Sarah Sherman , Kenan Thompson
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 49
- Network
- NBC
- Streaming Service(s)
- Peaco*ck
10 Jane Curtin
1975-1980
Jane Curtin was part of the very first cast featured on SNL, called the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, and was the first female anchor of “Weekend Update.” After leaving SNL, she won back-to-back Emmys for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in sitcom Kate & Allie and later appeared in 3rd Rock from the Sun. She also reprised one of her characters for the film Coneheads.
Curtin was known for her effective deadpan delivery—her nickname is “Queen of Deadpan”—best demonstrated in segments like “Point/Counterpoint,” where she and fellow castmember Dan Aykroyd played wonderfully off of each other as they debated newsworthy issues. Her characters were often hilariously driven to frustration by some of the more over-the-top ones played by others in the cast. She has returned to the show several times over the years, often for anniversaries.
9 Kate McKinnon
2012-2022
Kate McKinnon spent a decade as a cast member on SNL, where she was known for her celebrity impressions and unique, eccentric characters, and has returned as a host in the years following her departure. Since leaving the show, she has appeared in a number of TV shows and movies, including the Ghostbusters reboot. One of her most recent film roles was the unforgettable Weird Barbie in 2023’s Barbie.
McKinnon was seemingly willing to do or impersonate anyone, no matter how ridiculous. But on top of that, some of her funniest work included the recurring sketch “Close Encounter,” in which she, some castmates and often the celebrity guest host would play characters recounting their experience being abducted by aliens—and someone almost always broke character, thanks in part to her. McKinnon was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards for her work on SNL. She won two.
8 Maya Rudolph
2000-2007
Maya Rudolph, daughter of singer Minnie Ripperton, joined the cast of SNL in 2000. Her impersonations included Oprah, Beyoncé and fashion designer Donatella Versace. Rudolph has appeared in a number of TV shows and movies since leaving SNL, such as Big Mouth and Bridesmaids. She has also returned to SNL multiple times over the years, from small guest appearances to hosting three times, including appearances as Vice President Kamala Harris.
Rudolph’s impressions have become almost as famous as the people she’s playing—her enthusiastic Oprah was especially memorable, and her Beyoncé and Harris are fan favorites. Her impersonation of Harris won her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Her commitment to a character and a bit have resulted in plenty of hilarious moments in both her time in the cast and returning to the show.
7 Molly Shannon
1995-2001
Castmember Molly Shannon spent six years on SNL, starting in 1995. Since leaving, she has had roles in a number of films, often working alongside her former costars in such movies as A Night at the Roxbury and Talladega Nights, as well as Superstar, based on her SNL character Mary Katherine Gallagher. Like many other former comedians in the cast, she has returned to the show to host and reprise her best characters.
When Shannon left SNL, she was the longest-running female cast member in its history at the time. Her characters are among the show’s most famous, especially the eccentric Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher. Her other memorable characters include the 50-year-old dancer Sally O’Malley, who loved it “kick, stretch, and kick!” Both characters also made great use of physical comedy. Her work after the show is a testament to her skills at both comedy and drama.
6 Kristen Wiig
2005-2012
For seven seasons, Kristen Wiig made audiences laugh on SNL with characters like the Target Lady and impersonations of everyone from personal-finance guru Suze Orman to classic Hollywood icon Judy Garland. Wiig has returned to the show as host a total of five times. Following her time on the show, she co-wrote and starred in the film Bridesmaids, which also featured SNL alum Maya Rudolph, and appeared in the film MacGruber, based on a recurring sketch which parodied MacGyver.
Wiig’s talent as a versatile comedian was evident when she was on SNL. Her impressions were often uncanny, as she immersed herself in and perfectly mimicked her subjects’ voice and mannerisms, and she had a great sense of comedic timing. That talent earned her notable recognition—she was nominated for four Emmy Awards during her time on SNL, and she was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her role in Bridesmaids.
5 Rachel Dratch
1999-2006
Rachel Dratch’s seasons on SNL included characters like Debbie Downer. Post-SNL, Dratch has had a variety of small film roles, including Hallmark movie parody A Clüsterfünke Christmas with former SNL costar Ana Gasteyer. She has done voiceover work on animated series including Bob’s Burgers, Star Trek: Lower Decks and more and presented the short-form comedy series Late Night Snack. She has also appeared on Broadway, where her work earned her a Tony nomination.
Some of the funniest moments on SNL have come from comedians breaking character, and it happened often in Dratch’s “Debbie Downer” sketches. One of the sketch’s funniest iterations came from being set in Disney World, the happiest place on earth, where Debbie’s increasingly bleak comments and even personal news resulted in just about everyone breaking character, including Dratch herself. The close-up of her grimacing face paired with the sound of a trombone made the premise even better.
4 Ana Gasteyer
1996-2002
Ana Gasteyer channeled the biggest celebrities of her time on SNL for impersonations like celebrity chef Martha Stewart and politician Hillary Clinton. After leaving the show, Gasteyer played Cady’s mother in Mean Girls, which also featured SNL alum Amy Poehler and was written by Tina Fey, and has also appeared in multiple Broadway productions. Gasteyer has returned to the show several times since leaving to reprise her most famous characters.
Gasteyer’s sketches were often the highlights of episodes, whether she was delivering an impression or presenting an original character, and she often used her talent for singing. Among her most famous sketches—and perhaps the most famous—was the euphemism-laden “NPR’s Delicious Dish” featuring Schweddy Balls by baker Pete Schweddy, played by Alec Baldwin, followed up years later with Dusty Muffin featuring guest Betty White. Gasteyer’s deadpan delivery makes both sketches even funnier.
3 Amy Poehler
2001-2008
Amy Poehler entertained with her impressions and as half of the “Weekend Update” team. She often worked with fellow castmember Tina Fey, including outside of the show in films such as Sisters and Baby Mama, plus a small but memorable role in Mean Girls, written by Fey. Poehler’s work after her time on SNL also includes acclaimed sitcom Parks and Recreation, which she produced and starred in, and voicing Joy in the Inside Out films.
Poehler was a versatile performer on SNL, known for impersonations—among her best and most well-known was politician Hillary Clinton—and recurring sketches like talkshow “Bronx Beat.” Some of her funniest moments came from her playing children, from a great impression of a young Dakota Fanning to the character of high-strung Kaitlin. Poehler’s success, and some of her best work, continued after the show, helping to make her one of the most successful comedians of her generation.
2 Gilda Radner
1975-1980
Gilda Radner was among the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, the original cast of SNL. She was known for parodying recognizable TV stereotypes such as news anchors and original characters like Roseanne Roseannadanna and the elderly Emily Litella. She portrayed her most famous characters again in her one-woman Broadway show in 1979 and pursued a film career after leaving the show. She died in 1989 from ovarian cancer.
The original cast of SNL is still often considered the best, and Radner was an integral part of it—and she had a major influence on both the show and comedy moving forward. Her legacy has continued long after her death, and her work paved the way for the women in comedy who followed her, especially on SNL. She won an Emmy in 1978 for her work on the show.
1 Tina Fey
1997-2006
Tina Fey first worked as a writer on SNL starting in 1997 before becoming a cast member in 2000—and she was the show’s first female head writer. In addition to her characters and impersonations, she served as co-anchor of weekly news segment “Weekend Update.” Fey continued to have a successful career in comedy following her time on SNL, starting with the sitcom 30 Rock, which she both created and starred in, and continuing with Mean Girls.
Fey was always entertaining, from her characters to her sarcastic delivery on "Weekend Update," and her work as both a writer and performer was a testament to her comedic abilities. Her work on SNL earned her nine Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. And while her impact on the series is undeniable—she’s often named as being in the running to take over for Michaels—her work afterward, most notably pop-culture staple Mean Girls, helped cement her reputation in comedy.
Saturday Night Live
A famous guest host stars in parodies and sketches created by the cast of this witty show.
- Release Date
- October 11, 1975
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 49
- Studio
- NBC
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