Darrell Hammond might be the best all-around impressionist in the history of SNL and that’s why he kicks off the top 15 of my personal favorite cast members. When he left in 2009, he did so as the longest tenured performer ever at 14 seasons. The record has since been surpassed by Kenan Thompson though Hammond continues to serve as the show’s announcer. Fun fact: he filled in for long-time announcer Don Pardo when that legend fell ill. No one knew the difference.
It’s worth noting that Phil Hartman has yet to appear on this list so you can safely assume that’s still coming. Yet I would argue that Hammond’s Bill Clinton and Phil Donahue managed to edge Hartman’s. Both were brilliant takes on the POTUS and daytime talk show host. It certainly didn’t stop there with Hammond embodying Al Gore (in legendary cold opens opposite Will Ferrell’s George W. Bush), John McCain, Dick Cheney, Donald Trump, Regis Philbin, Ted Koppel, and Chris Matthews to name a few.
And then, of course, there’s his filthy Sean Connery tormenting Ferrell’s Alex Trebek on “Celebrity Jeopardy”. When it comes to impersonations, Hammond is untouchable. #14 will be up soon!
Darrell Hammond
Years on the Show: 1995-2009
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