The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 31 – Seth Meyers

For 13 years, Seth Meyers served different roles on Saturday Night Live. During the first five, he was a regular featured player and while solid, he would not have made this list if not for his ascension to the Weekend Update chair in 2006 alongside Amy Poehler. They’re “Really!?!” segments were a particular highlight. Meyers would get the Update segment to himself beginning 2008. That was a year in which, as head writer, he was penning Tina Fey’s iconic bits as VP candidate Sarah Palin. He would go onto become the apple of legendary Stefon’s idea by way of Bill Hader’s legendary creation.

His Update duties (with a brief late period where Cecily Strong joined as coanchor) and SNL tenure lasted until 2014 when Meyers left to take over NBC’s 12:30pm Late Night franchise. He would succeed two other notable show vets in writer Conan O’Brien and cast member Jimmy Fallon. Like those two, Meyers is in among the pantheon of SNL’s finest. #30 will be up soon!

Seth Meyers

Years on the Show: 2001-14

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 32 – Cecily Strong

Over the period of a decade, Cecily Strong was one of the most consistently sturdy presences on Saturday Night Live in recent years. The longest tenured female cast member in the show’s history, the Second City alum briefly cohosted Update alongside Colin Jost before Michael Che replaced her.

Yet her best contributions came via the Update desk in non hosting segments such as playing Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. There’s memorable characters including the heavily opinionated Cathy Anne or the dimwitted Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation with at a Party or the One-Dimensional Female Character from a Male-Driven Comedy. #31 will be up soon!

Cecily Strong

Years on the Show: 2012-22

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 33 – Kenan Thompson

In the history of Saturday Night Live, Kenan Thompson stands out as easily the longest tenured cast member as he’s now in his 22nd season (a record previously held by Darrell Hammond’s 14). That means he’s been on SNL for nearly half its existence yet he was the first performer on the show born after its 1975 premiere.

With that many episodes under his belt, he obviously has some significant highlights. Right at the top is Diondre Cole, host of What Up With That? where nothing advances much past the ubiquitous theme song. There’s also his eternal optimist Willie from Update segments. That’s in addition to great impressions including Steve Harvey, Al Sharpton, Bill Cosby and Whoopi Goldberg. His Hollywood Walk of Fame star is placed next to the Lorne Michaels’ star. And Thompson’s star power has been shining for nearly a quarter century. #32 will be up soon!

Kenan Thompson

Years on the Show: 2003-Present

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 34 – Bowen Yang

In the 50th season premiere episodes of Saturday Night Live this month, it has become clear that Bowen Yang has moved into the status of MVP. From taking on the role of VP candidate JD Vance or his Update appearance as viral hippo Moo Deng or as English pop star Charli XCX, it was one Yang showcase after another. He nabs the 34 spot on my top 50 cast members of all time.

He started as a writer in 2018 before joining as a Not Ready for Prime Time player the following year. Notable bits in the past half decade include appearing as the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, as notorious Congressman George Santos and playing the Straight Man to a fawning Sydney Sweeney. It probably won’t be long before Yang gets his feature film or TV series centered around his considerable talents. Hopefully we’ll have him on SNL for a while longer. #33 will be up soon!

Bowen Yang

Years on the Show: 2019-Present

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 35 – Dennis Miller

Dennis Miller and Jon Lovitz were the only SNL cast members to survive a disastrous 1985-86 season. It was the year Lorne Michaels came back after being away from the program for five years. He had plenty of wrong instincts that year, but putting Dennis Miller at the desk of Weekend Update wasn’t one of them. Fun fact: the gig was originally slated to go to Lovitz.

Miller’s irreverent and smart alecky style fit perfectly for six years while a murderer’s row of cast mates (Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon, Lovitz included) joined in for segments. He also started the trend of Update anchors getting their own talk shows (Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and even OG anchor Chevy Chase). #34 will be up shortly!

Dennis Miller

Years on the Show: 1985-91

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 36 – Bobby Moynihan

Bobby Moynihan is one of those SNL performers that I feel never gets proper due for his contributions to the show. He comes in at #36 on my top 50 cast members list. Moynihan spent nine seasons creating unique characters and side splitting impressions.

The most well-known is Drunk Uncle on the Weekend Update segments where his rants were a consistent highlight. Some other faves of mine include Vinny Vedecci Jr., son of Bill Hader’s Italian talk show host who asked clueless questions to celebrities and inevitably burst into tears. There’s also Riblet, who did Update bits as Michael Che’s old high school buddy and second-hand news reporter Anthony Crispino. His impressions of Snooki from Jersey Shore and Mindy Cohn from The Facts of Life also warrant mentions. #35 will be up soon!

Bobby Moynihan

Years on the Show: 2008-17

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 37 – Heidi Gardner

A current cast mate clocks in at #37 on my Top 50 SNLers of all time and that’s Heidi Gardner. Since 2017, the Kansas City native has been low-key killing it on the half century old sketch show. Last season, she probably got more ink than ever before by understandably not keeping it together during Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day’s Beavis & Butthead bit.

Well before that, however, she was creating uproarious characters (many on Update) like busy body coworker Crystal, every boxer’s girlfriend Angel, and awkward teen critic Bailey to name a few. Early in this 50th season, Gardner has already provided belly laughs by devouring a gigantic burger while being supportive of her friends with family struggles. #36 will be up soon!

Heidi Gardner

Years on the Show: 2017-Present

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 38 – Rachel Dratch

For my #38 entry on the Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time, let’s give it up for Rachel Dratch! The Massachusetts native came up at Second City in Chicago alongside Tina Fey before being cast on the legendary sketch show.

Appearing during one of the show’s peak eras, noteworthy impressions included Calista Flockhart and Arianna Huffington. Her upbringing came into play with Boston teen Denise while her “Love-ahs” sketches with Will Ferrell were a bizarre highlight.

Yet any SNL fan knows Dratch’s signature contribution was the brilliant Debbie Downer that resulted in one of the all-time character breaking segments in history. When it comes to characters that have stayed in the consciousness of the public, it’s way up there. #37 will be up soon!

Rachel Dratch

Years on the Show: 1999-2006

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 39 – David Spade

Today we say hello to the buh-bye guy with David Spade at #39 on my Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time. Dana Carvey and Spade teamed up for a podcast where they interview cast members and hosts from the show’s 50-year history. It’s a must listen for fans.

Spade made his own history in studio 8H. Whether in the aforementioned Total Bastard Airlines sketch or as a Gap Girl, doing a first-rate Michael J. Fox impression or alongside Chris Farley in Update bits, his six years on the program were fruitful. His best moments may have been toward the end of his run with his Hollywood Minute/Spade in America segments where he skewered celebs in his signature snarky style. He even managed to anger SNL legend Eddie Murphy when he’d experienced a few flops in a row. #38 will be up soon!

David Spade

Years on the Show: 1990-96

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 40 – Aidy Bryant

Aidy Bryant might not have had many signature characters on SNL during her decade on the show, but she was certainly a consistently solid presence. That especially applies to her Li’l Baby Aidy persona seen in some Digital Shorts or the creepily flirtatious Melanie.

She was part of a golden age of recent female cast members that includes Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer, and Cecily Strong. They haven’t been on this list yet, but Bryant leads off that impressive group. #39 will be up soon!

Aidy Bryant

Years on the Show: 2012-2022