Tag: Jane Curtin

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 10 – Norm MacDonald

My top 50 list of SNL cast members has been populated with numerous performers who sat behind the iconic Weekend Update desk: Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Dan Aykroyd, Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, Colin Jost, and Michael Che. As we enter the top 10 of this countdown, we arrive at the final Update anchor. That means it’s the one I thought did it the best and that is Norm MacDonald.

The Canadian stand-up brought his flawless timing and devil may care attitude to the news desk. It could rightly be said that his Update was the last time SNL felt a little dangerous and that’s thanks to him and Jim Downey, his legendary Update cowriting partner.

No one could deliver a joke quite like Norm. Like Johnny Carson, you often laughed harder when they didn’t land due to his reaction. MacDonald’s relentless mocking of O.J. Simpson during his murder trial infuriated NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer, who was a friend of the disgraced football star. In fact, it is allegedly what got him fired from Update (a colossal error in judgment).

Norm’s contributions to SNL went beyond the signature segment airing after the musical guest’s first song. He had great impressions of Larry King and Senator Bob Dole and delivered a rather biting take on David Letterman, his comedic idol. Then, of course, there’s his 70s era Burt Reynolds who would appear on Celebrity Jeopardy.

You could spend hours going down a YouTube rabbit hole watching Norm be hilarious and I certainly have. Most of his couch work on Conan O’Brien’s shows will split your sides. The late great MacDonald did the same on SNL. #9 will be up soon!

Norm MacDonald

Years on the Show: 1993-98

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 11 – Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd was SNL’s first all utility player who could subtly do it all on the legendary sketch comedy show. The youngest cast member at 23 when it premiered in 1975, he made his mark with impressions including President Jimmy Carter, former President Richard Nixon, Tom Snyder, and Julia Child in a famously bloody bit.

There’s iconic characters like Elwood Blues alongside John Belushi’s Jake for The Blues Brothers which spawned the program’s first spin-off movie (and arguably best). We have the Coneheads which became a less successful picture in 1993. Then there’s “Two Wild and Crazy Guys” with frequent host Steve Martin and creations like Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute and cheapskate toymaker Irwin Mainway. Weekend Update during Season 3 was memorably anchored by Aykroyd and Jane Curtin.

Aykroyd would, of course, eventually make classic 80s pics alongside fellow SNL alum like Trading Places with Eddie Murphy, Ghostbusters with Bill Murray, and Spies Like Us with Chevy Chase. His mark at 30 Rock was the solid foundation of his storied career. #10 will be up soon!

Dan Aykroyd

Years on the Show: 1975-79

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 46 – Jane Curtin

Saturday Night Live officially turns 49 years old today and Jason Reitman’s critically appreciated Saturday Night is out in wide release for the occasion. It recounts the 90 hectic minutes leading up to the iconic show’s premiere. Jane Curtin was there for it. She’s the first original Not Ready for Prime Time Player to make this list. As I wrote in my prelude to these posts, not all of them are included in the top 50 (Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris).

Curtin was more of the straight (wo)man in the program’s early years. She got to stretch every once in a while including as Prymaat Conehead alongside Dan Aykroyd in those bits. Yet it was as one half of the Weekend Update team with Aykroyd and then Bill Murray where she paved the way for future stars like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Some of her cast mates will be showcased later, but Curtin earns placement for her contributions. #45 will be up soon!

Jane Curtin

Years on the Show: 1975-1980

Can You Ever Forgive Me? Movie Review

The makers of Can You Ever Forgive Me? have more affection for its central character than she has for anyone other than her beloved cat. Director Marielle Heller and screenwriters Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty succeed in not making that decision seem like a forgery as they delve into what made Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) behave that way. Based on a true story, Lee is a New York loner in the early 1990s. She’s a writer of biographies whose best work is in the rear view. Her exasperated agent (Jane Curtin) advises her to explore other career paths.

That’s not in the cards for Lee. When she sells a handwritten note from her former subject Katherine Hepburn to go on the collectibles circuit, it dawns on her that it’s easy money. Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t have other pricey artifacts from celebrities lying around. So she forges them. The letters come from Noël Coward and Dorothy Parker, among others. This allows her to pay the rent. It also allows her a creative writing exercise that scratches her itch.

Lee’s partner in crime is Jack (Richard E. Grant), an aging and flamboyant drug dealer who gets through life due to his bright blue eyes. They share a love of alcohol and a lack of empathy for others. They never fully trust one another. Yet Jack comes closer to actually being liked occasionally by Lee over anything other than the feline persuasion.

We’ve seen how strong of an actress McCarthy can be, especially with her Oscar nominated turn in Bridesmaids. Her slew of headlining comedies that followed have sometimes wasted her talents. This is a different story. While there’s plenty of sardonic humor sprinkled throughout, this is her most dramatic turn. Lee is an unpleasant person to be around. Because of McCarthy’s considerable talents, she’s definitely not unpleasant to watch. She’s matched in quality by Grant, who’s terrific.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is unique in that it doesn’t paint a criminal that’s particularly regretful of her actions. After all, it gives her a way to knock out any pesky writer’s block. The screenplay is clever in not over explaining Lee. We eventually see that much of her behavior comes from a deep place of loneliness. It’s telling that she only seems capable of focusing on subjects she never knew who came from a different era that she considers better. She can’t connect with potential women who could be partners or really anyone else. Lee does find a connection with Coward and Parker and makes their missives more entertaining. If only that kind of thing wasn’t illegal. However, it gives Lee Israel one final fascinating tale. And it’s at last about her.

***1/2 (out of four)