Tag: Regis Philbin

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 4 – Dana Carvey

During SNL’s currently airing 50th season, viewers have been reminded of the brilliance of Dana Carvey in the form of his President Biden impersonation. To fans of the show, this is no surprise considering Carvey has been giving us unforgettable takes on political figures and others for nearly 40 years in studio 8H. The best known example was President George H.W. Bush during his tenure in office. However, the considerable list of Carvey impressions includes Ross Perot, Johnny Carson, Woody Allen, Jimmy Stewart, Regis Philbin, Paul McCartney, Casey Kasem, Tom Brokaw, Ted Koppel, and Charles Grodin.

In a cast that included heavy hitters like Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, and Jan Hooks, Carvey turned into the headliner. Original creations included Church Lady, Hans from Hans and Franz, Massive Headwound Harry, the Grumpy Old Man, and his Garth to Mike Myers’ Wayne Campbell from the “Wayne’s World” sketches. They would, of course, turn into one of SNL’s most successful transitions to the silver screen in 1992.

Carvey would leave the next year but has returned numerous times in the 30 years after to provide more highlights. #3 will be up soon!

Dana Carvey

Years on the Show: 1986-93

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 15 – Darrell Hammond

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

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 24 – Jimmy Fallon

Prior to taking over the Late Night and Tonight Show franchises, it was on SNL that Jimmy Fallon honed his skills. The Groundlings alum quickly established himself as a crowd favorite in a fertile era for the show with terrific impressions of Jerry Seinfeld, Robert De Niro, Regis Philbin, Mick Jagger, and even former SNL cast members Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. His talents perhaps shone brightest on The Barry Gibb Show portraying a mentally unbalanced version of The Bee Gees frontman alongside his brother Robin (Justin Timberlake), who never had anything to add.

Nearly halfway into his run, Fallon nabbed the Weekend Update desk spot alongside Tina Fey. It made for one of the strongest duos to deliver the fake news. Along the way, the future talk show host tried his best not to break during classic sketches such as “More Cowbell” and Debbie Downer’s visit to Disney. #23 will be up soon!

Jimmy Fallon

Years on the Show: 1998-2004