The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 18 – Molly Shannon

Molly Shannon was a force of nature during her six-year SNL tenure from the mid 90s to early 00s (a terrific era for the show). The Ohio native did plenty of impressions including Monica Lewinsky when that was the biggest story in the nation.

Yet it was her wholly original characters that makes her one of the greats. There is, of course, the awkward Catholic student Mary Katherine Gallagher who would eventually get her own cinematic spin-off Superstar. There’s the exuberant 50-year-old (and proud of it) Sally O’Malley and cohost of “The Dog Show” on those bizarre bits with Will Ferrell. Her cohosting gig alongside Ana Gasteyer on “Delicious Dish” is legendary. A personal favorite is Jeannie Darcy, an untalented stand-up comedian that she brought back during a recent hosting stint. Shannon, on the other hand, made the best of her considerable talents. #17 will be up soon!

Molly Shannon

Years on the Show: 1995-01

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 19 – Fred Armisen

Before co-creating another iconic sketch comedy show with Portandia and contributing to the occasionally brilliant Documentary Now! alongside Bill Hader, Fred Armisen was hitting home runs on Saturday Night Live.

His background in music (he would eventually be the bandleader on Late Night with Seth Meyers) provided some SNL highlights. There’s Garth and Kat, a musical duo with Kristin Wiig where incomprehensible tunes are made up on the spot at the Update desk. We have a clever Prince impersonation alongside Maya Rudolph’s Beyoncé.

Other impressions include President Obama, Joy Behar, and a hilariously inappropriate take on former New York Governor David Paterson. Vanessa Bayer and Armisen spun comedic gold into being shy friends with dictators. My personal favorite Armisen creation might be the condescending and sensitive to the touch Regine, who creeped out Jason Sudeikis’s friends at a house gathering. Or my favorite might be his Queen Elizabeth II. There’s a lot to choose from when considering Armisen’s arsenal of material. #18 will be up soon!

Fred Armisen

Years on the Show: 2002-13

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 20 – Maya Rudolph

Kamala Harris may have lost the 2024 Presidential election, but the race gave audiences another opportunity to appreciate the comedic talents of Maya Rudolph on Saturday Night Live. Returning to the show 17 years after her departure, her impression of the VP and Democratic nominee for POTUS was fantastic and an easy highlight of the ongoing 50th season.

That’s no surprise to those who watched Rudolph in her seven years on the show and subsequent appearances. The Groundlings alum gave us sidesplitting impersonations of Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Donatella Versace, and Whitney Houston. That’s in addition to one of my all-time favorite bits where she warbles the National Anthem and her “Bronx Beat” talk show alongside Amy Poehler. #19 will be up soon!

Maya Rudolph

Years on the Show: 2000-07

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 21 – Mike Myers

Before he was Austin Powers or Dr. Evil or Shrek (or… The Love Guru), Canadian native and Second City performer Mike Myers introduced a slew of notable characters to a glowing era in SNL history. There was bathtub artist Simon and “Coffee Talk” host Linda Richman in segments that included cameos from his idol Barbra Streisand and Madonna. Let’s not forget the wonderfully weird Dieter of “Sprockets”, the off-kilter German talk show.

It was as Aurora, Illinois teen Wayne Campbell alongside Dana Carvey’s Garth in “Wayne’s World” sketches that made him a phenomenon in the early 90s. These bits led to a blockbuster 1992 movie (and a less regarded sequel). Myers would obviously continue his memorable creations on the silver screen and it was SNL that paved the way. #20 will be up soon!

Mike Myers

Years on the Show: 1989-95

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 22 – Michael Che and Colin Jost

So we actually have 51 cast members in my all-time top 50 because it’s impossible not to put these two together. Let’s be honest – Saturday Night Live is a show that can swing from a strong episode one weekend to a weaker outing the next. Sometimes this depends on the host or maybe the third episode in as many weeks tends to run out of gas.

Yet in the past decade, Weekend Update has been a consistent highlight thanks to the coanchoring skills of Michael Che and Colin Jost. The latter has been on staff as a writer since 2005 while the former came on board in 2013. Lorne Michaels paired them together at the beginning of season 40 on air and they’re still going in season 50.

The Che/Jost Update started off shaky. It didn’t take long for them to hit their stride and this is best evidenced by the hilariously inappropriate Joke Swap bit they do each year. That’s when the anchors pen off-color gags for one another to read without the deliverer having seen it. As Banya from Seinfeld would say, it’s (comedy) gold. They also expertly manage top-notch performers including Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Pete Davidson, Bowen Yang, and more doing some of their best work on the fake news set. Che and Jost are in the upper echelon of SNLers behind the Update desk in its half century of existence. #21 will be up soon!

Michael Che and Colin Jost

Years on the Show: 2014-Present

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 23 – Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler really (?!?!) pops up in 23rd for my all-time 50 SNLers countdown as the Upright Citizens Brigade alum wasted no time making her mark on the show. Highlights include plenty of material with Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph (particularly Bronx Beat) during a golden age of female cast members. Poehler replaced Jimmy Fallon as Fey’s Weekend Update coanchor in her fourth year. After Fey departed, she would handle Update duties with Seth Meyers that spawned the Really!?!? bits.

There was one-legged Amber and her take on Dakota Fanning hosting a chat program where she was hilariously condescending. She would famously play Hillary Clinton to Fey’s Sarah Palin shortly after both had departed the regular cast and just as Parks and Recreation was readying its run. #22 will be up soon!

Amy Poehler

Years on the Show: 2001-08

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

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 25 – Andy Samberg

Andy Samberg has been a frequent presence on SNL’s 50th season as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in cold opens leading up to the election. It was his contributions to the show from 2005 to 2012 that have him kicking off the top 25 of my 50 all-time cast members.

His writing partners Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone also deserve special mention. That trio made up The Lonely Island and are responsible for SNL Digital Shorts. These taped bits brought the sketch program into the internet age starting with “Lettuce” in which Will Forte and Samberg hilariously mull serious issues while chomping on heads of the title plant. Yet it the second Short “Lazy Sunday” with Samberg and Chris Parnell’s hardcore rapping about The Chronicles of Narnia that became a YouTube sensation just as that platform was becoming known to the populace.

Many uproarious Shorts followed. Natalie Portman and her hip hop skills? Check. Laser Cats and T-Pain on a boat? Double check. And, of course, a trio of iconic risquè numbers with Justin Timberlake. It’s also worth noting that Samberg did memorable Mark Zuckerberg and Nicolas Cage impressions. #24 will be up soon!

Andy Samberg

Years on the Show: 2005-12

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 26 – Bill Murray

Bill Murray had big and clumsy shoes to fill when he joined SNL in 1977. The Second City performer was essentially brought in to replace Chevy Chase, the show’s first breakout star who left for movie stardom.

It didn’t happen immediately as evidenced by a sketch in which Murray apologized to viewers for not being funny. Eventually, of course, he would hit his stride with characters like Nick the Lounge Singer and nerdy Todd alongside then girlfriend Gilda Radner. Murray would also make his mark at the Weekend Update desk.

If this seems a little low for Murray, I would maintain that his most inspired work came on the big screen after his show duties. If this was a list of greatest movie careers after SNL, he would be at the top or darn close to it. #25 will be up soon!

Bill Murray

Years on the Show: 1977-80

The Top 50 SNL Cast Members of All Time: Number 27 – Billy Crystal

As Jason Reitman’s cinematic chronicle of Saturday Night Live‘s premiere episode recounted this fall, Billy Crystal was slated to perform in a sketch on October 11, 1975. However, Lorne Michaels cut that bit at the last minute.

Nine years later, Crystal was well-known due to the critically acclaimed sitcom Soap when NBC made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. This was the period when Michaels was away from his SNL producer duties and the show was looking to shake up the format. In 1984, Eddie Murphy’s departure had left a giant hole so producer Dick Ebersol brought in established performers like Crystal, Martin Short, and Christopher Guest to headline. The result was one of SNL’s strongest seasons.

From Fernando’s Hideaway to impersonations of Sammy Davis Jr. and Muhammad Ali to plenty of bits with Mr. Guest, Crystal shined in his one season. Unlike that evening nearly 50 years ago, he made his eventual short-lived time count. #26 will be up soon!