There are plenty of homes for comedic talent where the next big stars get discovered, but Saturday Night Live has held a prestigious reputation for decades now as one of the best gigs in the game. The sketch comedy series has built a legacy around the characters and performers that have come out of its universe. The original players are some of the biggest icons from comedy and even now the series is seen as a great opportunity for fresh talent to enter the next level.
The nature of Saturday Night Live results in a large turnover in its cast. Every season there will typically be new members added to the mix as some of the former talent exits. Saturday Night Live may currently have a strong ensemble to fall back on, but there are still plenty of former cast members whose presence are greatly missed.
15 Robert Downey Jr. Didn’t Get A Chance To Mature With His Comedy
Robert Downey Jr. is now one of the biggest working movie stars and turned into the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr.’s star has risen in considerable ways over the past decade, but before he was much of a movie star he was cutting his teeth on Saturday Night Live. Downey Jr. was only on the show for one season and didn’t make much of a mark, but with how far he’s come as a performer he’d be great to have back.
14 Julia Louis-Dreyfus Was A Fresh Talent That Could Have Grown Into Greatness
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has built an enviable reputation in television and become one of the most acclaimed actresses of the comedy genre. Seinfeld was a formative sitcom that’s still seen as one of the heights of the medium, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus made just as big a mark with Veep. Louis-Dreyfus was still honing her comedy skills when she was back on SNL, but she’d now be an incredible cast member.
13 Norm Macdonald’s Wry Personality Was Too Much For The Show
Norm Macdonald’s dry personality and acerbic wit have helped him be one of the most memorable cast members from Saturday Night Live’s past. Macdonald really got to make his mark through his work on Weekend Update and even though he pushed the envelope too far to eventually be fired from the show, his continued work in comedy shows that he’d still be a great asset on the cast.
12 Andy Samberg Made His Mark Through Live And Digital Content
Andy Samberg really got known through his work on Saturday Night Live. He wasn’t just a celebrated cast member, but he was instrumental in the Digital Shorts boom during his run on the show. Samberg has been able to parlay has SNL success into being the lead on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and his continued success with the Lonely Island, but he still has those silly sketch comedy tendencies and would do great work on the series.
11 Sarah Silverman Came Aboard Too Early And Couldn’t Shine
Sarah Silverman has turned into a powerhouse of a performer who’s had several television shows that have gotten to showcase her talent. Shortly after Silverman’s stand-up career really took off, she joined Saturday Night Live during their 1993-94 season as a featured player and writer. Silverman didn’t last long (but she’s returned to host), but if she was given more time there she could have really blossomed.
10 Amy Poehler Has Become One Of The Funniest Women In Comedy
Amy Poehler is one of the better success stories to come out of Saturday Night Live. Poehler used her improv and sketch history to be heavily featured on the show and even make it on as a Weekend Update host. Poehler was in no rush to leave Saturday Night Live, but it’s understandable that she was eventually eager to take on more. Parks and Recreation features Poehler’s best work, but it was still tough when she decided to exit Saturday Night Live’s cast.
9 Will Ferrell Grew To Be One Of The Show’s Biggest Stars
Will Ferrell is still seen by many fans as one of Saturday Night Live best performers. He’s an actor that never held back on the show and created countless memorable characters through his lengthy tenure on the show. Ferrell eventually left the series to pursue a movie career and even though he’s found success in that field, somewhat of his greatest contributions to comedy are still on SNL. His hosting appearances have just been a reminder for how much he’s missed.
8 Michael McKean Was On The Verge Of Greatness
Michael McKean has an impressive career that’s gone all over both comedy and drama. His work on projects like This is Spinal Tap, Laverne & Shirley, and his more recent work on Better Call Saul illustrate his tremendous range. McKean got to tap into this talent during his one season on Saturday Night Live and even though he moved on to greener pastures, he still could have made some strong characters if he was apart of the show for longer.
7 Eddie Murphy Was A Remarkable Talent That Left Too Soon
Eddie Murphy is one of those comedians that had an astronomical rise during his time on Saturday Night Live and then went on to cultivate an amazing film career. It looked like Eddie Murphy had turned his back on the sketch series after how much he’s accomplished, but his recent hosting gig on the show had such an energy to it that it acted as a reminder of how much he contributed to the show and that he really was an important cast member.
6 Dana Carvey Crafted Some Of The Show’s Funniest Characters
Dana Carvey was an integral component of Saturday Night Live during his time on the series and he played some of the biggest recurring characters from the show’s run. Carvey knows how to connect with an audience and even after SNL he continued to produce even more subversive sketch comedy. Carvey hasn’t been as relevant in recent years, but his Saturday Night Live work is so strong that it’s frustrating that he’s not still in the sketch scene.
5 Bill Hader Is Now Creating Some Of The Best And Darkest Comedy On TV
Bill Hader put in his dues on Saturday Night Live. He went from being seen as a smart performer and expert impressionist to one of the most vital members of the cast. Like many other actors on the show, Hader eventually departed to headline his own series and his work in Barry, as an actor, writer, and director, has been on another level. Hader’s continued success is well deserved, but his strange energy on SNL is missed.
4 Will Forte Grew Into A Weird, Grand Talent
Will Forte wasn’t Saturday Night Live’s flashiest performer, but he slowly rose through the ranks on the series and was responsible for some of the weirdest sketches and characters during his run on the show. Forte is someone else who’s gone on to have a strong presence in both television and film, but the kind of content he produced for SNL hasn’t really been replicated by anyone else.
3 Fred Armisen Was A Jack Of All Trades
Fred Armisen is a masterful performer and musician and he often finds creative ways to combine these passions into unique comedy. Armisen has the ability to play both eccentric and mundane characters very well and he constantly pops up in projects as a wild card. It’s exciting to see the many personal projects that Armisen has taken on post-SNL, but he still sometimes cameos in the show and that sketch energy is still very much alive in him.
2 Chris Parnell Was The Show’s Secret Weapon
Chris Parnell was a bit of a hidden gem during his time on Saturday Night Live. He quietly created some exceptionally weird comedy (he was doing comedy raps before Andy Samberg), but is also the consummate straight man. Parnell gets a lot of voice work and is a frequent supporting player in projects, but it sometimes feels like he was doing his best work on Saturday Night Live.
1 David Spade Was At His Best On The Series
David Spade has never quite disappeared from the public consciousness, but the comedy films that he’s starred in have a tendency to punch down and don’t feel like the best reflection of his talent. Saturday Night Live has Spade at his sharpest and putting out his best work and while there have been glimmers of that, it makes his SNL departure all the more difficult.
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