# List of Saturday Night Live cast members

As of September 2024, the late-night live variety series Saturday Night Live (SNL) has featured 167 cast members. The ensemble was originally referred to as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players.

## List

As of 2024, 167 comedians have served as cast members on the show. Sid Caesar is the only person to be named an honorary cast member. Caesar was presented with a plaque during the goodnights of his hosting stint in 1983.

### Table

Saturday Night Live cast members :
| Performer | Time on SNL | No. of seasons | Repertory player | Featured player | Middle group | Weekend Update anchor | Hosted | Best of... | Writer |
| Fred Armisen | 2002–2013 | 11 | Y | Y | | | Y | | |
| Aristotle Athari | 2021–2022 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Dan Aykroyd | 1975–1979 | 4 | Y | | | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Peter Aykroyd † | 1980 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Morwenna Banks | 1995 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Vanessa Bayer | 2010–2017 | 7 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Jim Belushi | 1983–1985 | 2 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| John Belushi † | 1975–1979 | 4 | Y | | | | | Y | Y |
| Beck Bennett | 2013–2021 | 8 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Jim Breuer | 1995–1998 | 3 | Y | | | | | | |
| Paul Brittain | 2010–2012 | 2 | | Y | | | | | |
| A. Whitney Brown | 1986–1991 | 6 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Aidy Bryant | 2012–2022 | 10 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Beth Cahill | 1991–1992 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Dana Carvey | 1986–1993 | 7 | Y | | | | Y | Y | |
| Chevy Chase | 1975–1976 | 2 | Y | | | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Michael Che | 2014–present | 11 | Y | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Ellen Cleghorne | 1991–1995 | 4 | Y | | Y | | | | |
| George Coe † | 1975 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Billy Crystal | 1984–1985 | 1 | Y | | | Y | Y | | Y |
| Jane Curtin | 1975–1980 | 5 | Y | | | Y | | | |
| Joan Cusack | 1985–1986 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Pete Davidson | 2014–2022 | 8 | Y | Y | | | Y | | |
| Tom Davis † | 1979–1980 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Mikey Day | 2016–present | 9 | Y | Y | | | | | Y |
| Denny Dillon | 1980–1981 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Andrew Dismukes | 2020–present | 5 | Y | Y | | | | | Y |
| Jim Downey | 1980 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Robert Downey Jr. | 1985–1986 | 1 | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Brian Doyle-Murray | 1980, 1981–1982 | 2 | Y | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Rachel Dratch | 1999–2006 | 7 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Robin Duke | 1981–1984 | 4 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Nora Dunn | 1985–1990 | 5 | Y | | | | | | |
| Christine Ebersole | 1981–1982 | 1 | Y | | | Y | | | |
| Dean Edwards | 2001–2003 | 2 | | Y | | | | | |
| Abby Elliott | 2008–2012 | 4 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Chris Elliott | 1994–1995 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Jimmy Fallon | 1998–2004 | 6 | Y | Y | | Y | Y | Y | |
| Siobhan Fallon | 1991–1992 | 1 | | | Y | | | | |
| Chris Farley † | 1990–1995 | 5 | Y | | Y | | Y | Y | |
| Will Ferrell | 1995–2002 | 7 | Y | | | | Y | Y | |
| Tina Fey | 2000–2006 | 6 | Y | Y | | Y | Y | | Y |
| Chloe Fineman | 2019–present | 6 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Will Forte | 2002–2010 | 8 | Y | Y | | | Y | | |
| Al Franken | 1979–1980, 1986, 1988–1995 | 8 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Heidi Gardner | 2017–present | 8 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Janeane Garofalo | 1994–1995 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Ana Gasteyer | 1996–2002 | 6 | Y | | | | | |
| Gilbert Gottfried † | 1980–1981 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Mary Gross | 1981–1985 | 4 | Y | | | Y | | | Y |
| Christopher Guest | 1984–1985 | 1 | Y | | | Y | | | Y |
| Bill Hader | 2005–2013 | 8 | Y | Y | | | Y | | |
| Anthony Michael Hall | 1985–1986 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Brad Hall | 1982–1984 | 2 | Y | | | Y | | | |
| Rich Hall | 1984–1985 | 1 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Darrell Hammond | 1995–2009 | 14 | Y | | | | | | |
| Phil Hartman † | 1986–1994 | 8 | Y | | | | Y | Y | Y |
| Marcello Hernández | 2022–present | 3 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Lauren Holt | 2020–2021 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Jan Hooks † | 1986–1991 | 5 | Y | | | | | | |
| Yvonne Hudson | 1980–1981 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Melanie Hutsell | 1991–1994 | 3 | Y | Y | Y | | | | |
| Victoria Jackson | 1986–1992 | 6 | Y | | | | | | |
| James Austin Johnson | 2021–present | 4 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Punkie Johnson | 2020–2024 | 4 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Leslie Jones | 2014–2019 | 5 | Y | Y | | | | | Y |
| Colin Jost | 2014–present | 12 | Y | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Chris Kattan | 1996–2003 | 8 | Y | Y | | | | Y | |
| Tim Kazurinsky | 1981–1984 | 4 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Molly Kearney | 2022–2024 | 2 | | Y | | | | | |
| Laura Kightlinger | 1994–1995 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Taran Killam | 2010–2016 | 6 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| David Koechner | 1995–1996 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Gary Kroeger | 1982–1985 | 3 | Y | | | | | | |
| Matthew Laurance | 1980–1981 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Michael Longfellow | 2022–present | 3 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Julia Louis-Dreyfus | 1982–1985 | 3 | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Jon Lovitz | 1985–1990 | 5 | Y | | | | Y | Y | |
| Norm Macdonald † | 1993–1998 | 5 | Y | Y | | Y | Y | | Y |
| Gail Matthius | 1980–1981 | 1 | Y | | | Y | | | |
| Michael McKean | 1994–1995 | 2 | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Mark McKinney | 1995–1997 | 3 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Kate McKinnon | 2012–2022 | 11 | Y | Y | | | Y | | |
| Tim Meadows | 1991–2000 | 10 | Y | | Y | | | Y | Y |
| Laurie Metcalf | 1981 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Seth Meyers | 2001–2014 | 13 | Y | Y | | Y | Y | | Y |
| John Milhiser | 2013–2014 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Dennis Miller | 1985–1991 | 6 | Y | | | Y | | | |
| Jerry Minor | 2000–2001 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Finesse Mitchell | 2003–2006 | 3 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Alex Moffat | 2016–2022 | 6 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Jay Mohr | 1993–1995 | 2 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Kyle Mooney | 2013–2022 | 9 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Tracy Morgan | 1996–2003 | 7 | Y | | | | Y | Y | |
| Garrett Morris | 1975–1980 | 5 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Bobby Moynihan | 2008–2017 | 9 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Eddie Murphy | 1980–1984 | 4 | Y | Y | | | Y | Y | Y |
| Bill Murray | 1977–1980 | 4 | Y | | | Y | Y | | Y |
| Mike Myers | 1989–1995 | 7 | Y | Y | | | Y | Y | Y |
| Kevin Nealon | 1986–1995 | 9 | Y | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Laraine Newman | 1975–1980 | 5 | Y | | | | | | |
| Don Novello | 1979–1980 1985–1986 | 2 | | Y | | | Y | | Y |
| Luke Null | 2017–2018 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Ego Nwodim | 2018–present | 7 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Mike O'Brien | 2013–2014 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Michael O'Donoghue † | 1975 | 1 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Cheri Oteri | 1995–2000 | 5 | Y | | | | | Y | |
| Ashley Padilla | 2024–present | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Chris Parnell | 1998–2006 | 8 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Nasim Pedrad | 2009–2014 | 5 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Jay Pharoah | 2010–2016 | 6 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Joe Piscopo | 1980–1984 | 4 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Amy Poehler | 2001–2008 | 8 | Y | Y | | Y | Y | Y | |
| Emily Prager | 1981 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Randy Quaid | 1985–1986 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Colin Quinn | 1996–2000 | 5 | Y | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Gilda Radner † | 1975–1980 | 5 | Y | | | | | Y | |
| Chris Redd | 2017–2022 | 5 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Jeff Richards | 2001–2004 | 3 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Rob Riggle | 2004–2005 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Ann Risley | 1980–1981 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Tim Robinson | 2012–2013 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Chris Rock | 1990–1993 | 3 | Y | | Y | | Y | Y | |
| Charles Rocket † | 1980–1981 | 1 | Y | | | Y | | | |
| Tony Rosato † | 1981–1982 | 2 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Jon Rudnitsky | 2015–2016 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Maya Rudolph | 2000–2007 | 9 | Y | Y | | | Y | | |
| Andy Samberg | 2005–2012 | 7 | Y | Y | | | Y | | Y |
| Adam Sandler | 1991–1995 | 5 | Y | Y | Y | | Y | Y | Y |
| Horatio Sanz | 1998–2006 | 8 | Y | Y | | Y | | | |
| Tom Schiller | 1980 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Rob Schneider | 1990–1994 | 4 | Y | Y | Y | | | | Y |
| Paul Shaffer | 1979–1980 | 1 | | Y | | | Y | | |
| Molly Shannon | 1995–2001 | 7 | Y | Y | | | Y | Y | |
| Harry Shearer | 1979–1980, 1984–1985 | 2 | Y | Y | | | | | Y |
| Sarah Sherman | 2021–present | 4 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Martin Short | 1984–1985 | 1 | Y | | | | Y | | Y |
| Sarah Silverman | 1993–1994 | 1 | | Y | | | Y | | Y |
| Jenny Slate | 2009–2010 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Robert Smigel | 1991–1993 | 2 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| David Spade | 1990–1996 | 6 | Y | Y | Y | | Y | Y | Y |
| Pamela Stephenson | 1984–1985 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Ben Stiller | 1989 | 1 | | Y | | | Y | | Y |
| Cecily Strong | 2012–2022 | 11 | Y | Y | | Y | | | |
| Jason Sudeikis | 2005–2013 | 9 | Y | Y | | | Y | | Y |
| Julia Sweeney | 1990–1994 | 4 | Y | | Y | | | | |
| Terry Sweeney | 1985–1986 | 1 | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Kenan Thompson | 2003–present | 22 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Chloe Troast | 2023–2024 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Danitra Vance † | 1985–1986 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Melissa Villaseñor | 2016–2022 | 6 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Dan Vitale † | 1985–1986 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Devon Walker | 2022–present | 3 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Nancy Walls | 1995–1996 | 1 | Y | | | | | | |
| Emil Wakim | 2024–present | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Michaela Watkins | 2008–2009 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Damon Wayans | 1985–1986 | 1 | | Y | | | Y | | |
| Patrick Weathers | 1980–1981 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Noël Wells | 2013–2014 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Brooks Wheelan | 2013–2014 | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Jane Wickline | 2024–present | 1 | | Y | | | | | |
| Kristen Wiig | 2005–2012 | 7 | Y | Y | | | Y | | |
| Casey Wilson | 2008–2009 | 2 | | Y | | | | | |
| Fred Wolf | 1996–1996 | 2 | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Bowen Yang | 2019–present | 6 | Y | Y | | | | | Y |
| Sasheer Zamata | 2014–2017 | 4 | Y | Y | | | | | |
| Alan Zweibel | 1980 | 1 | | Y | | | | | Y |

### Timeline

Lighter colors denote "featured players" versus repertory cast members.

## Tenures
### Longest tenures

The following comedians have served as cast members on the show for more than 9 seasons:
Saturday Night Live cast members with the longest tenures :
| Performer | No. of seasons | Years on the show | Notes |
| Kenan Thompson | 22 | 2003–present | Promoted to repertory player in his third season on the show. |
| Darrell Hammond | 14 | 1995–2009 | At the time of his departure, Hammond had the longest tenure as a cast member on the show. In 2014, Hammond returned to the show as the announcer following the death of longtime announcer Don Pardo. |
| Seth Meyers | 12 ½ | 2001–2014 | Meyers anchored Weekend Update from 2006 to 2014. At the time of his departure, he was the longest-serving Weekend Update anchor, however, he has been surpassed by current anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che in terms of episodes. He left the show to become the host of Late Night. He also served as head writer for 9 seasons. |
| Colin Jost | 11 ½ | 2014–present | Jost has been a writer at SNL since 2005, and has been anchoring Weekend Update since 2014. He had also been a head writer for the show from 2012 to 2015, and again from 2017 until 2022. |
| Fred Armisen | 11 | 2002–2013 | Promoted to repertory player in his third season on the show. |
| Michael Che | 11 | 2014–present | Che has been a writer for SNL since 2013, and started anchoring Weekend Update a year later. Che and Jost are the show's longest running Weekend Update anchors, and serving as co-head writers together from 2017 until 2022. |
| Cecily Strong | 10 ½ | 2012–2022 | |
| Kate McKinnon | 10 ½ | 2012–2022 | McKinnon has stated in an interview that she would've left the show a few years earlier in 2020 had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Aidy Bryant | 10 | 2012–2022 | In an interview, Bryant said that she planned to leave at the end of the show's 45th season in 2020, but ended up postponning her departure by two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Tim Meadows | 9½ | 1991–2000 | At the time of his departure, Meadows had the longest tenure as a cast member on the show. |

### Shortest tenures

Two people have been publicly announced as having been hired to the cast, but never performed as cast members:
* Catherine O'Hara, hired in 1981, quit before appearing on air. She has subsequently hosted the show twice.
* Shane Gillis was announced as a cast member in 2019, but the offer was withdrawn due to controversies surrounding past use of racial stereotypes. Gillis went on to host episode 12 of season 49 and episode 13 of season 50. Eight months after Gillis hosted the show, executive producer Lorne Michaels revealed that the decision to fire Gillis was not his, and it was forced on him by NBC executives.
One person was credited as a cast member but did not actually appear on the show as such.
* Emily Prager was hired as part of Ebersol's temporary season six cast following the termination of Jean Doumanian. She was credited for one episode even though she did not appear on the show, as her skit was cut after dress rehearsal. She was not chosen for season seven of the show. Prager had worked as a writer on the show, and also made several appearances in skits prior to being officially named as a member of the cast.
The following cast members spent less than a full 20-episode season on the show.
Saturday Night Live cast members with the shortest tenures :
| Performer | No. of episodes | Notes |
| George Coe (1975) | 1 | He was one of the original "Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players", because NBC wanted someone older in the cast. He was credited as a cast member for only the first episode, though he continued to make several uncredited appearances throughout the first season. |
| Tom Schiller (1980) | 1 | One of the show writers and resident filmmakers who was made a featured player for only one episode: the April 19, 1980 show in season five. He left the show at the end of the season. He made several short films during his time at the show, including some after his brief time in the cast, and made several short films between seasons 14 and 19. |
| Alan Zweibel (1980) | 1 | A writer for the show who, along with Tom Schiller, was credited as a featured player for only the April 19, 1980 episode in season five. He left the show as a writer after the season finale. |
| Laurie Metcalf (1981) | 1 | She was hired as part of Ebersol's temporary season six cast following the termination of Jean Doumanian, and appeared on-camera in a Weekend Update piece. When the show was put on hiatus for retooling, she was not chosen to return to the show for season seven. |
| Emily Prager (1981) | 1 | She was hired as part of Ebersol's temporary season six cast following the termination of Jean Doumanian. Although she did not appear in the single episode for which she was credited as a featured player, she had appeared uncredited in five previous episodes, between 1977 and 1981. When the show was put on hiatus for retooling, she was not chosen to return to the show for season seven. |
| Dan Vitale (1985–1986) | 2 | Hired as an on-and-off featured player for season 11, he was only credited with appearing in two episodes throughout the season but appeared uncredited in a few more. |
| Michael O'Donoghue (1975) | 3 | One of the original "Not Ready for Primetime Players" and the show's first head writer. He was only credited as a cast member for the first, third, and fourth episode before being dropped. He remained with the show as a writer (leaving and returning twice). He was only officially a cast member for three episodes, though he would continue as an occasional on-screen performer, often billed as a special guest in the opening credits as "impressionist Michael O'Donoghue" or as his alter ego "Mr. Mike." |
| Jim Downey (1980) | 3 | He was one of many writers-turned-featured players in season five, only being credited for three episodes. Though he left the show after the season, he returned to the show as a writer in 1984, and was promoted to head writer the next season in 1985, a position he held for 10 years. After resigning as head writer, he remained with the show on-and-off until 2013. |
| Ben Stiller (1989) | 4 | Before becoming a cast member, he submitted a short film – a parody of the film The Color of Money – that was shown on the season 12 episode hosted by Charlton Heston. He was hired during season 14, but quit after four episodes due to creative differences. Despite this, he returned to host in 1998 and 2011 and later had a recurring role as Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's ex-lawyer. |
| Morwenna Banks (1995) | 4 | She was hired as a repertory player for the last four episodes of season 20, but was let out of her contract as part of a major cast overhaul Lorne Michaels had planned for season 21. |
| Fred Wolf (1996) | 4 | He had been a writer since 1993 and, was named as a co-head writer at the start of season 21 in 1995 (being one of the few writers from the previous season to return), and became a featured player near the end for the last four episodes of the season. However, he only appeared in and was credited for episodes 17, 18, and 20. His last episode was in the third episode of the 22nd season (the only episode of that season he was credited for), after which he decided to leave the show for good. |
| Peter Aykroyd (1980) | 6 | Dan Aykroyd's brother Peter joined the show midway through season five, but left at the end of the season, after only being credited for six episodes. |
| Yvonne Hudson (1980–1981) | 6 | She was a recurring extra during season five, and became the first black female cast member in season six when she was made a featured player. She was fired from the cast midseason but continued to appear in extra parts. |
| Matthew Laurance (1980–1981) | 8 | Hired as a featured player during season six, he was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul. |
| Patrick Weathers (1980–1981) | 8 | Hired as a featured cast member for season six, he was fired along with many of Doumanian's cast. |
| Paul Shaffer (1979–1980) | 10 | After being the band's pianist for the first five seasons, he joined the cast during season five, being credited sporadically throughout the season, but left with the rest of the original cast and writers after the finale. He hosted SNL in 1987, making him the only member of the house band to do so. |
| Robert Smigel (1991–1993) | 10 | A longtime writer of SNL who appeared occasionally uncredited until becoming a featured player for the 1991–92 season. He remained with the show through the 1992–93 season before leaving to be the head writer of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Smigel returned to write his "TV Funhouse" segment from 1996 until 2008, but did not come back to the cast. He was only credited during the opening montage for four episodes in his first season as a featured player and for six episodes in his second season. |
| Sarah Silverman (1993–1994) | 10 | Silverman joined the writing staff at the beginning of season 19 and was introduced as a featured player in the season's sixth episode. She was fired from both positions at the end of the season. |
| Tom Davis (1979–1980) | 12 | Davis was hired as one of the original writers for its first five seasons, and became a featured cast member for season 5, but left with the rest of the original cast and writers after the season finale. Davis did return as a writer for the show from 1985 to 1994, before leaving the show for good. |
| Gilbert Gottfried (1980–1981) | 12 | He joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul. |
| Ann Risley (1980–1981) | 12 | She joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul. |
| Charles Rocket (1980–1981) | 12 | He joined the cast for season six and was fired as part of the mid-season overhaul, after having said "fuck" on-air one episode prior. |
| Damon Wayans (1985–1986) | 12 | Hired for season 11 as a featured player, he was fired mid-season for improvising on the air. He returned as a guest to perform stand-up comedy on season 11's last episode and hosted SNL in 1995. |
| Don Novello (1979–1980, 1985–1986) | 13 | SNL writer Don Novello appeared frequently throughout the show's history as his character Father Guido Sarducci, but he was only a featured player for part of the 1979–80 season and part of the 1985–86 season, credited sporadically only when he would appear on the show. He made many more appearances outside of these two runs as a featured player, but he was usually credited as a "special guest" in the opening or not credited at all. Novello even returned to host and co-host two episodes as Sarducci in 1984. |
| Denny Dillon (1980–1981) | 13 | She joined the cast for season six and was let go after the finale as part of the cast overhaul. She auditioned for the show's first season, but did not make the cut. |
| Gail Matthius (1980–1981) | 13 | She joined the cast for season six and was let go after the season ended. |
| Beth Cahill (1991–1992) | 13 | She joined the show during season 17 as an off-and-on featured player. She did not return the following season, as she was fired along with castmate Siobhan Fallon. |
| Janeane Garofalo (1994–1995) | 14 | She joined the cast during season 20, but quit mid-season due to creative differences. |
| Michaela Watkins (2008–2009) | 15 | She joined the show on the first episode after the 2008 United States presidential election, then was let go before the start of season 35. |

## President of the United States impressionists

Portrayal of sitting Presidents of the United States :
| Sitting president | Performer (years) |
| Gerald Ford | Chevy Chase (1975–1976) |
| Jimmy Carter | Dan Aykroyd (1977–1979) Joe Piscopo (1980–1981) |
| Ronald Reagan | Charles Rocket (1981) Joe Piscopo (1981–1984) Harry Shearer (1984) Randy Quaid (1985–1986) Robin Williams (1986) Phil Hartman (1986–1989) |
| George H. W. Bush | Dana Carvey (1989–1993) |
| Bill Clinton | Phil Hartman (1993–1994) Michael McKean (1994–1995) Darrell Hammond (1995–2001) |
| George W. Bush | Will Ferrell (2001–2002) Chris Parnell (2002–2003) Darrell Hammond (2003) Will Forte (2004–2006) Jason Sudeikis (2006–2008) |
| Barack Obama | Fred Armisen (2009–2012) Jay Pharoah (2012–2016) |
| Donald Trump | Alec Baldwin (2017–2020) |
| Joe Biden | Alex Moffat (2021) James Austin Johnson (2021–2023) Jason Sudeikis (2021) Mikey Day (2023–2024) Dana Carvey (2024) |
| Donald Trump | James Austin Johnson (2025–present) |
Darrell Hammond had the longest tenure portraying a U.S. president, portraying Bill Clinton from 1995 to 2001 and George W. Bush during 2003. He, Joe Piscopo, Phil Hartman, and James Austin Johnson are the only cast members to have portrayed two sitting presidents. Jason Sudeikis portrayed two sitting presidents, but the portrayal of the second president was performed as a host, rather than a cast member. Dana Carvey also portrayed two sitting presidents, with the portrayal of the second president performed as a recurring guest.
George H. W. Bush grew fond of Dana Carvey's impersonation of him. Carvey was invited to headline a White House Christmas party in 1992, during the lame duck period after Bush had lost the election. Two years later, on October 22, 1994, when Carvey hosted the show for the first time, Bush appeared in pre-recorded videos, in both the cold open and the opening monologue, critiquing Carvey's impersonation of him.
Presidents are not usually portrayed on Saturday Night Live after they leave office. Exceptions are limited to the portrayal of former president Richard Nixon who left office prior to the launch of the show in 1975, Bill Clinton who appeared in sketches related to the presidential campaigns of his wife, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump who continued to be politically active after leaving office. Dan Aykroyd portrayed Nixon from 1975 to 1979, and Darrell Hammond portrayed Nixon on episode 12 of season 34. James Austin Johnson portrayed Trump during the period between Trump's two presidencies (seasons 47–50).

### Impersonation of Donald Trump

Donald Trump, having been a public figure before being president, was portrayed by several cast members over the years. He was portrayed by Phil Hartman (1988–1990), Darrell Hammond (1999–2011, 2015–2016), Jason Sudeikis (2012) and Taran Killam (2015). Alec Baldwin started impersonating Trump as a guest during the 42nd season of SNL in late 2016, when Trump was the Republican nominee during the 2016 United States presidential elections. Baldwin continued with the guest impersonations of Trump after the elections when Trump was president-elect, as well as after Trump was sworn in as president. Baldwin continued to impersonate Trump throughout Trump's first presidency.
Alec Baldwin's impersonation of Donald Trump earned him an Emmy award in 2017, in spite of his public declaration that he "loathes the role" due to his personal disdain for Trump. At the end of Season 44, Baldwin publicly announced that he will cease impersonating Trump, but changed his mind prior to the beginning of Season 45 after SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels convinced him to continue with the impersonation. Following the 2020 presidential elections in which Trump lost re-election, Baldwin's tenure as Trump ended in the subsequent episode; he responded by tweeting "I don't believe I've ever been this overjoyed to lose a job before!" As of 2025, Baldwin's recurring guest appearances during Trump's presidency makes Trump the only sitting U.S. president in the show's history who was not portrayed by a member of the show's principal cast. Although Trump has since been re-elected, he is instead currently played by cast member James Austin Johnson (who played the role several times prior to Trump's re-election), therefore still making Baldwin the only non-cast member to portray a sitting president throughout at least one term.
Trump has criticized Baldwin's portrayal on multiple occasions. In response, Baldwin taunted Trump with statements such as "release your tax returns and I'll stop." In June 2021, after Trump had left office, it was reported that while Trump was in office he had inquired if the Federal Communications Commission or the United States Justice Department could force SNL to stop portraying him. Trump denied that he has ever made such an inquiry, but claimed that his portrayal by SNL "should be considered an illegal campaign contribution from the Democrat Party." He also criticized Baldwin's portrayal of him, but praised Darrell Hammond's portrayal of him.

## Returning to host

Over three dozen former SNL cast members have returned to host the show. The first former cast member to come back and host the show was Chevy Chase in February 1978. Chase is also the first former cast member to reach the Five-Timers Club, and is the most frequent-former cast member to host (he is also one of few hosts banned from hosting, having last hosted in 1997). Chase returned as a guest at the 50th Anniversary Special.
In addition to Chase, other former cast members that are in the Five-Timers Club are Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, and Kristen Wiig. Fey has hosted six times, which makes her the most frequent former female cast member to host the show. Martin Short is the most recent member of the Five-Timers Club, having hosted the show most recently on December 21, 2024, during the show's 50th season.
The show's 22nd season is notable, as seven of the 20 hosts were former cast members. They included Dana Carvey, Robert Downey Jr., Phil Hartman, Chris Rock, Martin Short, Chase and Mike Myers.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was the first former female cast member to come back to host the show; hosting it near the end of its 31st season in May 2006.
While the majority of cast members who also hosted the show were first cast members and then hosted after leaving the show, there have been two cast members who have hosted the show prior to joining the cast: Billy Crystal (he hosted the show twice during the ninth season prior to joining the cast in the tenth season) and Michael McKean (he hosted the show in the tenth season and joined the cast in the nineteenth season). McKean is also the only eventual cast member who first appeared as a musical guest (with Spinal Tap, May 1984).
Eddie Murphy is the only cast member to have hosted the show while still a cast member. He also holds the distinction of having the longest gap between successive hosting of the show, with his second and third hostings of the show having been 35 years and 6 days apart.
Adam Sandler and Dan Aykroyd tie the record of the longest gap between leaving the show as a cast member and returning as a host. Both hosted the show for the first time nine days shy of 24 years from their last appearance as cast members. However, both made appearances on the show during the gap. On the flip side, Bill Murray holds the record for having the shortest gap between leaving the show and returning to host at 287 days after leaving the cast.
Saturday Night Live cast members who have hosted :
| Host | Number of episodes | First hosted | Last hosted |
| Fred Armisen | 1 | May 21, 2016 | May 21, 2016 |
| Dan Aykroyd | 1 | May 17, 2003 | May 17, 2003 |
| Dana Carvey | 4 | October 22, 1994 | February 5, 2011 |
| Chevy Chase | 8 | February 18, 1978 | February 15, 1997 |
| Billy Crystal | 2 | March 17, 1984 | May 12, 1984 |
| Pete Davidson | 1 | October 14, 2023 | October 14, 2023 |
| Robert Downey Jr. | 1 | November 16, 1996 | November 16, 1996 |
| Jimmy Fallon | 3 | December 17, 2011 | April 15, 2017 |
| Chris Farley | 1 | October 25, 1997 | October 25, 1997 |
| Will Ferrell | 5 | May 14, 2005 | November 23, 2019 |
| Tina Fey | 6 | February 23, 2008 | May 19, 2018 |
| Will Forte | 1 | January 22, 2022 | January 22, 2022 |
| Bill Hader | 2 | October 11, 2014 | March 17, 2018 |
| Phil Hartman | 2 | March 23, 1996 | November 23, 1996 |
| Julia Louis-Dreyfus | 3 | May 13, 2006 | April 16, 2016 |
| Jon Lovitz | 1 | November 8, 1997 | November 8, 1997 |
| Norm Macdonald | 1 | October 23, 1999 | October 23, 1999 |
| Michael McKean | 1 | November 3, 1984 | November 3, 1984 |
| Kate McKinnon | 1 | December 16, 2023 | December 16, 2023 |
| Seth Meyers | 1 | October 13, 2018 | October 13, 2018 |
| Tracy Morgan | 2 | March 14, 2009 | October 17, 2015 |
| Eddie Murphy | 3 | December 11, 1982 | December 21, 2019 |
| Bill Murray | 5 | March 7, 1981 | February 20, 1999 |
| Mike Myers | 1 | March 22, 1997 | March 22, 1997 |
| Don Novello | 2 | January 14, 1984 | May 12, 1984 |
| Amy Poehler | 2 | September 25, 2010 | December 19, 2015 |
| Chris Rock | 4 | November 2, 1996 | December 14, 2024 |
| Maya Rudolph | 3 | February 18, 2012 | May 11, 2024 |
| Andy Samberg | 1 | May 17, 2014 | May 17, 2014 |
| Adam Sandler | 1 | May 4, 2019 | May 4, 2019 |
| Paul Shaffer | 1 | January 31, 1987 | January 31, 1987 |
| Molly Shannon | 2 | May 12, 2007 | April 8, 2023 |
| Martin Short | 5 | December 6, 1986 | December 21, 2024 |
| Sarah Silverman | 1 | October 4, 2014 | October 4, 2014 |
| David Spade | 2 | November 7, 1998 | March 12, 2005 |
| Jason Sudeikis | 1 | October 23, 2021 | October 23, 2021 |
| Ben Stiller | 2 | October 24, 1998 | October 8, 2011 |
| Damon Wayans | 1 | April 8, 1995 | April 8, 1995 |
| Kristen Wiig | 5 | May 11, 2013 | April 6, 2024 |

## The "SNL Curse"

Although SNL is best known as the launchpad for many successful careers, eight former cast members have died before the age of 60. This has given rise to a superstition known as the "Saturday Night Live Curse".
Allegedly "cursed" Saturday Night Live cast members :
| Cast member | Age | Date of death | Cause of death |
| John Belushi | 33 | March 5, 1982 | Belushi died of a drug overdose from a speedball injection (cocaine and heroin). Belushi's death led to the conviction of Cathy Smith for administering the fatal injection. |
| Gilda Radner | 42 | May 20, 1989 | Radner died from ovarian cancer. She was originally scheduled to host the season 13 finale, a first for a former female cast member. However, SNL was put on a production hiatus due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike. Radner's health worsened the following year. Moments before the season 14 finale, news broke of Radner's death. In lieu of the opening monologue Steve Martin, visibly shaken, introduced a replay of the "Dancing in the Dark" sketch he and Radner had performed in a 1978 episode; her ex-husband G. E. Smith performed a musical tribute to Radner with the SNL Band. |
| Danitra Vance | 40 | August 21, 1994 | Vance died of breast cancer, which had returned after a remission three years earlier. |
| Michael O'Donoghue | 54 | November 8, 1994 | O'Donoghue died from cerebral hemorrhage after suffering from severe chronic migraine headaches for most of his life. Bill Murray honored O'Donoghue's memory in an appearance on a season 20 episode (hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker with musical guest R.E.M.) by replaying his sketch "Mr. Mike's Least Loved Bedtime Stories: The Soiled Kimono" from 1977. |
| Chris Farley | 33 | December 18, 1997 | Influenced by Belushi, Farley died of a drug overdose from a speedball injection. Farley's death occurred less than two months after he came back to host SNL, which turned out to be his final television appearance. |
| Phil Hartman | 49 | May 28, 1998 | Hartman was murdered by his wife, Brynn, while he slept in his Encino, California, home. Before committing this crime, Brynn had allegedly consumed a combination of cocaine, alcohol, and the antidepressant drug Zoloft. After killing Hartman, she committed suicide. During SNL's 25th anniversary special in 1999, several of Hartman's peers honored his memory by replaying his sketch "Love Is a Dream" from 1988. |
| Charles Rocket | 56 | October 7, 2005 | Rocket was found dead in his Canterbury, Connecticut, backyard. Local police concluded his death a suicide; Rocket had allegedly taken his own life by slashing his throat with a box cutter. |
| Jan Hooks | 57 | October 9, 2014 | Hooks died after battling throat cancer for several months. Two days after her death, Hooks was given a tribute on SNL during the third episode of its 40th season, in which a sketch she had filmed with Hartman, "Love Is a Dream", was re-aired. |