"Saturday Night Live" is an institution. And it's been inhabited by comic maniacs since its premiere in 1975. Its 40-year run has been through highs and lows, but its highs have brought about brilliant comedy insights and culture-defining moments. Many unbelievably talented performers have graced the 8H stage, but there have, of course, been standouts. Here are the top 10 cast members from throughout the show's side-splitting history.
No. 10 - Billy Crystal
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Some people may think that other comedic heavyweights would belong on this list instead of Billy Crystal. We disagree. What is most notable about his contributions to "SNL" as a player is that they all took place during one season. Season 10 was an odd one. Creator Lorne Michaels didn't work there any longer and most of Season 9's cast had been let go and replaced by tested professionals: he, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, and Martin Short among them. It became a true showcase for reliably madcap comedy which didn't disappoint. But Crystal was the undisputed captain of this ship and his characters, particularly Fernando Lamas, had America talking. Crystal was definitely integral in making "SNL" exciting TV again and though the season was short - a writer's strike stuck it down to only 17 episodes - the memorable moments were huge.
No. 9 - Phil Hartman
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It seems if this was a list of most beloved cast members, maybe even from an insider's perspective, Phil Hartman would fall in at Number One. His nickname, The Glue, tells you all you need to know about this solid comedian. He was there to outshine the spotlight or hold a sketch together with background support. Both he did amazingly, and his onstage expertise showed a born performer. He was also laugh-out-loud funny, with a booming voice, leading man's posture and a wily smile that usually signaled predictably unpredictable hilarity ahead.
No. 8 - Dan Aykroyd
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Dan Aykroyd was "SNL's" first Everyman. He could go from straight man to a wild and crazy guy with unbelievable ease. His ordinary appearance belied a fierce comic within. One that could talk faster, connect deeper, and generally astound more grandly than most performers who would ever go on to proceed him on the studio 8H stage. And while the spotlight seemed to adhere more firmly to some of his co-stars - specifically the three original cast members to follow on this list, Aykroyd served as the troupes backbone and the humor he wrought upon the mid-70s television audience - whom had never seen a sketch show like this before - broke incredible new ground and helped redefine what comedy was and how we see it today. Not bad for a Canadian.
No. 7 - Chris Farley
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Like his build, on stage Chris Farley was an enormous presence. And though his physical stature made him stick out from fellow Bad Boys Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and David Spade anyway, comedically he more than held his own. Yes, he was a towering hulk but he played up his vulnerabilities, his self-consciousness, bringing an opposing complexity to his humor. Also, he was not afraid to let himself all hang out, quite literally, yet even something as simple as his giggle could light audiences up with laughter. And Matt Foley, his outrageous motivational speaker, has become the only one in that business we'd ever want to take advice from.
No. 6 - Chevy Chase
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Clik here to view.
Like Billy Crystal, what's impressive about Chevy Chase's impact on "SNL" is that as large as it is, he too only lasted one season. But what sets Chase apart is that as an original member he helped launch the series into the stratosphere. He was the first to say, "Live from New York..." at the end of the opening sketch. He was the first to anchor Weekend Update, which immediately became a celebrated entry into television history. He portrayed President Ford - looking nothing like him with his leading man good looks - as a buffoon and that perception stuck on to the real life Commander-in Chief-with a power that surprised everyone. Chase's smug, smart aleck personality was embraced by fans of this wild new late night comedy show, and his face became its face as it embarked on its accidental voyage to becoming a cultural landshark. Landmark, we mean landmark.
No. 5 - Gilda Radner
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She wasn't a bombshell, but she made comedy beautiful in a way perhaps no woman had done before. While her outward appearance was delicate and fragile, the characters Gilda Radner inhabited were steely and strong. Her outrageous journalist, Roseanne Roseannadanna, for example, was beloved for her uncompromising bombast which brought Seismic belly laughs that some are still trying to recover from all these years later. Also an original player, she was the First Lady of "SNL", and one whose brilliance and comic timing has not been duplicated since. A true one-of-a-kind, Radner didn't court cheap laughs, she earned them with all her might, exposing her angelic soul in the process. She such a pro, who labored as a comedienne, yet it all appeared effortless.
No. 4 - Dana Carvey
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Clik here to view.![greatest saturday night live players, dana carvey]()
When it comes to shape shifters, nobody could quite morph like Dana Carvey. He was a comic chameleon who attacked each character with smarts, ease, and a humor that seemed to ooze right out of him and onto an audience hungry for whatever he was serving, and always starving for more. Carvey had a Willie Wonka quality to him, with a different kind of psychosis - one that didn't include entrapping children into their own disfigurement. For he was the biggest kid in the 8H candy store who didn't just toss out treats to us - he made it rain. And his piously demonic Church Lady was perhaps, next to Prozac's emergence, the best thing about the mid-'80s hands down.
No. 3 - Will Ferrell
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![greatest saturday night live players, will ferrell]()
A giant-sized man-child who, like Phil Hartman, could hold a sketch together simply with his presence or happily blow it apart with his trademark lunacy. And blow it apart he would, quickly proving himself one of the wildest "SNL" players to come around in a very long time. He brought to the live stage a kegmaster's devotion to party hidden inside a Student Council President's sober demeanor. A timebomb in sheep's clothing, Ferrell incorporated all he had into his comedy, including his tall frame, to keep audiences in stitches. And while his impressions were not as spot on as say, Carvey or Crystal, with his energy coursing through them, they became as famous as the comedian himself.
No. 2 - Eddie Murphy
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![greatest saturday night live players, eddie murphy]()
It seems in some ways modern comedy lovers were just biding their time until Eddie Murphy burst onto the scene. "SNL" surely was, with its revolutionary original cast retired, Lorne Michaels gone with them, and all subsequent casts flailing and failing, Murphy swooped in from out of nowhere - well, technically from across the bridge in Brooklyn - and saved the whole ship from sinking with his raw and delirious comic sensibility. He was simply electrifying on a show whose lights had long burnt out and, with Joe Piscopo as backup, returned "SNL" to the shimmering marquee it once was. He could play a Little Rascal, green clay humanoid, ghetto-dwelling kiddie show host, countless celebrities, and white guys with such edginess and brilliance that audiences literally saw comedy advancing to a new level right before their very eyes.
No. 1 - John Belushi
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![greatest saturday night live players, john belushi]()
Chevy Chase may have gotten most of the mainstream attention at first, but as an original cast member, John Belushi was a mesmerizing force of nature who through his four-year tenure, brought "SNL" from obscure late night experiment to the standard bearer of what American comedy is today. He was ferocious on stage, bringing down the house with every swipe of his samurai sword, eyebrow arch, or catatonic fit that launched him off camera. When this large man appeared on stage in a bee costume, for instance, a wide-eyed '70s audience knew something huge was going on. He could sing, he could dance, and he could make people laugh in ways they never knew they could. He was the fraternity brother everyone wanted as a drinking buddy, and in film, they finally got their wish. Drug use took him away way too soon. That and cancer and murder claimed three others on this list as well. But broadcasting live from Studio 8H, everyone here made Saturday nights worth staying home for, and Belushi led their pack. (All photos via NBC/Photofest)
No. 10 - Billy Crystal
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Some people may think that other comedic heavyweights would belong on this list instead of Billy Crystal. We disagree. What is most notable about his contributions to "SNL" as a player is that they all took place during one season. Season 10 was an odd one. Creator Lorne Michaels didn't work there any longer and most of Season 9's cast had been let go and replaced by tested professionals: he, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, and Martin Short among them. It became a true showcase for reliably madcap comedy which didn't disappoint. But Crystal was the undisputed captain of this ship and his characters, particularly Fernando Lamas, had America talking. Crystal was definitely integral in making "SNL" exciting TV again and though the season was short - a writer's strike stuck it down to only 17 episodes - the memorable moments were huge.
No. 9 - Phil Hartman
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It seems if this was a list of most beloved cast members, maybe even from an insider's perspective, Phil Hartman would fall in at Number One. His nickname, The Glue, tells you all you need to know about this solid comedian. He was there to outshine the spotlight or hold a sketch together with background support. Both he did amazingly, and his onstage expertise showed a born performer. He was also laugh-out-loud funny, with a booming voice, leading man's posture and a wily smile that usually signaled predictably unpredictable hilarity ahead.
No. 8 - Dan Aykroyd
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Dan Aykroyd was "SNL's" first Everyman. He could go from straight man to a wild and crazy guy with unbelievable ease. His ordinary appearance belied a fierce comic within. One that could talk faster, connect deeper, and generally astound more grandly than most performers who would ever go on to proceed him on the studio 8H stage. And while the spotlight seemed to adhere more firmly to some of his co-stars - specifically the three original cast members to follow on this list, Aykroyd served as the troupes backbone and the humor he wrought upon the mid-70s television audience - whom had never seen a sketch show like this before - broke incredible new ground and helped redefine what comedy was and how we see it today. Not bad for a Canadian.
No. 7 - Chris Farley
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Like his build, on stage Chris Farley was an enormous presence. And though his physical stature made him stick out from fellow Bad Boys Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and David Spade anyway, comedically he more than held his own. Yes, he was a towering hulk but he played up his vulnerabilities, his self-consciousness, bringing an opposing complexity to his humor. Also, he was not afraid to let himself all hang out, quite literally, yet even something as simple as his giggle could light audiences up with laughter. And Matt Foley, his outrageous motivational speaker, has become the only one in that business we'd ever want to take advice from.
No. 6 - Chevy Chase
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Like Billy Crystal, what's impressive about Chevy Chase's impact on "SNL" is that as large as it is, he too only lasted one season. But what sets Chase apart is that as an original member he helped launch the series into the stratosphere. He was the first to say, "Live from New York..." at the end of the opening sketch. He was the first to anchor Weekend Update, which immediately became a celebrated entry into television history. He portrayed President Ford - looking nothing like him with his leading man good looks - as a buffoon and that perception stuck on to the real life Commander-in Chief-with a power that surprised everyone. Chase's smug, smart aleck personality was embraced by fans of this wild new late night comedy show, and his face became its face as it embarked on its accidental voyage to becoming a cultural landshark. Landmark, we mean landmark.
No. 5 - Gilda Radner
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
She wasn't a bombshell, but she made comedy beautiful in a way perhaps no woman had done before. While her outward appearance was delicate and fragile, the characters Gilda Radner inhabited were steely and strong. Her outrageous journalist, Roseanne Roseannadanna, for example, was beloved for her uncompromising bombast which brought Seismic belly laughs that some are still trying to recover from all these years later. Also an original player, she was the First Lady of "SNL", and one whose brilliance and comic timing has not been duplicated since. A true one-of-a-kind, Radner didn't court cheap laughs, she earned them with all her might, exposing her angelic soul in the process. She such a pro, who labored as a comedienne, yet it all appeared effortless.
No. 4 - Dana Carvey
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
When it comes to shape shifters, nobody could quite morph like Dana Carvey. He was a comic chameleon who attacked each character with smarts, ease, and a humor that seemed to ooze right out of him and onto an audience hungry for whatever he was serving, and always starving for more. Carvey had a Willie Wonka quality to him, with a different kind of psychosis - one that didn't include entrapping children into their own disfigurement. For he was the biggest kid in the 8H candy store who didn't just toss out treats to us - he made it rain. And his piously demonic Church Lady was perhaps, next to Prozac's emergence, the best thing about the mid-'80s hands down.
No. 3 - Will Ferrell
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A giant-sized man-child who, like Phil Hartman, could hold a sketch together simply with his presence or happily blow it apart with his trademark lunacy. And blow it apart he would, quickly proving himself one of the wildest "SNL" players to come around in a very long time. He brought to the live stage a kegmaster's devotion to party hidden inside a Student Council President's sober demeanor. A timebomb in sheep's clothing, Ferrell incorporated all he had into his comedy, including his tall frame, to keep audiences in stitches. And while his impressions were not as spot on as say, Carvey or Crystal, with his energy coursing through them, they became as famous as the comedian himself.
No. 2 - Eddie Murphy
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It seems in some ways modern comedy lovers were just biding their time until Eddie Murphy burst onto the scene. "SNL" surely was, with its revolutionary original cast retired, Lorne Michaels gone with them, and all subsequent casts flailing and failing, Murphy swooped in from out of nowhere - well, technically from across the bridge in Brooklyn - and saved the whole ship from sinking with his raw and delirious comic sensibility. He was simply electrifying on a show whose lights had long burnt out and, with Joe Piscopo as backup, returned "SNL" to the shimmering marquee it once was. He could play a Little Rascal, green clay humanoid, ghetto-dwelling kiddie show host, countless celebrities, and white guys with such edginess and brilliance that audiences literally saw comedy advancing to a new level right before their very eyes.
No. 1 - John Belushi
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Chevy Chase may have gotten most of the mainstream attention at first, but as an original cast member, John Belushi was a mesmerizing force of nature who through his four-year tenure, brought "SNL" from obscure late night experiment to the standard bearer of what American comedy is today. He was ferocious on stage, bringing down the house with every swipe of his samurai sword, eyebrow arch, or catatonic fit that launched him off camera. When this large man appeared on stage in a bee costume, for instance, a wide-eyed '70s audience knew something huge was going on. He could sing, he could dance, and he could make people laugh in ways they never knew they could. He was the fraternity brother everyone wanted as a drinking buddy, and in film, they finally got their wish. Drug use took him away way too soon. That and cancer and murder claimed three others on this list as well. But broadcasting live from Studio 8H, everyone here made Saturday nights worth staying home for, and Belushi led their pack. (All photos via NBC/Photofest)