This month, Saturday Night Live celebrates 40 seasons of making people laugh. Heaps of comedians started their careers with appearing on SNL so let’s take a look at some of the famous alumni members who gave us the giggles and what they are up to now.
1. Chevy Chase
Who better to start the list than SNL’s founding member himself? His Weekend Update skit has continued to this day, with the baton being held by other recent stars such as 30 Rock creator and star, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyer.
You can’t say you don’t know Chevy if you grew up watching the National Lampoon series! These days, Chevy is on the hugely popular series, Community.
2. Dan Aykroyd
Yup, even funny man Dan started his career with SNL and some might even say his sketches were the show’s most memorable ones. Coneheads and Blues Brothers were part of his sketch that were so popular, they were made into films. Outside of SNL, Aykroyd wrote and starred in the movie blockbusters, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II.
3. Jane Curtin
Jane is best know for her deadpan signature and was Dan Aykroyd’s anchor partner. After SNL, the award-winning actress joined 3rd Rock from the Sun TV series, co-starring with John Lithgow, French Stewart, and the hugely talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
4. Dana Carvey
Dana struck gold when he impersonated George Bush and Ross Perot, an American businessman. Wayne’s World was a sketch of his that was made into two hit movies!
5. Tim Meadows
For nine years, Tim was a cast in SNL, making it the second-longest stint on the show next to Darrell Hammond. He is most well-known for playing The Ladies Man, and his impressions of OJ Simpson and Tiger Woods. After SNL, Tim has played supporting roles in notable Hollywood films such as Mean Girls, Wayne’s World 2 and The Benchwarmers. More recently, Tim co-stars in the TV series, Marry Me.
6. Chris Parnell
Chris was part of “More Cowbell”, one of SNL‘s most important sketches and he was the only character during the sketch who did not break out in laughter. He appeared as a guest on 30 Rock.
7. Rachel Dratch
Rachel Dratch’s recurring characters on SNL include Debbie Downer and the Luvahs. She has since gone on to appear in films such as Click, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and TV shows such as Monk, 30 Rock, Third Watch, and King of Queens.
8. Rob Riggle
Rob may have had a short stint on SNL but the former United States Marine Corps Reserve officer’s portrayal of Howard Dean, Larry the Cable Guy, Mark McGwire and Toby Keith made him a memorable edition of the cast. You can watch him in The Hangover, The Other Guys, 21 Jump Street and Step Brothers.
9.Maya Rudolph
Maya was on SNL for seven years and she has hilariously portrayed the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston. These days, this funny girl has been in comedies such as Bridesmaids, The Way, Way Back, Grown Ups, and landing a starring role in Sam Mendes’ (Skyfall, American Beauty) award-winning drama feature, Away We Go.
10. Will Ferrell
You really can’t mention SNL without thinking of Will Ferrell. Be sure to check out his audition tape for SNL, you’ll understand why his talent is one of a kind. Needless to say, but we are going to anyway, Will has made an amazing career outside of SNL. He has been in films such as Austin Powers, Zoolander, Blades of Glory, The Lego Movie and many many more.
Brand new episodes of SNL Season 40 premiere every Saturday at 11pm (MY) on Comedy Central Asia. Don’t forget to catch SNL alumni Bill Hader who will be returning as a guest host in the upcoming episode!
