'SNL' turns 50: We rank the best cast members in show's history for anniversary special

What makes a good "Saturday Night Live" cast member?

Is it a Rolodex of classic characters to call upon? Is it a willingness to wear wigs and look stupid? Is it Weekend Update banter, or pure star power?

Over 50 seasons, 167 cast members, once called the "Not Ready for Primetime Players," have walked across NBC's Studio 8H stage, some for a few short months and others for over a decade (Kenan Thompson holds the record at 22 years). Alumni have gone on to become Oscar and Emmy winners, box-office superstars, late-night hosts, multi-hyphenate producers and even a U.S. senator. But no matter their success after they leave 30 Rockefeller Center, there is a certain special formula that makes a comedian successful while they're on "SNL." And let's just say no matter how big a box-office draw he has been since, Robert Downey Jr. (1985-86) didn't hack it on the late-night show.

In honor of the show's 50th anniversary special (Sunday, 8 EST/ 5 PST), we've ranked the 50 best cast members "SNL" has ever had. We're talking official cast members only, for the years they were on camera (many started as writers before making their on-screen debuts). So we're not including hosts or musical guests, no matter how many classic sketches they were a part of (sorry, Steve Martin fans).

Of course everyone's favorite "SNL" cast is the one they grew up with, so you'll likely take issue with many of the placements on our list. But you can vote for your favorites in the poll at the bottom of the story, and tell us how wrong we are in the comments.

50. Bowen Yang (2019-present)

The most recently hired cast member to make the list, Yang is a season or two away from cementing his classic status. He uses his strong personality to his advantage, whether in sketches with a uniquely East Asian point of view or when his silly and cheeky side allows him to dress up as anything from a drone to an iceberg on Weekend Update. There is so much comedy left for him, and we can’t wait to see it.

49. Jon Lovitz (1985-90)

The brassy, brash comedian is certainly not to everyone’s taste, but through the power of his whiny “that’s the ticket!” energy as infamous liar Tommy Flanagan, Lovitz helped “SNL” get through its infamously bad 11th season and become a pop culture institution. He gets credit where it’s due.

48. Cheri Oteri (1995-2000)

No one stood shorter on the Studio 8H stage than Oteri, whose boundless energy matched with her small stature made her a perfect foil for Will Ferrell as a cheerleader in those classic late-1990s sketches and many more.

47. Nora Dunn (1985-90)

Understated doesn’t always work on a show as loud as “SNL,” but Dunn won laughs with just a sly smile and a twinkly voice in her signature disaffected Pat Stevens character (the former model thinks fur is murder ... to clean). And when paired with giddy castmate Jane Hooks, Dunn (literally) sang.

46. Chris Parnell (1998-2006)

Never the bride but always the perfect bridesmaid for whatever sketch required his services, Parnell was a solid working man on the series. There’s no “more cowbell” without Parnell’s character getting annoyed at Ferrell. There’s no “Lazy Sunday” without Parnell joining Andy Samberg to see “The Chronicles of Narnia.” He was no show pony, but he was reliably funny nonetheless.

45. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (1982-85)

Yes, before “Seinfeld” and “Veep,” the Emmy-winning actress had a brief “SNL” stint. She lasted only three seasons and never unlocked her full potential, but her tenure served as an incubator for her later greatness. And just as in her later work, she never was funnier than when she rolled her eyes or said something cannily stupid. 

44. Taran Killam (2010-16)

High-pitched, low-pitched, frantic, slow, Killam could play straight men and ridiculous brain-damaged dancing hippies in the same episode. His brutal (and somehow adorable) 19th-century newspaper critic Jebidiah Atkinson roasted everything from “I Love Lucy” to “SNL” itself.

43. Jason Sudeikis (2005-13)

Before he was Ted Lasso, he was every Ted-like character “SNL” had to offer. His aw-shucks face was his biggest asset as Joe Biden and even the devil himself. Sudeikis retained his likability and goofiness in every sketch, even if sometimes he was one-note. After “SNL,” he used that affability to his huge advantage.

42. Mikey Day (2016-present)

Many eras of “SNL” required a guy to stand in the corner of a sketch and shout with increasing panic about what’s going on. Right now, that’s Day, a bold, loud and expressive performer who steals the show in supporting roles and creates characters that stay just on the safe side of annoying.

41. Seth Meyers (2001-14)

Although you may think of NBC's “Late Night” host as more of a writer than a performer on "SNL," the endearing comedian was in a shocking number of sketches in his 13-year on-camera run. But it was of course on Weekend Update where he really sang, or shouted “REALLY?!” His charm and bravado won hearts (and his talk-show gig).

40. Jane Curtin (1975-80)

From Weekend Update to the Coneheads to a dozen thankless and often sexist roles the writers threw at her, Curtin gracefully played the hell out of every moment in her five years on the show, even when she was the punchline (“Jane, you ignorant slut”). Composure was her superpower.

39. Beck Bennett (2013-21)

Bennett joined “SNL” in an era when it didn’t seem like the series needed any more white dudes in its already homogenous cast (in fact, the series was infamously lambasted for not including a Black woman at the time). But Bennett carved out a cozy place for himself with memorable straight-faced characters like the man with the body of a baby and his monotone version of former Vice President Mike Pence.

38. Tracy Morgan (1996-2003)

Morgan was so good on Tina Fey’s “SNL”-inspired sitcom “30 Rock,” just after his "SNL" tenure, that it almost overshadowed the work he did in Studio 8H. But from deranged/idiotic animal show host Brian Fellow to outwardly lusty Astronaut Jones, Morgan specialized in characters that were just a little bit off and could make you laugh by bucking expectations.

37. Laraine Newman (1975-80)

Underrated and underutilized, original cast member Newman was part of the trio of original women on the show including Gilda Radner and Curtin, and all three often upstaged their showier male co-stars. Newman especially had a deadpan delivery that could slap you right through the TV and an unpredictability in the kinds of characters she could play, going from a whiny teenage Conehead to sexy/ditzy TV host easily.

36. Vanessa Bayer (2010-17)

Sometimes it seemed as if Vanessa Bayer was on her own wavelength separate from the rest of the cast, but what a delightfully funny wavelength that was. Her specialty of playing gleeful, spacey characters never got old.

35. Leslie Jones (2014-19)

Living proof that bigger is almost always better, Jones, who came from the world of stand-up comedy rather than sketch like so many of her peers, made no effort to fit into the crowd. She always went big and never went home with every character and sketch.

34. Tim Meadows (1991-2000)

In early 1990s on “SNL,” Chris Farley was bombastic, Adam Sandler was a bro, and Tim Meadows was there to look perplexed and tired. And there was no one with a better incredulous expression and heavy sigh.

33. Heidi Gardner (2017-present)

Wacky, versatile and with an ability to blend into any aesthetic, Gardner fills the role on the current cast carved out by the likes of Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon: the easygoing, chameleonic leading lady who can get laughs no matter what. Among the current cast, there is no one more reliable.

32. Aidy Bryant (2012-22)

For 10 years, Bryant delivered comedy and characters that ranged from really disgusting (in a good way) to really quite sweet, all the while never letting herself get painted as “the fat one.” She was a strong third of a magic trio that included Cecily Strong and McKinnon, and kept “SNL” comfortably funny for a decade.

31. Chris Rock (1990-93)

His stand-up, film and “SNL” hosting career overshadowed his time as a member of the cast, but Rock’s cocksure outrage, natural magnetism and singular point of view worked wonders when he hit up Studio 8H on a weekly basis.

30. Jimmy Fallon (1998-2004)

The King of “breaking” (giggling on air) might have made it higher on this list if not for his penchant of stopping a sketch in its tracks because he couldn’t keep a straight face. Still, it’s undeniable what Fallon’s many impressions (from Mick Jagger to Adam Sandler), goofy characters (like dreadlocked Jarret) and Weekend Update parody songs did for the 2000s-era, even when he laughed at himself.

29. Will Forte (2002-10)

An acquired taste, much like his contemporaries Bill Hader and Fred Armisen, the awkward, soft-spoken cast member was more than the dopey MacGruber sketches (yes, his most famous character might actually have been his worst). He didn’t need all the explosions and exclamations, just a really silly concept and commitment, like spelling a word very, very wrong.

28. Mike Myers (1989-95)

For a while in the early 1990s, it was Mike Myers’ (or Wayne’s) world, and the rest of us were just living in it. His lovable rock 'n' roll nerd with a basement cable-access show led to two films, but it was his even more ambitious characters, like the “verklempt” talk show host Linda Richman, such a specific and lived-in character, that showed off the range of his skill.

27. Molly Shannon (1995-2001)

Yes, she was a superstar with smelly pits and awkward big dreams, but she was also a multifaceted performer with a trademark style. During weaker seasons, Shannon brought life and energy to the show, whether playing a soft-spoken NPR host or her iconic Mary Katherine Gallagher, a boisterous Catholic school girl with some serious boundary issues.

26. Chevy Chase (1975-76)

Chase was an undeniable force in the original cast, from his looks to his charm to his very detectable smarm. He was on the show for a year but left an indelible mark as the first Weekend Update anchor and some of the best sketches the show ever did, like racial-boundary-pushing "Word Association" with Richard Pryor. If he had stayed longer he’d be higher on this list, but who knows how that would have affected his career.

25. Norm Macdonald (1993-98)

Macdonald’s derisory line readings brought magic to his Burt Reynolds impression or farcical realism to a “West Side Story”-inspired bit. But his real brilliance was as a cynical Weekend Update anchor, who did everything from sharply critique the O.J. Simpson trial (which reportedly got him fired) to make very easy (but very funny) wordplay about the band Better than Ezra.

24. Ana Gasteyer (1996-2002)

She may look demure, and she may have gone for soft-spoken in the infamous “Schweddy Balls” sketch, but don’t be fooled. Gasteyer was as brash, crass and brutal in her humor as any of the guys, an equal match for Will Ferrell in any shouty sketch.

23. Andy Samberg (2005-12)

A lovable doofus in live sketches and digital shorts alike, Samberg got miles out of his goofy grin and silly punchlines. The concepts were usually simple (male genitalia in a box), but the execution was so over the top and committed that the laughs went on and on.

22. Fred Armisen (2002-13)

Armisen did a lot (some might say too much) on "SNL." (It was just wrong when he played President Barack Obama). He used his deeply idiosyncratic personality to create unforgettable characters, including Venezuelan nightclub comedian Fericito or a "Californian," and sketches that were almost too weird. But you just had to trust him, and the laughs would come.

21. Adam Sandler (1991-95)

Before there was Pete Davidson and his self-deprecating stand-up routine or Samberg and his Lonely Island or even Fallon and his puka-shell charm, there was Adam Sandler bringing the bro to “SNL” for all to see. His humor was broad, his appeal was wide and his man/child persona launched a slew of movies and imitators. And one day the “Hanukkah Song” got out of our heads.

20. Cecily Strong (2012-22)

You may not want to talk to her at a party, but Strong’s strong work on the series often made her an unsung hero. Her businesslike personality made her a superb (if too short-lived) Weekend Update host, and whether she was roasting George Clooney or playing the wife in a sketch (again), she kept her tight grip on the humor, and the point.

19. Bill Hader (2005-13)

With a brow line that never quit, Hader played some of the show’s best jerks and weirdos, complemented by Armisen and Forte. But his talent shows best in that his most famous character, hyper Weekend Update nightlife lover Stefon, was so against his natural type.

18. Tina Fey (2000-06)

The sardonic comedian’s "SNL" legacy is mostly wrapped up in her time as head writer, breaking into a notorious boys club and bringing sketches about mom jeans and Kotex. But her legacy as a performer nearly begins and ends with her zeitgeist-shattering impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin during the 2008 presidential campaign. Her takedown of the ditzy, gaffe-prone Alaskan governor contributed to what seemed like a shocking and unprecedented election cycle. Now it feels quaint and simple.

17. Darrell Hammond (1995-2009)

Three words: “Suck it, Trebek!” Darrell Hammond brought a certain gruffness and disgust to his characters on the series, but for a good reason. From Sean Connery on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” to Bill Clinton in the midst of his biggest scandal, Hammond found the funny when others may not have. He stuck around for 14 seasons of playing those kinds of jerks, the show’s second-longest run, and returned in 2014 as the show's announcer, replacing veteran Don Pardo after he died.

16. Jan Hooks (1986-91)

The series’ sexy, sweet virtuoso, Hooks was the everywoman "SNL" desperately needed in the late '80s, grounding every sketch with her bright smile. Most memorably in “Brenda the Waitress,” she also brought intense heat and personality, elevating a quiet sketch to something greater. That was always easy for the magnetic star.

15. Rachel Dratch (1999-2006)

One thing about Rachel Dratch was that she was never afraid to look ridiculous. The Boston comedian’s characters were often absurd or total downers, never sexy or smooth. But her total commitment (even when no one could stop laughing on camera) made her Debbie and her “luvah” completely convincing, and completely hilarious.

14. Bill Murray (1977-80)

A replacement for the quickly departed Chase, Murray slotted right into the original group of Not Ready for Primetime Players as if he were always there. Less of a showman than he would later be as a movie star, Murray filled out sketches where needed and provided reliable everyman gags and humor: He made all the "cheeburgers" in the background while John Belushi made the jokes in one of the series' most famous sketches of all time. A highlight where Murray took center stage is his version of Superman/Clark Kent as a loser who can’t keep Lois Lane happy.

13. Kristen Wiig (2005-12)

Many “SNL” fans would put Wiig, one of the show's most valuable players, much higher on any "greatest" list. And there’s no denying the sheer breadth of her characters and bits, from Gilly to the Target Lady to Liza Minnelli trying to turn off a lamp. But while Wiig’s accomplishments were many and great, her style was so specific that it could be limiting or even grating. Her characters were often intentionally exasperating and inane, which made them teeter close to the edge of plain irritating. But thankfully for Wiig and the series, fans flocked to her point of view.

12. Kenan Thompson (2003-present)

The longest-running cast member has seen some things, and done some things. There are fully fledged adults who have never lived in a world without Kenan Thompson on "SNL." But the former Nickelodeon star isn’t just a part of the scenery. He’s a journeyman who can hold an entire sketch together, whether he’s the star or the second fiddle. That he has kept an extremely high standard of comedy for more than two decades on a show as physically and mentally grueling as this is an achievement all on its own, but Thompson has grown with it. No matter how much longer he sticks around, his name will always be inextricably linked with "SNL."

11. Dana Carvey (1986-93)

The dependable and earnest comedian was just the man creator Lorne Michaels needed to call last year to play Joe Biden, because in the 1980s and 1990s Carvey was the heart and soul of “SNL." His impressions aren’t just imitations: They are dark and thoughtful, often revealing something we all needed to see about a public figure, from Biden to Ross Perot to George H.W. Bush.

10. Maya Rudolph (2000-07)

There is very little Michaels and “SNL” didn’t ask Rudolph to do during her seven seasons (and the many times she has been back since then). She did it all, from Beyoncḗ to the Bronx Beat to Barbra Streisand. Rudolph is a chameleon who blends into any impression or sketch because she just feels right. She is so infinitely watchable and adaptable that it’s unlikely Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful presidential bid will be the last we see of Rudolph on “SNL.”

9. Dan Akyroyd (1975-79)

Like your dad if he put a fish in a blender and called it a “Bass-O-Matic,” Akyroyd was the paternal embrace of the original “SNL” cast. Authority, warmth and absurdity all equally ruled his comedic style. His Julia Child impression goes far beyond the idea of a man playing a woman, his half of the Blues Brothers brought gravitas to Belushi's silliness, and his raised eyebrow brought cynicism and depth to all his sketches.

8. Kate McKinnon (2012-22)

Not since Wiig and Ferrell has any performer dominated “SNL” the way McKinnon did at her peak. She played Ellen DeGeneres, an alien abductee, a babushka and a cat lady. It felt as if she were the star of every sketch. McKinnon's physical comedy outpaced almost any other “SNL” performer; she never failed to put her whole body into a character. And while plenty of “SNL” players broke out laughing, McKinnon made others do so while staying cool as a cucumber, or as cool as a woman who had aliens playing with her knockers.

7. Chris Farley (1990-95)

When Farley attacked a sketch on “SNL,” it was as if a tidal wave crashed through the studio. Whether he was a motivational speaker who LIVED IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER or an aspiring Chippendales dancer, he was a gale-force wind who would knock you out. His trademark bombast made some of his quieter sketches, as when he interviewed celebrities on a fake talk show, all the more affecting and sweet.

6. Amy Poehler (2001-08)

Poehler was the rare cast member who started off great and got even better with every appearance, honing her comedy muscle (and Hillary Clinton impression) to a sharp edge. She was a force in sketches and on Weekend Update and had chemistry with every cast member she acted with (especially with bestie Fey), even while pregnant − for that alone she should receive some kind of medal. For all the laughs she gave us, we can only say thank you.

5. Will Ferrell (1995-2002)

Dominant is the best word to describe Ferrell’s time on the show: physically dominant from his towering height, vocally dominant with his audacious shouts and screams, and dominant of the spotlight with the sheer number of sketches in which he took the lead. As a writer and performer, he was responsible for some of the most beloved bits of all time, from “More Cowbell” to “Celebrity Jeopardy,” but all the while he could also just lose his cool to generate uproarious laughter.

4. John Belushi (1975-79)

John Belushi was weird. There was no denying it, especially in 1975, when both he and “SNL” were unknown quantities. But he was weird in just the right way, at just the right time. He was a killer bee, a “Soul Man,” a Captain Kirk and a samurai. He was loud and brash but soft and understated when he needed to be. He took the live element of the show right to the edge with bloody accidents and then-taboo bits. “SNL” made him a rock star of comedy, and he helped make it must-watch TV.

3. Gilda Radner (1975-80)

Watching Gilda Radner do sketch comedy is like watching an NBA all-star take a layup. It’s easy, effortless. Radner, who died in 1989, was just naturally effervescent, charming and funny. Her characters were sweet but cringey, wholesome but edgy, funny but devilishly smart. You never got the sense that she was trying very hard, but whether she was "nerd" Lisa Loopner (with Murray as fellow nerd Todd) or Roseanne Roseannadanna, she just opened her mouth and the funny came out. That’s a rare talent.

2. Phil Hartman (1986-94)

The showiest, most famous and popular “SNL” players often play blustery characters who take up all the air in the room. Hartman wasn’t that kind of guy, but his value was unquantifiable. While Farley shouted about his van by the river, Hartman wore khakis and kept his cool as the grown-up in the room. But sketches don’t work without a straight man, and Hartman was always the smooth operator gluing a million wacky sketches together with a casual smile. His Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan were funnier than anyone else's, his Sinatra was almost as suave as the real thing, and his “up for it” attitude made plenty of comedic genius.

1. Eddie Murphy (1980-84)

No cast member has made a bigger impact on the show or created a better launching pad for their career than Eddie Murphy. For five years, the man was “SNL”; the linchpin on which every sketch was built and every joke was centered. From Mister Robinson's neighborhood, which parodied Fred Rogers with a biting satire of what white people think of the "ghetto," to manic mumbling Little Rascal Buckwheat to a too-perfect impression of James Brown singing and dancing in a hot tub, it was impossible to take your eyes off Murphy on Saturday nights. He wrote his sketches, performed them with a magnetism unseen on TV, and shepherded the series through half a decade without Michaels while keeping things achingly funny − a pop culture achievement for the history books.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The 50 best 'SNL' cast members of all time: See who made the list