LOC #84: Top 50 Saturday Night Live Cast Members

[MightyJack]

#10. Dana Carvey

Era: 1986-1993
142 points on 8 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #2 (Cole Stratton)
Most Memorable The Church Lady, Hans, Garth Algar, George Bush, Ross Perot, Grumpy Old Man, Johnny Carson, Jimmy Stewart

Dana was a great caricaturist, a chameleon who took his impressions to increasingly broader spoofs on the real thing. As evidenced in President Bush’s “Not gonna do it!” Which eventually morphed into a mush of meaningless drivel… “NaaGaannaaaDu-I.” Which is probably as profound a statement as you can make about the Political landscape. The structure of his work, his timing, was impeccable. The Church Lady building up to uttering the name “SATAN!” or the trademark, “Now, isn’t that special” are made all the better for the way he delivered the line: the sound of that brittle, accusing voice, the small tilt of his head and crooked pursed lips. Priceless, absolutely priceless.

In addition: While Garth of “Wayne’s World” fame gets much deserved love, I’ve always had a special fondness for the grumpy old man. “And that’s the way we LIKED it!”

And in a play on “It’s A Wonder Life”, he did an inspired Jimmy Stewart

Dana was nominated 4 times before finally winning the Emmy on his 5th try in 1993 for his performance work on SNL

Paste Magazine ranked him #7 and said…
Before Darrell Hammond Dana Carvey was the best impressionist the show had ever seen. He was way more than a mimic, though, and created a host of insightful, incisive characters. Carvey’s “aw shucks” demeanor and unassuming appearance obscured how biting his comedy could be. We remember the Church Lady for her catchphrases and pop cultural ubiquity, but the character was a brutal mockery of the conservative Christian movement that grew throughout the 1980s. Carvey was a superstar who had no problem blending into the background when needed, and was one of the most versatile and talented performers in the show’s history.

Rolling Stone ranked him #11 and said…
Carvey was the greatest impersonations guy in SNL history — his impressions were usually darker and more compelling characters than the originals. His Ross Perot was way more than a parody of a politician — Carvey turned the character into an American archetype worthy of Randy Newman, sneering "Here's the deal, see" in the voice of every boss or principal you ever despised. When people try to imitate Johnny Carson or George H.W. Bush (or Lorne Michaels), they're usually just doing Carvey's impression.

Dana Carvey’s 10 Best… http://www.ifc.com/shows/the-birthday-boys/blog/2014/10/dana-carveys-best-snl-sketches

[MightyJack]

#9. Dan Aykroyd

Era: 1975-1979
144 points on 9 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #4 (Tripe)
Most Memorable Characters: Beldar Conehead, Irwin Mainway, Elroy Blues, Tom Snyder, Jimmy Carter, Bob Dole, Julia Child, Richard Nixon, Yortuk Festrunk, Fred Garvin: male prostitute, E. Buzz Miller, Leonard Pinth-Garnell, Elliott Ness

The original glue guy: At times, during the first season, it was like Aykroyd was made of pure adrenaline – he’d rattle off a flurry of sentences until his breath gave out, take in a quick gulp of air and start the process over again. From his Tom Snyder –who was a jittery bundle of barely contained kinetic energy- to the various TV salesmen and announcers with their intense machine gun delivery; Dan could be exhausting to watch. He was also a riot. Eventually he learned to throttle down, as in his portrayal of the always-mellow Jimmy Carter, or in his nice guy turn in the season 4 “Scotch Tape Store” skit.

I loved his Mainway toy manufacture, and cracked up over the way the slimy entrepreneur tried to justify selling broken glass to children. His metal masked, Dr. X, Family Counselor was a trippy delight (though it seemed to have tickled me more than others as he only appeared once).  And then there was the sweet madness of Julia Child bleeding out on screen. We (my siblings, friends and I) were screaming with laughter during that bit.

In 1977, he received an Emmy Award for writing on SNL; he later received two more nominations for writing and one for acting

Rolling Stone ranked him #5 and said…
Of the original greats, Aykroyd is the least imitated — just because nobody else can do what he did. His seriousness, his biker-intellectual intensity — he could grab your attention just standing onstage for the "good nights" and asking if anyone could sell him fuel tanks for his '71 Harley. The classic sketch where he's a grumpy mechanic telling his daughter Gilda a bedtime story about doing a wheel alignment — only Aykroyd could make that so touching as well as funny. He had a real empathy for American hucksters and sleazebags – what makes the "Bass-o-Matic" sketch isn't the joke (a fish in a blender, big deal), it's Aykroyd's demented grin.

Dan vs. Jane on Weekend Update... http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/point-counterpoint-lee-marvin-and-michelle-triola/2846665

[MightyJack]

#8. Mike Meyers

Era: 1989-1995
148 points on 9 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #2 (Johnny Unusual)
Most Memorable Characters: Wayne Campbell, Dieter from Sprockets, Lothar of the Hill People, Simon, Linda Richman, Philip

I loved Sprockets, I loved Dieter (“Touch my monkey!”) I loved the whole German expressionism, existentialism, new wave, Beatnik cool/anti-coolness of it all. I remember first seeing Meyers popping up in bits here and there, and there was something about his personality that stood out, something that said, “Pay attention to this guy.” And then I saw Dieter and was in Heaven. Wayne was a hoot, so was Simon and hyperactive Phillip, but Dieter was the one who made me as happy as a little girl. Mike was gold, except for Linda Richman, Gawd I hated Linda. Everyone else in the whole darn world seemed to love Linda, so I’m in the minority on “Coffee Talk”.

Rolling Stone ranked him #4 and said…
Myers has kept a low profile since his Austin Powers days, so at this point he seems curiously obscure. But more than anyone, he epitomized the manic, art-damaged energy that revitalized comedy in the early Nineties. Like his British idols Peter Sellers and Peter Cook, he threw himself into his characters with madcap enthusiasm — metalhead Wayne, middle-aged yenta Linda Richman, monkey-stroking German aesthete Dieter. He missed the first few episodes in 1992 because he was working on the Wayne's World 2 screenplay; it turned into a nationwide vigil praying for Myers to return. The only word to sum up his genius is "asphinctersayswhat?"


Mike as Phillip… https://screen.yahoo.com/phillip-hyper-hypo-000000418.html

[MightyJack]

SNL Question of the night: Favorite Weekend Update Correspondent?
I keep kicking it old school, but that’s what I loved best: So it’s either Roseanne Roseannadana or Father Guido for me.

John Belushi was also good doing his angry rants, especially the one where he does a report on a Satellite falling to Earth.

More modern ones I liked? Kate McKinnon's Olya and Hader's Stefon.


That's it, the final 7 and host and question will be posted tomorrow night.

[Darth Geek]

#11. Jon Lovitz

Lovitz is one of my alltime favorites, and I'm so glad you chose that particular picture too.

[Fred Garvin]

Questions of the night?

For short film? The Mr. Bill Show

For Update Correspondent? I liked all of your choices George. I would add Vanessa Bayer's Jacob


So I was the top vote giver for Chevy and Sandler? I'm glad to have assisted in you're high rankings gentlemen. It's the least I could do for the many hours of happiness you gave me. Aykroyd, yes! We are getting into the big guns at this point, all of these cast members are the best of the best.

[ColeStratton]

#10. Dana Carvey

Era: 1986-1993
142 points on 8 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #2 (Cole Stratton)
Most Memorable The Church Lady, Hans, Garth Algar, George Bush, Ross Perot, Grumpy Old Man, Johnny Carson, Jimmy Stewart

Yay Dana!

So I just now got back from Largo where they did a special 6th anniversary Kevin Pollak Chat Show -- and the guests were Dana Carvey and Will Forte! It will be released as an audio-only episode in the near future, and it's definitely worth a listen. Carvey tells great SNL stories, especially about his experiences meeting Paul McCartney, and Forte talks about his SNL audition amongst other things. Second half of the show was them all doing stand-up sets, which made it pretty cool.

[MightyJack]

^ Cool, thanks for sharing that Cole. I'll keep a look out for that.

[MightyJack]

Tonight's Host: #1. Christopher Walken - 18 points
It's accurate, if not entirely fair, to sum up Walken's "SNL" legacy in two words: "More cowbell!" It's a tribute to Walken's injection of the bizarre that the skit, with its whimsical, absurd premise, became probably the most popular sketch in the show's history. Walken also brought comic creepiness to his Euro-trash letch, "The Continental," and to his hot tub soaker wistfully recalling past polyamory with Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch's swinging professors (“Moussaka!”). The seven-time host always leaves us crying "More Walken!" . – Jere Hester (nbcbayrea.com)

And here’s the clip… https://screen.yahoo.com/snl/more-cowbell-174128899.html

Walken was the only host to make every list.

[MightyJack]

#7. Eddie Murphy

Era: 1980-1984
150 points on 9 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #3 (George Harrison, Compound)
Most Memorable Characters: Mr. Robinson, Gumby, Buckwheat, James Brown in the Hot tub

The first time I saw Eddie was on some Cable TV stand-up comedy contest series. His act was amazing, but he failed to make it to the next round. Later, when I saw that he had popped up on SNL, my first thought was that they had just found lighting in a bottle. Strangely, he was at first, not a featured player during Jean Doumanian’s brief reign as the top dog (She took over after Lorne left). When Murphy was given the spotlight -like in that uproarious Update bit about Lincoln’s birthday- he displayed a talent that set him above and beyond everyone else in the cast. Dick Ebersol took over from Jean the next season and wisely put Murphy front and center - and fans were rewarded with razor sharp sketches, memorable characters and timeless catch phrases.

Yes, there were other gems in those Ebersol years (see Tim Kazurinsky a few pages back) but Eddie was the shows superstar. The straw that stirred the drink

Eddie received 3 Emmy nominations while on the show, but surprisingly never won.

Paste Magazine ranked him #1 and said…
Eddie Murphy literally saved SNL. He arrived at the lowest point in its history, when its ratings and reviews were both disastrous, and almost single-handedly made people care about the show again. He hosted while he was still a regular, for crying out loud. No SNL cast member has ever been as huge while they were on the show as Murphy, and it seems unlikely anyone ever will. He was responsible for some of the show’s most enduring and beloved characters and impressions, from Gumby to Stevie Wonder, and his Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood legitimately might be the best and most subversive thing the show’s ever done in its four decades. The concept of that sketch is so dark and depressing but Murphy is keenly aware of how to confront racism and society’s indifference towards inner city poverty in a way that’s both challenging and hilarious. It can be hard to understand how vital he is to SNL’s history, and how electric of a performer he was, if you weren’t around at the time, but it’s not an overstatement to say that no cast member since has come close to dominating the show and mainstream pop culture as thoroughly as Eddie Murphy did.

Rolling Stone ranked him #2 and said…
It's customary (and accurate) to say Eddie Murphy is the only reason SNL survived the five-year wilderness without Lorne Michaels. Nobody had seen anything like him. He stood out from anyone else on TV, mostly by being so young — he was the first post-boomer comedy star, a kid born in the Sixties and down with the Eighties. He mocked SNL's racial hang-ups (which isn't to say he made them go away). Murphy could make any moment memorable — the shooting of Buckwheat, the boiling of Larry the Lobster, the C-I-L-L-ing of his landlord. But he was funny just standing still, as in the classic Tootsie sketch that basically consisted of Gary Kroeger putting makeup on Murphy. He knew how to stare into a TV camera like he owned it.

Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood… http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/mr-robinsons-neighborhood/n9117

[MightyJack]

#6. Gilda Radner

Era: 1975-1980
155 Points on 9 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #1 (Tripe)
Most Memorable Characters: Roseanne Roseannadanna. Baba Wawa, Lisa Loopner Candy Slice, Emily Litella, Judy Miller, Brungilda, Connie Carson, Lucille Ball

Everybody loved Gilda, even the viewers at home fell in love with her. She certainly was a treasure. I particularly admired the way she would throw herself into a role. Commit to it fully. Even when they would overuse a character -ala Emily Litella- the joy I experienced from the bit came not so much from the well-worn gag and catch phrase, but from her performance. I laughed at her indignation, her expressions and body language, the way she'd pound her tiny fist on the desk. I never got tired of it because she was so good a physical comedic actress.

Despite being loved, she sure took a lot of abuse (for laughs of course). She was always getting smacked around in sketches: Pummeled by Belushi’s Sam Peckinpah or getting a cuff on the head from Jane Curtin in the season 3 Hefner ep. Something about the tiny Radner -Who embodied sweetness, innocence and youthful exuberance- getting picked on amused her, the cast and the audience.

Later on she showed she could also do characters that weren’t so sweet, when she introduced the wasted punk rocker Candy Slice and Update correspondent Roseanne Roseannadanna. With Roseanne she proved herself to be a comedy machine, rattling off her tales of the gross with pinpoint delivery and timing, when Gilda got in the zone it was a thing of beauty. 

Note: She was scheduled to host a season finale, but a writer’s strike put the episode on hold, and when they returned she was too ill to do it.

Gilda was nominated 3 times and won one Emmy for her performance on SNL in 1978

Paste Magazine ranked her #6 and said…
As one of the original Not Ready For Primetime Players, Gilda Radner was never afraid to get goofy, as evidenced by characters like Roseanne Rosannadanna, the Barbara Walters spoof “Baba Wawa” and Lisa Loopner, but her comedy also had a certain elegance to it. It’s why her dance with Steve Martin, a parody of Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse’s dance through Central Park, worked so beautifully, and it’s why she’ll be remembered as one of the show’s all-time greats.

Rolling Stone ranked her #9 and said…
The most beloved of the original cast — in the years between Mary Tyler Moore and Seinfeld's Elaine, Radner was the prototype for the brainy city girl with a bundle of neuroses. She looked frail, but she was a live wire whether she was playing bratty kids, pushy talk-show hosts or old ladies like Emily Litella, who spoke out on "endangered feces," "natural racehorses" and the "deaf penalty." Like so many other SNL legends, she died way too young and remains missed.

Nerds of seduction… https://screen.yahoo.com/gilda-radner-snl-skits/nerds-seduction-000000543.html

Roseanne on smoking,.. https://screen.yahoo.com/gilda-radner-snl-skits/roseanne-rosannadanna-smoking-000000279.html

[MightyJack]

#5. John Belushi

Era: 1975-1979
156 points on 9 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #1 (Compound George Harrison)
Most Memorable Characters: Samurai Futaba, Joe Cocker, Marlon Brando, Jake Blues, Pete Dionasopolis from the Olympia Restaurant, Hulk, Captain Kirk, Fred Silverman, Update Correspondent

He performed in SNLs first ever skit (with Mike O’Donaghue). And from his brilliant Samurai (which leaned heavy on body language to covey the humor) to the classic “Dueling Brando’s” bit with host Peter Boyle, John was a force of nature who made an immediate and lasting impression. He was noted for playing it loud, sometimes angry and physical. But he was also great in smaller moments, as when he riffed on Casablanca with Candice Bergen.  He also showed off his acting chops in character driven pieces like the moving “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, and in a dramedy he played with Sissy Spacek in season 2. And of course there was his musical side, expressed first in impressions of Joe Cocker and later as part of the Blues Brothers.

John was nominated for an Emmy as a performer twice (one of his loses was to Gilda), he won an Emmy as part of the writing staff in 1977.

Rolling Stone ranked him #1 and said...
Nobody embodied the highs and lows of Saturday Night Live like Belushi. He was the first rock & roll star of comedy — a touch of John Lennon soul behind all that Keith Richards pirate bravado. All the extremes were there in his weird physique — a wrestler's body with a dancer's feet, a palooka face with a showgirl's eyelashes. He was the first to make a cocaine joke on SNL (sixth episode — Beethoven takes a hit from the snuffbox and turns into Ray Charles), as well as the first to make the host (Buck Henry) gush blood after accidentally slashing him in the head with his samurai sword. There was always something boyishly vulnerable in his madness, whether he was doing the slow burn (Captain Kirk, George Wallace) or exploding (his horrifying Sam Peckinpah). Belushi was the "live" in Saturday Night Live, the one who made the show happen on the edge. We should have gotten a lot more years with him than we did. But no.

The last voyage of the Starship Enterprise… https://screen.yahoo.com/star-trek-last-voyage-starship-000000229.html?query=john%20belushi

[MightyJack]

#4. Chris Farley

Era: 1990-1995
161 points on 9 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #4 (Cole Stratton, George Harrison)
Most Memorable Characters: Matt Foley, Host of the Chris Farley Show, Chippendale’s Dancer, Bennett Brauer, Todd O’Conner, Cindy the Gap Girl, Mr. O’Malley

Farley was like a big, goofy kid. And even his most hapless characters were of a type that you couldn’t help but root for them.  Just hearing his name puts a wide ass smile on my face - My mind flooded with memories of the explosive début of Matt Foley (and guest Christina Applegate trying and failing to keep from cracking up) or the brilliant awkward interview with Paul McCartney that delighted this Beatles fan to no end.  Farley flat out made me happy.

Chris idolized Belushi and endeavored to tap into the same manic energy of his hero. Sadly he also followed him down the path of drug abuse and like John, died at the age of 33.

Paste Magazine ranked him #11 and said…
Chris Farley could do physical bits with the best of ‘em—see, for example, his Lillehammer Olympic figure skating sketch or the legendary Chippendales audition—and some of his finest moments on the show came from his willingness to go over-the-top, like in the hidden-camera coffee commercial or his many appearances as Matt Foley, but underneath all of those big performances was a sweet, Midwestern sensibility, one that came through especially in sketches like Zagats and the absolutely genius Chris Farley Show.

Rolling Stone ranked him #15 and said…
Reach for a bottle of Schmitts Gay and pour some on the floor for this guy. Farley made his act look like impulsive slapstick, but all you have to do is look at all the failed Farley imitators to see how intricate it was. For all his Chippendales antics, he had an easily overlooked finesse, especially when he was playing uptight mansplainers — like the strangely poignant "Medieval Scalders" sketch, where he mentors his son Macaulay Culkin: "You'd be surprised how many different things you can heat up and pour on people.

Matt Foley… https://screen.yahoo.com/wf-channel=chris-farley-snl-skits/

[MightyJack]

#3. Will Ferrell

Era: 1995-2002
168 points on 10 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #3 (Johnny Unusual, C.Jones, ScottD)
Most Memorable Characters: George W. Bush, James Lipton, Alex Trebek, Roger Klarvin the Hot Tub Luvah, Cowbell playing Gene Frenkle, Marty Culp, Spartan Cheerleader Craig Buchanan, Steve Butabi

Ah Will… Will of the cowbells, tiny phones and Strategery! The first time I saw Ferrell, I thought he was like comedy’s version of the Pixies - going loud, quiet, loud, or vice versa. I remember how that cracked me up and startled me. Will looked like someone you’d go bowling with. He seemed such a safe, gentle man and then BOOM! Okay, I admit the yelling thing as his go-to move no longer surprises, but Will also had something else in his toy box. Those crazy eyes… George W had ‘em, so did the Hot Tub Luvah and James Lipton, as did his Janet Reno, who was somehow scarier than the real thing. They all had this delicious –sometimes vacuous, sometimes intimidating- madness behind the eyes.

Will was nominated, but did not win the Emmy in 2001

He was the only cast member to win votes on every list.

Rolling Stone ranked him #12 and said…
Ferrell's SNL strategy was basically the opposite of Chevy Chase's: Stick around for years, make your mark as a team player, make everyone around you funnier, and (this is the really weird part) get a hundred times funnier after you leave. Indeed, the hardest thing about appreciating Ferrell's SNL tenure is that none of us knew the glories of Anchorman and Talladega Nights were yet to come. Great Odin's raven! (Editors note: Since I didn’t care for either movie, I disagree with this sentiment. I’ve like a few of his flicks (Elf, Stranger Than Fiction) but got more kicks from his work on the show)

Will and Rachel, the Love-ahs… https://screen.yahoo.com/love-ahs-hot-tub-000000900.html

[MightyJack]

#2. Phil Hartman

Era: 1986-1994
194 points on 9 of 10 lists - Highest Ranking: #1 (Cole Stratton, Johnny Unusual)
Most Memorable Characters: President Clinton, Eugene: The Anal Retentive Chef, Frankenstein, Frank Sinatra, Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer

But seriously, what didn’t he do, to list all his characters and narrations would fill the whole page (and then some). Phil wasn’t flashy - he was all about substance. He was a first-class actor, with a deep, soothing voice that was often used for the shows faux commercials, which lent them a delightful contrast when they went off the beam. “Happy Fun Ball” for example isn’t just a riot for Jack Handy’s uproarious script, but for Hartman’s calm, even voice, which seems to say, “Despite all these horrors, it’s all alright.”

Hartman won an Emmy Award for his SNL work in 1989 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program

Paste Magazine ranked him #3 and said…
Hartman was the consummate pro. Already almost 40 when he joined the cast in 1986, he quickly established himself as the most valuable player in one of the two deepest and most talented casts in the show’s history. He’s another one of those talents who excelled both in the spotlight and in the background, making everything he touched stronger. SNL has featured a lot of comedians who can act, but Hartman was both hilarious and probably the best actor the show’s ever had.

Rolling Stone ranked him #7 and said…
The grown-up in the room. In the credits, he's not hanging on the street like most of the others; he's relaxing at a swank lounge with a blonde. (Hard to watch, now that we know the blonde was the real-life cokehead wife who killed him in 1998.) He was nicknamed "the Glue" for holding the show together. Chris Farley's motivational-speaker rant never could have worked without Hartman as the cool dad in chinos, keeping a straight face. No role was too small for him. He was a master at playing bitter old men; his Sinatra made Piscopo's look like a cream puff. ("I got chunks of guys like you in my stool!") But his speciality was charming assholes, from the Colon Blow ad to Bill Clinton. Oh, that smug smile when he tells the Secret Service, "There's gonna be a whole bunch of things we don't tell Mrs. Clinton."

Here’s a clip. Phil as Bill… https://screen.yahoo.com/clinton-mcdonalds-000000491.html