50 ‘Saturday Night Live’ Cast Members Reveal Their Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Cast Members

Saturday Night Live turns 50 this year. A sketch-comedy moon shot launched by a scruffy band of Canadians and stoners has become a pop-cultural institution—the longest-running scripted show on TV that isn’t a soap opera or Sesame Street. Late last year, to mark this historic anniversary, GQ interviewed over 50 other past and present SNL cast members—from original Not Ready For Primetime Players like Laraine Newman, Jane Curtin, and Garrett Morris to newcomers like Ashley Padilla, Jane Wickline, and Emil Wakim, each of whom had been on the show for all of eight weeks when we talked—and asked each of them the same eight questions about the show’s broader cultural footprint and their own experiences making it.

A feature story drawn from those conversations, “Saturday Night Forever,” will appear in the March print edition of GQ—but all this week on GQ.com, we’re bringing you an expanded, Bill Brasky–size version of that story, along with anecdotes and recollections that didn’t make it to the page. And we’re kicking it off today with the cast’s answers to two questions, including one that almost everyone found impossible to answer.

Which era of SNL do you think had the all-time greatest cast, and why?

Chris Rock, cast member, 1990–93: The original cast was the best.

Joe Piscopo, cast member, 1980–84: First cast, original cast. Never before. Never since. Best cast ever. Television history. No one’s matched it. Not marginally. It was the Beatles, it was Frank Sinatra. And then all of us tried to do the best we could. And some of us had some really great moments.

Tim Kazurinsky, cast member, 1980–84: They could have ended this series after the first five years. That first cast was untouchable.

Kenan Thompson, cast member, 2003–present: They made a foundation to build on. A foundation of freedom, creativity, really funny performance and smart material. Dan Aykroyd used to do some wild runs.

Dana Carvey, cast member, 1986–93: They were just rock stars and badass pirates. When I got the show, I didn’t really feel I belonged. Aykroyd, Bill Murray—they were all over six feet tall. Belushi obviously could beat you up or hit you. And Chevy was six four. So I just felt like they could make you laugh or beat you up. So when I came in with Phil Hartman, God rest his soul, and Jan Hooks and everybody, I didn’t really have any sense of thinking we could do anything like that. I pretty much thought the plug would be pulled on the show when I was on it.

But from ’90 to ’93, we still had Phil Hartman and Mike Myers, and then we added in what we used to call the junior varsity: Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, David Spade, Tim Meadows, Ellen Cleghorne. The show had an inordinate amount of firepower, if it’s a military analogy. When those guys were coming into their own and we still had the other team who’d been there a while, it was pretty magic to be there.

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Pete Davidson, cast member, 2014–22: My favorite era is definitely the Sandler-Farley-Spade era, because you can tell they were best pals and it was more like watching your friends goof off. The best cast ever, though, was the class before mine—Hader, Wiig, Armisen, Samberg, Forte, Seth [Meyers], et cetera.

Tracy Morgan, cast member, 1996–2003: It was between Not Ready for Prime Time and mine—Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan and everyone. That's what we were compared to. We were compared to Not Ready for Prime Time.

I mean Eddie Murphy’s cast, it was just Eddie there, and Piscopo, but us—it was all of us. All of us could sing.

Ana Gasteyer, cast member, 1996–2002: To pick one [cast] would be kind of unfair to the legacy. But, specifically I wanted to be a comedian when I first saw Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn work.

Robert Smigel, writer, 1985–93, 1996–2008; cast member, 1991–93: I’m always going to have ultimate respect for [the original] cast. And then Dana and Phil and Jan and Kevin [Nealon]—super impressive. But I think maybe the biggest collection of creative geniuses was—I would put it somewhere between 2004 and 2010. What was unique about that cast was they had the same taste collectively.

You didn’t feel like any one person was dominating, even though some of those people were absolute all-timers. Just, collectively, the talent both on and beyond the show—I don’t know that any cast can match that group, honestly.

James Austin Johnson, cast member, 2021–present: It’s the one that has Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis. That’s the best cast of SNL. I feel very comfortable saying it. There’s something really, really special about those years. I’m in awe of their connection to each other when I see them in scenes together. They are so bonded. And that is what I tune in for, as a sketch-comedy enjoyer. It doesn’t get better than “The Californians.” They’re breaking because yes, it’s a silly, really fun sketch, but I mean, they’re breaking because they enjoy each other. And I think that that is sublime. That’s what I’m always striving for, is a sublime moment. That’s me speaking very, very highly of what is, at its core, a very ridiculous sketch. But this is my life’s work, so I’m happy to speak that elevatedly about it.

Bill Hader, cast member, 2005–13: I think it’s always the cast that you first saw. And so, for me it was 1986. I think maybe the first episode of SNL I remember watching was their first show, Sigourney Weaver hosting, and it’s when Dana Carvey sang “Chopping Broccoli.” I remember that vividly. I'm sure there was stuff I saw before then, like Billy Crystal and Martin Short and Eddie Murphy and all that. But the cast I latched onto was that one. and Eddie Murphy and all that. But the cast I latched onto was that one. Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks, who was so funny. Jan Hooks in the Judge Wapner sketch, with Rosanna Arquette, where she says, “I am a bar fly”? That’s funny.

Ellen Cleghorne, cast member, 1991–95: The all-time greatest cast, I would have to say, is the original, of course. But I want to be egotistically subjective and say that my era was the best. Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Kevin Nealon, Julia Sweeney.

Devon Walker, cast member, 2022–present: Am I allowed to say it’s our cast? Truly—I know you’re supposed to say it was the ’70s cast, or the ’90s cast. But I believe in what we’re doing at the show right now so much that, I don’t know—I’m going with our squad. Give me Dismukes and Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman and James Austin Johnson and Ego Nwodim. Give me my starting five. I like our team. I believe in us a lot. My favorite era is the one we're in. Present day.

Who was the single funniest cast member in Saturday Night Live's history?

Mark McKinney, writer, 1985–86; cast member, 1995–97: I can’t give you one. I can’t. There’s just too many. No. I have to have at least 10. No—15. Write down that I’m refusing to answer your question.

Smigel: Bill Murray. He’s also the funniest person I’ve ever met—if I had a gun to my head, that was being held by Bill Murray.

Newman: There simply can’t be a single funniest, but I’d say in the original cast, Dan Aykroyd, in my opinion, was the funniest.

Jim Belushi, cast member, 1983–85: John. Absolutely. The greatest.

Bowen Yang, writer, 2018–19; cast member, 2019–present: The one that set the model for all the future success of the show was probably Gilda Radner. She technically had the first recurring character, with Roseanne Roseannadanna. She had the first catchphrase with, “It’s always something.” She came on and just set the blueprint. She literally is the blueprint for the show being successful, for individual people coming in and making the show successful, and having that translate across different eras of politics and culture and also comedy. It’s still the working document, you know what I mean? And there’s the tragedy there too—there’s every part of human life.

Rob Riggle, cast member, 2004–05: I would say, on the Mt. Rushmore of that show, it has to be Eddie, it has to be Will [Ferrell], probably Belushi and probably Aykroyd. Ahh, God—that’s not fair either, because Amy Poehler belongs up there too. It’s going to be a big Rushmore. It’s going to be like an eight-faced Rushmore.

Amy Poehler, cast member, 2001–08: Maya Rudolph.

Chloe Fineman, cast member, 2019–present: I think Kate McKinnon is such a freak of nature. She’s a gift from the gods, in terms of, like, a truly uninhibited weirdo, who I was really lucky to get to be insane with.

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Chris Kattan, cast member, 1996–2003: It has to be Eddie Murphy. He could do no wrong. Every character was hilarious, and they’re all so different, and he was so relaxed and so confident, and he just looked like he was having so much fun doing what he was doing.

Piscopo: Eddie. Far and away. Everybody’s going to tell you that same answer, but I had the honor of creating with him. And I may be not objective in that regard, but Eddie Murphy, hands down.

Taran Killam, cast member, 2010–16: He was 19 years old and just had the confidence of maybe the most confident comedic performer in history. He just was undeniably funny. He was very cool. He wasn’t afraid to be silly, but he was also very cool, which I found very appealing.

Jay Pharoah, cast member, 2010–16: Without a doubt, it’s Eddie Murphy. Come on.

Alex Moffat, cast member, 2016–22: It’s got to be Murphy.

Rock: Eddie Murphy was the best, second best was Phil Hartman.

Cleghorne: Eddie Murphy. A close second for me is Chris Farley. Just ridiculously funny. [Chris Farley voice] Van down by the river! That ability to make anger really funny.

Carvey: Farley doing “In a van down by the river…” was the most explosively funny thing. You would never want your sketch to come on after that.

Jay Mohr, cast member, 1993– 95: Chris Farley [doing] “Little Women” was the greatest sketch I’ve ever seen in my life. They’re all speaking this Victorian fancy-schmancy language. And then he falls through the ice and he’s swearing at them.

But when it was over, he got up out of the water, out of the crack in the ice, and he put his fists up over his head, and the place erupted like a fighter leaving the octagon. And that was one of the more powerful things I’ve ever seen in my life.

Sarah Silverman, cast member, 1993–94: Farley had been there three years and he was already a big star there. And I remember showing up for rehearsal on Thursday or Friday and sitting on the stage and I got there early and so did he. And he was like, Can you believe it? Can you believe we’re on the same stage as John Belushi? I can’t even believe it. It really opened my eyes to being in the moment because I was kind of coming from a place, like so many comedians, of like, Well, if I got the job, it couldn’t be that great. But it was, you know what I mean? He saw it that way and I thought that was really cool. It affected me to see him that grateful and still so excited.

Davidson: My favorite cast member and human being forever will always be the Sandman.

Janeane Garofalo, cast member, 1994–95: I can’t answer that. I feel like it’s going to hurt somebody’s feelings. I’m going to go with Jan Hooks, goddamn it.

Thompson: I think most people would give it to Will Ferrell because he’s one of the funniest people but also one of the nicest in the world.

Cheri Oteri, cast member, 1995–2000: Will Ferrell.

Andy Samberg, cast member, 2005–12: I mean, this is generational. I would say, I don’t know about the funniest ever, but probably the hardest I laughed the most at one cast member personally is Ferrell.

I think I’m just saying there was a moment in my life, when Ferrell was on fire on the show, that I was really keyed in, and he was speaking my language. It felt like he was talking right to me, with the way that him and McKay were writing.

Walker: Tracy Morgan. Give me Tracy. I love Tracy so much. He’s my favorite SNL cast member of all time. I don’t think there’s ever been anybody like him on the show before or since.You know what I’m saying? There’s not two Tracy Morgans in the game. And I don’t think there ever will be another one. He was just so delightfully weird in a way that really, really resonated. I hope to tap into just a tiny piece of what he found on the show.

Sasheer Zamata, cast member, 2014–17: Tracy came to host when I was there, and you know, he knows the show because he was on it for so long. But I remember he was in my office when I was writing. Maybe this was my first year or second year? I remember him [and I] having a really—not exactly a heart-to-heart—but just a moment of like, recognizing, “Hey, this is hard.” He was kind of giving me advice and saying there’s definitely value in being grateful and appreciative of the job that you’ve been given, but after a while, you got to show your teeth and remind people why you’re here, and kind of bring out that tiger in you.

I really loved that and took it to heart. I do feel like it changed my perspective of my energy there, and my time there. I feel like by the time I left I really was so comfortable saying how I felt and fighting for my ideas. I don’t know if I would have gotten to that place if I didn’t have someone say, like, “Oh, you can do this. You’re allowed.”

Bobby Moynihan, cast member, 2008–17: Quickly, two Tracy stories. The first time I ever met Tracy, when they opened the doors for the pitch meeting, I walked in and he was standing in the center of the room with his arms up in the air screaming, “The Dark Horse has returned.” Then the next time I saw him, he was in the writers room and he had Colin Jost and he was screaming at Colin and a couple of the other of the writers, saying, “Man, if a girl disrespects you, you have to give her the butt.“ I don’t know what that means, but that was what he was saying.

And then my last Tracy story: One night, for some reason, we all thought it would be funny to go to Dave and Buster’s on a Wednesday night at 9 p.m. We went there and Tracy Morgan was there. He’s like, “What are you guys doing here?” And we were like, “What are you doing here?” And he’s like, “I come here every Wednesday.” He goes to the Dave and Buster’s in Times Square every Wednesday, if you want to meet him.

Jane Wickline, cast member, 2024–present: Kristen Wiig. She’s just a genius.

Tim Meadows, cast member, 1991–2000: Kristen Wiig, probably. She does weird shit, she does character shit, and she just seems nuts, and I love that about her.

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Emil Wakim, cast member, 2024–present: Will Forte—every single word Will Forte says makes me laugh so hard.

Killam: There’s just an inherent kindness about Will, but no one is willing to commit harder or farther for the bit than Forte. I love his absurdity. I love the sort of deranged quality of his work. He can go from really, really sweet and unassuming to horribly, offensively dark.

Hader: I can’t name one person. There’s so many people that made me laugh. Phil Hartman and Martin Short made me laugh so hard. Eddie Murphy, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph. Kristen Wiig made me laugh so much. Doing sketches with her was so impossible. Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Andy, Jason.

But if I had to pick one, I would just say Phil Hartman. When I got the show, I went, “I want to be like that guy. Just give me whatever, I’ll play it the best I can, and I will serve your piece.” I didn’t feel very confident as a writer, so I was like, Just whatever you put me in, I’ll do the best job I can do in it, in making it funny and fun.“ And for the most part, I did that.

And then, by the end I was getting lazy and loose, and I would laugh a lot, and that was when I was like, “I should probably leave. We’re having maybe a little bit too much fun.” Especially me and Fred—we would just start fucking with each other out there. And I was like, “Ah, maybe we should leave.”

McKinney: Hey—I’ll pick a long horse. I loved Danitra Vance. She came to the show as a performance artist from Chicago and was funny and wise and is no longer with us. So I’m going to tip my hat to her.

Kevin Nealon, cast member, 1986–95: Besides me?

As told to Brittany Loggins, Gabriella Paiella, Alex Pappademas, and Zinya Salfiti