The Most Underrated SNL Cast Members of All Time

It’s impossible to sum up Saturday Night Live’s significant impact on all forms of popular culture. Shaping the leisure market from one generation to the next, SNL forever changed the nature of late-night picture comedy in the late 1970s, showing Americans that, yes, we can have a long-running funny collection as socially appropriate as Monty Python, ]…]

The Most Underappreciated SNL Cast People of All Time appeared initially on Den of Geek.

It’s impossible to describe Saturday Night Live‘s important impact on the totality of pop culture. SNL permanently altered the nature of late-night picture comedy in the middle of the 1970s, shaping the entertainment business from one generation to the next. It demonstrates to Americans that, yes, we can have a long-running comedy series that is as socially appropriate as Monty Python, when cutting as Mad Magazine, and as beautifully chaotic as a vintage Looney Tunes cartoon.

Celebrating its historic 50th anniversary this year, Saturday Night Live has produced some of the finest comedic talents of the past half century, its alumni reading like a list of who’s who in contemporary American comedy. SNL‘s success is almost entirely dependent on the talents of its top cast members, with some of its most well-known former stars ranging from John Belushi, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, and Tina Fey to Chris Farley, Will Ferrell, Eddie Murphy, and Jimmy Fallon.

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With a production history dating back to 1975, SNL has cycled through literally dozens of phenomenal cast members over the last five decades. While most performers have received some kind of praise for their work, a select few former SNL players have yet to receive the critical acclaim they deserved. From underappreciated Weekend Update hosts to wildly versatile impression specialists, here are some of the most ridiculously underrated comedians to ever perform on SNL.

15. Kevin Nealon

Every outstanding skit needs a straight man to draw its funny energy from, whether it’s about early SNL stars like Chevy Chase and Phil Hartman or early 90s stars like Kevin Nealon. A straight-faced comedian known for his deadpan delivery and unwaveringly straight-faced presence, Nealon typically played second fiddle to more anarchic’ 90s-era cast members, quickly fading into the background as Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, or Chris Farley soaked up the public limelight.

Nealon’s dialed-back presence helped make each of his segments, from Hans and Franz and the Politically Incorrect Private Investigator to his stint as Weekend Update‘s regular host, even though he rarely came close to matching his co-stars ‘ loud-mouthed comedic antics.

14. Victoria Jackson

One of the many SNL alumni who dropped off the map upon her departure from the series in 1992, Victoria Jackson tapped into her unconventional comedic style throughout her five-year tenure on SNL. As evidenced by her numerous appearances on Weekend Update, Jackson frequently veered towards more unconventional comedic stunts during her time on the show. She was a skilled mimic who could perfectly impersonate Roseanne Barr and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Appearing alongside Dennis Miller, it wasn’t long before Jackson’s straightforward demeanor devolved into increasingly strange behavior, leading her to hop on Miller’s desk, read poetry, perform handstands, and break out into a whimsical song and dance routine. In a time when Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, and Phil Hartman took the stage, Jackson made it seem like anything and everything was possible on Weekend Update, cementing her place as one of the best guests to ever appear on SNL‘s long-running segment.

13. Tim Meadows

More dedicated scholars of SNL history might readily recognize him for his role as the effortlessly suave Ladies ‘ Man, but Tim Meadows was oh so much more. Meadows, who had an SNL debut for just under a decade, somehow developed instant chemistry with any star he had starred alongside, whether it was Chris Farley or more famous 2000s cast members Will Ferrell.

A decent enough impressionist known for portraying the likes of Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods, and Oprah Winfrey, Meadows lended a certain level of credibility to SNL’s most outlandish sketches, seldom breaking character when every other cast member broke into uncontrollable chuckles. It suddenly seemed all more plausible that Bill Clinton walked into an ordinary McDonald’s, two shirtless Bible salesmen knocked on your front door, or that O. J. Simpson simply wrote the words” I did it” on an ESPN football telestrator as a result of Meadows ‘ proud incarnation of the straight man archetype.

12. Jay Pharoah

To be clear, Jay Pharoah did do an amazing job embodying the smooth-voiced charisma of Barack Obama whenever he donned the guise of the Commander-in-Chief. However, Pharaoh could come up with accurate portrayals of virtually any celebrity featured in People magazine or TMZ, including Kanye West, Jay-Z, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, and Denzel Washington far from being one trick phony when it came to his presidential impersonations.

While his acting abilities lent him the uncanny ability to disappear into a variety of celebrity personas, Pharoah’s histrionic approach to comedy afforded him a chance to portray wholly original characters, each of whom came equipped with distinct characteristics, body language, and tonal differences to their voice and pronunciations. Who else, besides Pharoah, could have crafted the line “I’ll do it” to flow off the page in a way that was so naturally occurring as he did in the dreary comedy” Aron’s List”?

11. Chris Kattan

Like fellow 2000s cast members Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri, Chris Kattan regularly went all in when it came to his most animated sketch characters, dialing his performances up to a solid 11 no matter how minimal his screen-time might be. Kattan easily surpassed his co-stars in terms of wacky physical comedy and unmatched dedication to the skit’s punchline, despite the fact that he may never have received the same level of recognition as his fellow Roxbury Guy Ferrell.

In many ways, there was something fearless about the way Kattan completely immersed himself in a role, no matter how embarrassing or outwardly ridiculous it might seem. Kattan threw himself fearlessly into the most absurd characters imaginable, acknowledging that audiences were only laughing at him and not necessarily with him. ( Cough, cough, Mango the flirtatious male stripper, need I say more? )

10. Aidy Bryant

When it comes to funny trios of comedians and inspired partnerships, Saturday Night Live has always succeeded. Following in the footsteps of Belushi and Aykroyd, Farley and Spade, Myers and Carvey, and Shannon and Gasteyer, SNL shrewdly relied on the strength of Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong throughout the 2010s, allowing for all kinds of unique sketches and unforgettable musical performances.

Working together to transform otherwise dull sketches into pure comedic gold, Bryant, McKinnon, and Strong effortlessly knocked it out of the park as Irish game show contestants or pop singers in the Katy Perry style. While she always held her own opposite such talented co-stars, Bryant also confidently handled any role she was assigned to play, competently portraying mild-mannered school teachers, inquisitive UFO officials, and “half-fly, half-fairy” Tinker Bell characters humorously known as Tonker Bell.

9. Jan Hooks

Jan Hooks made the most of her dramatic flair every time she appeared in a sketch, just like her fellow “90s-era co-star Phil Hartman.” Tapping into her theatrical background for roles both big and small, Hooks showed that, in some cases, the best thing you can do to make a comedic segment that much funnier was simply to take your role seriously. &nbsp,

Outfitting each of her characters with individual personality quirks, facial tics, and distinct body language, Hooks ‘ acting chops went a long way every time she took centerstage, helping her elevate otherwise forgettable sketches into certified classics, like Brenda the Waitress or the fan-favorite Sweeney Sisters musical act.

8. Bobby Moynihan

Bobby Moynihan is the ultimate SNL performer in many ways: he seamlessly transitions from a comedic straight man to a cartoonish, wild-eyed character. He combines vigorous slapstick, believable impressions, and. &nbsp,

Although his contemporary co-stars were skilled in one area or another, Moynihan was able to do it all, causing a flurry of laughter with a slight alteration in his facial expression or a slightly higher voice pitch. A scene-stealing cast member who made every sketch he appeared in that much better, Moynihan left viewers doubled-over in unending giggle fits in almost every one of his most famous sketches. ( I.e., Drunk Uncle, Hobbit Office, David Pumpkins, etc. )

7. Vanessa Bayer

Nobody – and I mean nobody – could play ditzy cluelessness quite like Vanessa Bayer. On SNL’s sound stage, Bayer was more than a reliable straight performer, waving across the screen with a vague smile and a childish glint in her eye. With her vacant expression and generally shy demeanor, she somehow took otherwise normal characters to entirely new heights, making their mundane presentation seem somehow alien and unnatural, like her overly-dedicated Totino’s Pizza Roll character or her soft-spoken Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy. &nbsp,

While she occasionally played more outwardly zany characters, Bayer proved that sometimes less was more when it came to memorable comedy sketches– especially whenever she was paired with utterly flamboyant characters played by Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, or Kate McKinnon.

6. Cheri Oteri

Cheri Oteri quickly adjusted to a variety of roles with the dexterity of Mike Myers, Dana Carvey’s confidence, and the plausibility of Phil Hartman, just like her fellow Spartan Cheerleader Will Ferrell, who she could play virtually any character.

While most modern viewers tend to more fondly remember Ferrell for his role in the late ‘ 90s and early 2000s-era SNL, one shouldn’t look past the Oteri’s entertaining stint on the show. Oteri concocted an eclectic rogues ‘ gallery of unforgettable SNL personas, demonstrating her ability to connect with the very best of SNL‘s most talented impressionists, whether she portrays a toothy Barbara Walters or a deranged addict Collette Reardon.

5. Jon Lovitz

With Eddie Murphy departing SNL in the mid 1980s, Lorne Michaels struggled to find a performer that could succeed Murphy’s place as the series ‘ mainstay attraction. Enter: Jon Lovitz, an unassuming everyman turned SNL savior.

Sandwiched between two memorable eras in Saturday Night Live’s history, it’s easy to underestimate Lovitz’s successful tenure on the show. Lovitz’s colorful characters made SNL worth watching in the late 1980s, as evidenced by his nasal-voiced Annoying Man on Weekend Update or his woefully inept Pathological Liar, despite his potential criticism of Murphy or the so-called” Bad Boys” of Chris Farley and Adam Sandler’s generation. &nbsp,

4. Laraine Newman

People today tend to treat the Not Ready For Primetime Players with reverence and awe when they see them as mythical deities and eclectic trailblazers in sketch comedy. While most people are quick to single out the work of John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Dan Aykroyd in the series ‘ formative years, it’s also worth remembering the one-of-a-kind contributions of SNL‘s original underrated player, Laraine Newman.

No matter how dark, twisted, or outright absurd it appeared on the surface, Newman used every second of her screen time to hammer home the main premise of a sketch, despite frequently being relegated to a supporting role. Whether portraying the obviously inhuman Connie Conehead or creating the archetypical Valley Girl with Sherry, Newman’s time on SNL was every bit as influential – if not more so – as her fellow OG cast members.

3. Ana Gasteyer

Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer were busy putting forth their own irreverent comedy on the series main stage years before Tina Fey and Amy Poehler shattered the boys ‘ club mentality in SNL‘s writing room. While the pair proved immensely popular with their soft-spoken NPR Delicious Dish duo, Shannon and Gasteyer enjoyed spectacular success in their individual ventures, as evidenced by Shannon’s erratic Catholic school girl Mary Katherine Gallagher and Gasteyer’s alcoholic WASP Ginger Attebury.

Gasteyer consistently showed she could handle herself as the center of a sketch, more frequently acting as the proverbial sidekick to her fellow SNL talent. Caricaturing everyone from a passive aggressive Martha Stewart to a spotlight-obsessed Celine Dion, Gasteyer dazzled viewers every time the cameras squarely landed on her, delivering her lines with a curiously polite smile and a hilariously over-the-top tone of voice. Can anyone keep a straight face while watching her musical performance of” Culps” with Will Ferrell?

2. Darrell Hammond

Where to even begin with Darrell Hammond’s accolades and achievements on SNL? Hammon, who left the show in 2009, was the oldest comedian to continue playing a role in Lorne Michaels ‘ hit series, which featured 107 different celebrities in total over the course of his 14-year tenure on the show.

Effectively filling the void left by the late great Phil Hartman, Hammond became SNL‘s go-to impressionist throughout the late ‘ 90s and most of the 2000s. Hammond quickly adapts to any role Michaels required him to play, joining the elite group of equally well-known impersonators like Dana Carvey, Bill Hader, Will Ferrell, and Mike Myers, whether as a comically dull Al Gore, a combative Sean Connery, or a lecherous Bill Clinton.

1. Forte

A comedian well and truly ahead of his time, Will Forte could perform in any sketch that was asked of him, excelling as much as a comedic straight man as he did with endlessly eccentric characters like political hopeful Tim Calhoun or the absent-minded MacGyver parody, MacGruber.

Forte excelled in roles no other cast member could have properly played, especially when it came to such endlessly bizarre creations as the Falconer or Andy ( the” Ohhh, noooo” guy from Reinhold Investments ). Like all the best SNL performers, Forte excelled in such roles. Pioneering cringe comedy years before The Office, Parks and Rec, or Modern Family made the genre commonplace in contemporary pop culture, Forte could get audiences laughing, wincing, and shaking their head in panicked discomfort every time he wandered on-screen. He delivered overwhelmingly original jokes with an expressionless face and hilariously nonchalant tone of voice, and in more ways than one he was like a soft-spoken cross between Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, and Bill Hader.

The Most Underappreciated SNL Cast People of All Time appeared initially on Den of Geek.