It’s impossible to summarize Saturday Night Live’s critical influence on the entirety of pop culture. Shaping the entertainment industry from one decade to the next, SNL forever changed the nature of late-night sketch comedy in the mid 1970s, showing Americans that, yes, we can have a long-running comedy series as socially relevant as Monty Python, […]
The post The Most Underrated SNL Cast Members of All Time appeared first on Den of Geek.
It’s impossible to summarize Saturday Night Live’s critical influence on the entirety of pop culture. Shaping the entertainment industry from one decade to the next, SNL forever changed the nature of late-night sketch comedy in the mid 1970s, showing Americans that, yes, we can have a long-running comedy series as socially relevant as Monty Python, as biting as Mad Magazine, and as delightfully 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. With some of its most recognizable past performers including everyone from John Belushi, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, and Tina Fey to Chris Farley, Will Ferrell, Eddie Murphy, and Jimmy Fallon, SNL’s success is almost entirely predicated upon the talents of its foremost cast members.
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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’ contributions to the show have been celebrated for one reason or another, however, a handful of former SNL players have yet to see the critical acclaim they rightfully deserve. 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 remarkable skit needs a straight man to bounce its comedic energy off of, whether we’re talking about early SNL players like Jane Curtin and Chevy Chase or ‘90s performers like Phil Hartman and 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.
While he seldom came close to matching his co-stars’ loud-mouthed comedic antics, Nealon’s dialed-back presence helped make each of his segments that much more enjoyable, from Hans and Franz and the Politically Incorrect Private Investigator to his stint as Weekend Update’s regular host.
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. A skilled mimic who could perfectly impersonate such celebrities as Roseanne Barr and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jackson regularly veered towards more unorthodox comedic stunts during her time on the show, as evidenced by her repeated appearances on Weekend Update.
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 an era where Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, and Dana Carvey took to the stage, Jackson truly made it seem like anything and everything could happen on Weekend Update, solidifying herself 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. Starring on SNL for just under a decade, Meadows somehow possessed instant chemistry with any star he appeared alongside, be it ‘90s loudmouths like Chris Farley or more theatrical 2000s cast members like 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. Watching Meadows proudly embody the straight man archetype, suddenly it seemed all the more feasible that Bill Clinton strolled into an ordinary McDonald’s, two shirtless Bible salesmen knocked on your front door, or that O.J. Simpson just wrote the words “I did it” on an ESPN football telestrator.
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. But far from being a one trick phony when it came to his presidential impersonations, Pharaoh could also conjure up accurate portrayals of virtually any celebrity featured in People magazine or TMZ, be it Kanye West, Jay-Z, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, or Denzel Washington.
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. After all, who else but Pharoah could have made the line “I’ll do it” pop off the page so organically as he did in the darkly comic “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. He may never have achieved the long-standing recognition of his fellow Roxbury Guy Ferrell, but Kattan easily matched his co-stars when it came to his wacky physical comedy and unparalleled dedication to a skit’s punchline.
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. Recognizing the fact that audiences were laughing at him and not necessarily with him, Kattan threw himself fearlessly into the most preposterous characters imaginable. (Cough, cough, Mango the flirtatious male stripper; need I say more?)
10. Aidy Bryant
Saturday Night Live has always thrived when it comes to inspired partnerships or irreverent trios of comedians. 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 weave otherwise so-so sketches into pure comedic gold, Bryant, McKinnon, and Strong simply clicked whenever they worked together in a single skit, effortlessly knocking it out of the park as Katy Perry-style pop singers or Irish game show contestants. 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
Like her fellow ‘90s-era co-star Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks put her dramatic flair to good use every time she appeared in a sketch. 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.
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
In many ways, Bobby Moynihan appears as the ultimate SNL performer: a perfect amalgamation of buoyant slapstick, believable impressions, and the seamless ability to transition from a comedic straight man into a wild-eyed, cartoonish character.
While his contemporary co-stars proved themselves adept in one category or another, Moynihan could do it all, eliciting widespread laughter with a subtle change in his facial expression or a slightly higher pitch to his voice. 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. Waltzing across the screen with a vague smile and a childish glint in her eye, Bayer was more than a dependable straight performer on SNL’s sound stage. 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.
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
Like her fellow Spartan Cheerleader Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri could inhabit seemingly any character she chose to play, quickly adapting herself to a variety of roles with the dexterity of Mike Myers, the confidence of Dana Carvey, and the believability of Phil Hartman.
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. Whether portraying a toothy Barbara Walters or deranged addict Collette Reardon, Oteri conjured up an eclectic rogues’ gallery of unforgettable SNL personas, proving her ability to hang with the very best of SNL’s most talented impressionists.
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: the unassuming everyman-turned-SNL-savior, Jon Lovitz.
Sandwiched between two memorable eras in Saturday Night Live’s history, it’s easy to underestimate Lovitz’s successful tenure on the show. While he may not exactly rise to the critical might of Murphy or the so-called “Bad Boys” of Chris Farley and Adam Sandler’s generation, Lovitz’s colorful characters made SNL worth watching in the late 1980s, as seen through his nasal-voiced Annoying Man on Weekend Update or his woefully inept Pathological Liar.
4. Laraine Newman
Nowadays, people tend to talk about the Not Ready For Primetime Players with a mixture of reverence and awe, viewing them as fabled deities and eclectic trailblazers within the uncharted realm of 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.
Though often relegated to a supporting role, Newman used every second of her screentime to hammer home the main premise of a sketch, no matter how dark, twisted, or outright absurd it seemed on the surface. 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
Years before Tina Fey and Amy Poehler shattered the boys’ club mentality in SNL’s writing room, Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer were hard at work asserting their own irreverent comedy on the series’ main stage. 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.
More often appearing as the proverbial sidekick to her fellow SNL talents, Gasteyer showed she could handle herself as the center subject of a sketch time and time again. 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. (Seriously, can anyone keep a straight face listening to her “Culps” musical act with Will Ferrell?)
2. Darrell Hammond
Where to even begin with Darrell Hammond’s accolades and achievements on SNL? Departing the series in 2009, Hammon was the oldest comedian to maintain a starring role on Lorne Michaels’ hit series, portraying a grand total of 107 different celebrities over 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. Whether appearing as a comically boring Al Gore, a combative Sean Connery, or a lecherous Bill Clinton, Hammond quickly adapted to any role Michaels required him to play, joining the elite ranks of equally iconic impersonators like Dana Carvey, Bill Hader, Will Ferrell, or Mike Myers.
1. Will 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.
Like all the best SNL performers, Forte thrived in roles no other cast member could have properly played, especially when it came to such ceaselessly odd creations as the Falconer or Andy (the “Ohhh, noooo” guy from Reinhold Investments). 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. In more ways than one, he was like a soft-spoken cross between Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, and Bill Hader, delivering overwhelmingly original jokes with an expressionless face and hilariously nonchalant tone of voice.
The post The Most Underrated SNL Cast Members of All Time appeared first on Den of Geek.