Saturday Night Livehas long, long been one of NBC’s flagship series. Its legacy is impressive and ever-developing. It’s impossible to say how long the sketch series will continue, but nothing lasts forever, and Lorne Michaels seems to be on his way out.
Even ifSNLdoes end in the next few years, it will still have one of the mostimpressive histories of any television show. Were the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, aughts, and 2010s all a big part of that macro-scale legacy? Of course. But, even including the ’70s, there’s an argument to be made that the ’90s were themostimportant 10 years of the whole enchilada. At the very least, it had the most impressive number of excellent additions to the cast list.
20Chris Farley (June 23, 2025)
Having starred in several of thebestSNLsketches of all timealone would makeChris Farleynoteworthy. But he didn’t just star in them, he’s what made them iconic pieces of comedy. And, no, as he was sometimes criticized for, his talent was not relegated to exposing his belly and/or crashing through a coffee table.
What Made Him an All-Timer Addition to the Lineup?
Like Belushi, Farley was taken from us too soon. And, also like Belushi, he was most fan’s favorite cast member when he was on the show. When it comes to a man as lovable as Farley, how could viewers not adore him?
19Chris Rock (June 05, 2025)
SNLisn’t afraid to break rules, and neither isChris Rock. Was Rock as successful on the show’s stage as he was holding a stage on his own? Nope, Rock’s stand-up is topped by very few. But, even if his style was always a bit truncated, Rock contributed quite a bit to ‘90sSNL.
What Made Him a Fantastic Addition to the Lineup?
Rock’s impressions of Arsenio Hall, Eddie Murphy, and Jaleel White were always solid. But, it was in original characters that Rock excelled. He didn’t really get enough of a chance to fully flesh any of them out to be continuous hits like Mr. Peepers or the Lovahs, but characters like Young Pop and Buster Jenkins had their merits.
18Rob Schneider (August 16, 2025)
Like some of thefunniestSNLperformers to start in the 2000s,Rob Schneiderisn’t for everyone. This applies to movies such asThe Animaland even50 First Datesas much as it applies to NBC’s series. But, it would be hard to deny that Schneider seemed comfortable in the skit-comedy show.
What Made Him a Good But Divisive Addition to the Lineup?
Not many of Schneider’s characters became perennial hits, but stuff like the “Out of Africa Owner” sketches got laughs. In fact, the ‘You can put your weed in there’ joke was re-used in the filmThe Hot Chick. If there’s an area where Schneider wasunderrated, it is in the impression department.
17David Spade (July 08, 2025)
A heavy presence in many ofSNL’s funniest ’90s episodes,David Spadeis like a few other cast additions of the decade. Specifically, he’s a divisive presence. His ‘I’m better than you’ way of speaking can be off-putting, but a smarmy nature (or smarmy acting style, shall we say) can be oddly humorous.
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What Made Him a Great Smug Addition to the Lineup?
“Total Bastard Airlines” is a great answer to that question.No onebesides Spade would have made that jerk of an airline employee work. He makes the character workandmakes him slyly funny… because the audience understands how mistreated stewards and stewardesses often are.
16Tim Meadows (July 08, 2025)
With a tenure running from 1991 to 2000,Tim Meadowswas and remains one ofSNL’s longest-running cast members. And, unlike the oft-under-utilized Garrett Morris from the early days, Meadows was an African American cast member who was allowed to steal the spotlight, not just be there to stand beside Belushi.
Morris will always be one ofSNL’s most unfairly treated cast members, which is especially surprising considering he was hilarious on the show, but by the ’90s, the sketch series was apparently willing to be a little more noticeably diverse (it still had a ways to go). For instance, Meadows’ very frequently recurring “The Ladies Man” sketches.
What Made Him a Top-Tier Addition to the Lineup?
Meadows always had terrific chemistry with his co-stars. This is especially true of individuals like Tina Fey, with whom he collaborated on projects such asMean Girlsand30 Rockin subsequent years. While Meadows was always good for an impression, there’s one aspect in which he excelled above all others of his era.
Specifically, he could just enter a sketch, have a small dialogue exchange with a pre-established character (e.g. Will Ferrell’s in “Dr. Beaman’s Office: Test Results”), and exit with a sad, soft reply that gets big, loud laughs.
15Adam Sandler (June 06, 2025)
The first few seasons forAdam SandleronSNLare some of the series' best, at least as far asthe ensemble’s strength goes. The cast was working together like a cohesive unit, with each finding unique ways to bounce off the other. Plus, Phil Hartman was there as the group’s father figure… the ‘glue’ as it were. And, like Hartman, Sandler provided a necessary element to the dynamic.
What Made Him One of the 1990s' Most Beloved Additions to the Lineup?
Hartman was the old pro, and Sandler was the fresh kid with a growing fanbase (though no one knew just how much that fanbase would explode). They were two very different people with comparably lovable personalities. On Sandler’s end, that included being loud, writing smart, cute, and funny songs, and the occasional appearance as Canteen Boy.
14Norm Macdonald (August 20, 2025)
Coming in shortly after the close of one ofSNL’s most tumultuous seasons,Norm Macdonaldhad guts. The way he went after O.J. was incredible. And he lost his job for it. Not because viewers (save for those who had tuned out after the previous year’s Sinéad O’Connor incident) disliked it, but because an executive/O.J. golfing buddy did.
What Made Norm a Great But Divisive Addition to the Lineup?
For five years, Norm brought snippets of his dry, rambling sense of humor toSNL. It wasn’t as if he was allowed to go on long-winded, perpetually-digressing verbal parades as he was onConan. But, even includingWeekend Update(where he flourished, not that he ever floundered in sketches), his ultimate contribution toSNLhistory will always be his impression of Burt Reynolds.
13Sarah Silverman (August 23, 2025)
Sarah Silverman’sinclusion on this list requires a qualification. For one, basically everything she’s done on her own has been about 1,000 times better than how she was utilized onSNL. And, two, in hindsight, that makes a lot of sense. Is Sarah Silverman really the ultimate personality to have on an NBC show? Regardless of what time it airs.
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What Made Her an Underrated Addition to the Lineup?
At the very least,SNLexpanded Silverman’s profile and that can’t be a bad thing. And, while she never stole any sketches, she had a few really solid moments onWeekend Update. She only lasted one season, but she did play the dual-role of writer and actor, showing a multi-talented nature that would be explored over 10 years later withThe Sarah Silverman Programon Comedy Central.
12Molly Shannon (June 03, 2025)
Thank goodness the whole ‘Women aren’t funny’ debate has pretty much disappeared in the past few years, becauseSNL’s been proving it from the beginning. For one, there’s Gilda Radner, who was a major trendsetter. And that’s a title that can also be ascribed to ’90s additionMolly Shannon.
What Made Her an Amazing Addition to the Lineup?
One of the most brilliant, versatile, and gutsy comedic performers of her generation or any other, Shannon was as much a scene-stealer (and scene leader) onSNLas she was inWet Hot American Summerand currently is onBob’s Burgers. She always understood the value of not only her own presence in a scene, but just how that can buoy the work of one’s co-stars. Not to mention, just as Chris Farley was willing to literally throw himself around a room for a sketch, so too was Shannon.
11Will Ferrell (July 21, 2025)
Not even Jimmy Fallon’sincessant on-camera snickeringcould keep the “More Cowbell” sketch from being a classic. Why?Will Ferrell. Well… also his hairy belly. And, the thing is, while “More Cowbell” is easily one of the top three most famous Will FerrellSNLsketches, it’s just one of many that greatly benefited from his presence.
What Made Him Perhaps the Best Addition to the Lineup of All Time?
What is there to say that hasn’t been said already? Ferrell’s probably most folks' pick for the best cast member of all time. It’s a fair title, he was a natural in every corner of the show and buoyed his peers' work as often as he stole the show.
