Who is the best Saturday Night Live cast member of all time?

First-generation legends, Weekend Update anchors, cult favorites, and modern-era workhorses — fifty years of television's most anarchic comedy stage. Who is SNL's greatest of all time?

Eddie Murphy

The comedian who quite literally saved SNL from cancellation in the early 1980s, delivering iconic characters like Buckwheat, Gumby, and Mr. Robinson that turned him into the show's breakout superstar.

1/15

Bill Murray

A founding spirit of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players era whose characters — from Nick the Lounge Singer to Todd DiLaMuca — defined the show's anarchic early comedy.

2/15

John Belushi

The explosive, wholly original first-generation cast member whose characters like the Samurai Warrior and Joe Cocker impersonation established the physical, fearless style SNL became famous for.

3/15

Tina Fey

The first female head writer in SNL history who anchored Weekend Update for years, delivered a career-defining Sarah Palin impression, and proved that women could own the show.

4/15

Will Ferrell

One of the most beloved cast members ever, known for characters like George W. Bush, Alex Trebek, and Frank Henderson that have become permanent fixtures in the cultural memory.

5/15

Dan Aykroyd

An original cast member whose versatility and dedication to character-building helped shape SNL's comedic language, contributing iconic recurring bits from the Blues Brothers to the Coneheads.

6/15

Chris Farley

The volcanic physical comedian who fans consistently vote the funniest cast member ever, whose characters like the Chippendales sketch and motivational speaker Matt Foley remain legendary.

7/15

Chevy Chase

The first breakout star in SNL history whose Weekend Update anchoring and physical comedy — especially his Gerald Ford pratfalls — made him the show's original household name.

8/15

Gilda Radner

The beloved original cast member whose warmth, invention, and characters like Roseanne Roseannadanna and Emily Litella set the template for every great female performer who followed.

9/15

Phil Hartman

The show's rock-solid utility player nicknamed The Glue, whose impressions of Bill Clinton, Frank Sinatra, and Ed McMahon and dozens of original characters were the bedrock of SNL's strongest era.

10/15

Dana Carvey

The impressionist extraordinaire whose George H.W. Bush, Church Lady, and Garth from Wayne's World remain among the most recognizable characters in SNL's entire fifty-year history.

11/15

Mike Myers

The Canadian comedian who created Wayne's World and dozens of other beloved characters, bringing anarchic creativity and a deep love of pop culture to everything he touched on the show.

12/15

Kenan Thompson

The longest-serving cast member in SNL history whose 22-year run produced an astonishing library of characters and an institutional warmth that became the show's connective tissue.

13/15

Amy Poehler

The co-anchor of Weekend Update, creator of beloved characters, and dominant force during SNL's mid-2000s golden period who brought her generosity of spirit to every sketch.

14/15

Adam Sandler

A cult-favorite player from the Phil Hartman era whose original songs, from Opera Man to the Thanksgiving Song, built a passionate fanbase that helped launch one of Hollywood's most durable careers.

15/15