Saturday Night Live Comedy Stars

Perhaps Saturday Night Live’s biggest contribution to the world has been the cast members it has launched to national and sometimes international fame. Here are the top five comedy stars who began their careers on SNL.

1. Bill Murray

Hired to replace the comedian and writer Chevy Chase in 1977, Bill Murray worked on SNL for three years. The show earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. Murray went on to act in successful comedy films like the Ghostbusters films (1984 and 1989) and Groundhog Day (1993), before collaborating with director Wes Anderson to star in almost every one of his films. Not just a comedy actor, he can also perform more serious roles, such as in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003), for which he earned an Oscar nomination.

2. Eddie Murphy

Aged eighteen when he began working on SNL, the groundbreaking black comedian Eddie Murphy quickly became a star of the show. He worked as a cast member, creating iconic characters, and even hosted an episode. He then became one of the biggest film stars of the 1980s, starring in Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Coming to America (1988), in which he played multiple roles. He went on to sell out arenas as a stand-up. His films have made over $6.7 billion and he is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time.

3. Will Ferrell 

From 1995 to 2002, a new star was born on SNL: Will Ferrell. Ferrell became famous for depicting absurd characters and for his satirical impressions of US President George W. Bush. After leaving the show, he starred in numerous comedy films, the most famous of which is the Christmas classic Elf (2003). He has also worked as a writer and producer on some of his films, and has worked in TV and theatre. In 2009, he reprised his role as Bush for the Broadway show You’re Welcome, America, which was later adapted into a TV special.   

4. Tina Fey

Tina Fey worked on SNL as a writer, cast member and co-host, and in 1999 she became the show’s first female head writer. After leaving the show, she created and starred in 30 Rock (2006-2013), a sitcom loosely based on her SNL experiences. She also wrote and starred in the teen comedy film MeanGirls (2004), as well as the Broadway adaptation of it and the 2024 musical film of the same name. She has returned to SNL numerous times as a guest performer.

5. Kristen Wiig

Just before Fey left SNL, Kristen Wiig became a cast member on the show, and she soon became famous for her many characters and celebrity impressions. While working on the show, from 2005 to 2012, she acted in comedy films, and, most notably, co-wrote, produced and starred in the mega-successful Bridesmaids (2011). Her other big hits include The Skeleton Twins (2014), Ghostbusters (2016) and Wonder Woman1984 (2020), in which she played the villain Cheetah.