Will Ferrell: Seasons 21-27

Ferrell

Before SNL

John Will Ferrell was born on July 16, 1967 in Irvine, California. While growing up in Southern California, Ferrell was an easy-going and mild-mannered boy who enjoyed organizing his collection of Matchbox cars. Ferrell attended University High School, where the extent of his comedic talent consisted of the fake voices he used while reading the daily announcements over the P.A. system. (Fun Fact: Ferrell set his high school’s record for most field goals made during his time on the school’s football team.) After graduating from high school Ferrell decided to stay local and attended the University of Southern California to major in sports journalism.

Ferrell graduated from USC in 1989 and earned himself an internship with NBC’s sports department. During one of Ferrell’s on-air segments, he received a considerable amount of laughter following an ad-libbed joke. This event ultimately inspired Ferrell to pursue a career in comedy, a form of entertainment he felt far more suited for. Ferrell began taking acting classes and subsequently landed himself a spot as a member of the famous, Los Angeles-based improv group, The Groundlings. It was through his work with The Groundlings during the early 1990s that allowed Ferrell to gain the attention of Saturday Night Live producer, Lorne Michaels be hired as a cast member for the show’s 1995-1996 season.

 

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Ferrell’s first season at SNL was a tumultuous one. After almost completely cleaning house following a season typified by terrible ratings, NBC executives were counting on SNL to deliver the type of performances that had allowed it to remain on the air for twenty years. After taking some time to find his niche with the rest of the cast, Ferrell began to assume the role that Phil Hartman had filled for so many years as the show’s “glue”. Ferrell began to be the first choice for a number of the show’s top writers, and as a result, developed a number of beloved characters. One of the best displays of Ferrell’s all-in style of character acting was his character Gene Frenkle, the cowbell player for the band Blue Oyster Cult.

VH1 Behind the Music: Blue Oyster Cult

Ferrell was also known for his hilariously accurate impersonations of celebrities and political figures. His most famous being former U.S. President, George W. Bush.

George W. Bush Cold Opening

Ferrell decided to leave SNL in 2002 after the conclusion of season 27 to devote more time to his film career.

 

Outside Work

Prior to leaving SNL, Ferrell had already starred in a number of successful films, namely Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in 1997 and A Night at the Roxbury in 1998. (Fun Fact: In order to keep Ferrell at SNL for season 27, NBC payed him an unprecedented $350,000 plus salary.) One of Ferrell’s first major successes was his portrayal of Buddy the elf in the 2003 film, Elf.

Ferrell followed up his transformation into a household name, courtesy of Elf’s widespread popularity, by starring in and co-writing the 2004 cult classic, Anchorman- The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

However, Ferrell’s most ambitious project to date was the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction, which struck a much more serious tone and showcases Ferrell’s acting skills than any of his other films.

Some other films starring Ferrell include: Zoolander in 2001, Old School in 2003, Starksy & Hutch in 2004, Kicking and Screaming in 2005, The Producers in 2005, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby in 2006, Blades of Glory in 2007, Semi-Pro in 2008, Step Brothers in 2008, Land of the Lost in 2009, The Other Guys in 2010, Megamind in 2010, Everything Must Go in 2011, The Campaign in 2012, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues in 2013, and The Lego Movie in 2014.

 

Opinion

Will Ferrell is without a doubt, my all-time favorite actor. With at least one new film being released every year since he switched to film full time, Ferrell is a great example of a consummate professional, who is obviously more than dedicated to his work. Ferrell’s brand of comedy centers on his ability to be able to take joke to the brink and his continued devotion to giving his full effort whenever on screen. It was almost unfair to try and pick three films that exemplified his historic career. When his career is all said and done, I’m absolutely positive that Ferrell will be regarded as one of the great legends of comedy.

 

For more Will Ferrell, check out his videos on Funny or Die.

 

Ferrell America

Chris Farley: Seasons 16-20

Farley

Before SNL

Chris Farley was born on February 15, 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin. Raised as a devout catholic, Farley attended multiple catholic schools in Madison before settling in at Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart. After graduating, Farley attended Marquette University to study Communications, however, during his sophomore year, Farley became increasingly unsure of his chosen career path and decided that he wanted to drop out to pursue comedy. After having a discussion with his parents on the matter, Farley was persuaded by his parents to continue his schooling while also adding courses in theater to appease his appetite for show business.

Once Farley graduated from Marquette in 1987, he began his professional career as a comedian at the Ark Improv Theatre in Madison, and then later moved to Chicago where he joined the famous Improv Olympic Theatre. While with Improv Olympic, Farley became a pupil of one of the all-time masters of improv, Del Close. After receiving recognition for his work at Improv Olympic, Farley was hired by The Second City to perform as part of their touring troupe, as well as on their main stage in Chicago. In 1990, Farley was spotted by SNL producer Lorne Michaels, and was immediately offered a job as a featured player for the show’s upcoming season 16.

 

Studio 8H

Farley flourished in his first season with SNL, showcasing his impressive improv and physical comedy gifts. During his fourth episode on the show, Farley starred in one of his most famous sketches with guest host Patrick Swayze, the star of the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, in which the two men competed for a job as a Chippendales male stripper.

Chippendales Audition Video

Farley also became well known for his hilarious character acting. Two of his most famous characters were the American Tourist in Japanese Game Show, and Matt Foley, a down-and-out, overweight, motivational speaker.

Japanese Game Show Video

Matt Foley Video

Farley was notorious for his off camera antics with fell cast members Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, such as making prank phone calls from the SNL offices, as well as mooning pedestrians from limousines. (Fun Fact: They were known by the media as The Bad Boys of Saturday Night Live) These antics led to NBC’s 1995 decision to fire Farley, Sandler, Rock, and Schneider following the SNL’s less than stellar 20th season.

 

Outside Work

After his departure from SNL, Farley began his film career with small roles in several films starring SNL alums, namely Wayne’s World in 1992 and Coneheads in 1993. Farley’s first major movie role came in 1994 with the release of Tommy Boy.

Another one of Farley’s greatest movie moments was his small role as the Bus Driver in the 1995 film Billy Madison starring Adam Sandler.

Some of Farley’s other films include: Wayne’s World 2 (1993), Black Sheep (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), and Almost Heroes (1998).

 

Death

Throughout much of his adult life, Farley suffered from troubles with alcohol and drugs due to his father’s rampant alcoholism, as well as the constant pressure that he felt to always be energetic, both on and off the camera. After a four-day binge, Farley was discovered dead in his Chicago apartment on December 18, 1997. An autopsy showed that the cause of death was an overdose of morphine and cocaine that was intensified by Farley’s pre-existing heart disease. Farley died at the age of 33, the same age at which SNL legend John Belushi also passed.

 

Opinion

Chris Farley was so much more than the sweaty, energetic comic that many people remember. At his core, he was a kind and innocent man who simply succumbed to the pressures of the spotlight. Farley was a maverick in the art of slapstick comedy, always blurring the boundaries of what was funny and what was physically dangerous, often risking his own personal safety for a laugh. We can only imagine the success that Farley could have achieved, had he not died so young. (Fun Fact: Farley was contracted to play the voice of Shrek, recording 80-90% of the character’s lines before his premature death)

Bus Driver

Phil Hartman: Seasons 12-19

Phil Hartman

Before SNL

Phil Hartman was born on September 24, 1948 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Over the course of his childhood, Hartman’s family moved from Ontario to Connecticut, and then later to California where he attended Westchester High School. After graduating from high school, Hartman enrolled at Santa Monica College and later at California State University, Northridge, where he majored in graphic design. Although he achieved success during his short time as a graphic designer (Fun Fact: He designed a logo for the band Crosby, Stills & Nash), Hartman decided to join the LA-based comedy group, The Groundlings in 1975.

While working as a member of The Groundlings, Hartman helped fellow cast member, Paul Reubens develop his signature character, Pee-wee Herman. Hartman would then go on to co-write the script for the 1985 film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and in 1986 starred in the television series Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Later that year, Hartman’s friend, Jon Lovitz, encouraged SNL producer Lorne Michaels to add Hartman to the show’s cast. Impressed with Hartman’s repertoire, Lorne decided to hire Hartman as an actor and writer for the show’s upcoming season 12.

 


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Hartman found success on SNL almost immediately with his ability to produce countless, spot-on, celebrity impressions. One of Hartman’s most famous impressions was of former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Clinton McDonalds Video

During his time at SNL, Hartman was also heavily involved in a number of animated comedies that made use of his ability to personify vain characters with especially large egos (Fun Fact: Hartman’s voice appeared in 52 episodes of The Simpsons). This style of character acting carried over to his SNL work, most notably in the form of his impression of television personality Phil Donahue.

Donahue: Exploited Women Video

In 1994, Hartman decided to leave SNL after eight seasons with the show. Hartman’s departure was considered a large blow to the show’s stability by its cast and crew who collectively referred to Hartman as “the Glue” due to his friendliness and how easy it was to work with him.

 

Outside Work

Hartman’s first major success after leaving SNL was the 1995 primetime sitcom NewsRadio in which he played egocentric news anchor, Bill McNeil.

Hartman also starred as a narcissistic villain in two 1996 films, Sgt. Bilko with Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd, as well as Jingle All the Way with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Death

For several years, Hartman and his wife, Brynn Omdahl Hartman, had been having marital problems due to Omdahl’s alcohol and drug addictions. During the evening of May 27, 1998, Hartman and Omdahl had a heated argument that ended with Hartman telling Omdahl that he would leave her if she didn’t seek help for her addictions. Later that night at 3am, Omdahl entered the bedroom they shared together and fatally shot Hartman three times with a .38 caliber handgun before later committing suicide; police autopsies of Omdahl’s body showed that she was intoxicated and on cocaine at the time of the murder. Hartman’s close friend, Jon Lovitz later claimed that Hartman’s NewsRadio co-star, Andy Dick was indirectly responsible for the death of both Hartman and Omdahl (If you want to read about how Lovitz beat the shit out of Andy Dick, click here).

 

Opinion

Before writing this, I personally didn’t know much about the life of Phil Hartman. What was particularly astonishing to me was that Hartman was born in 1948 making him older than SNL legends John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray. Had Hartman found his calling for comedy earlier and been a part of the original cast of SNL in 1975 instead of a former graphic designer just joining The Groundlings, he could have done so much for comedy as whole. I can only imagine what films like Animal House, Caddyshack, and Ghostbusters would have been like if a young Phil Hartman had been among their casts.

Hartman Sassy

Dana Carvey: Seasons 12-18

Carvey

Before SNL

Dana Carvey was born in Missoula, Montana on June 2, 1955. Raised in a middle class family in San Carlos, California, Carvey quickly fell in love with comedy; often times creating impressions of his favorite T.V. show characters. After graduating from high school, Carvey attended San Francisco State University where he majored in Communication Arts. During his time at San Francisco State, Carvey began performing stand-up comedy with impressions and character acting making up the majority of his act.

In 1981, Carvey decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a television actor. Carvey eventually earned a role opposite Mickey Rooney and Nathan Lane on the 1982 sitcom One of the Boys. The show was cancelled after eight months and Carvey decided to try his hand at action with the 1984 TV adaptation of the popular film Blue Thunder. Following its release, Carvey found that he no longer had an desire to continue his Hollywood career and decided to go back to performing stand-up. It was at one of Carvey’s stand-up shows that he was discovered by producer Lorne Michaels who then offered him a job as a repertory cast member on Saturday Night Live.

 

Studio 8H

Carvey’s SNL career began at a very turbulent time for the show. Lorne had just fired 11 of the 14 cast members from the previous season (season 11) and was in the midst of completely overhauling the SNL staff due to NBC’s disappointment with the show’s poor ratings. Much to Lorne’s delight, Carvey immediately stepped in and began winning over audiences with his fantastic impressions and character acting. Carvey’s most famous impression was of U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

George H.W. Bush Video

One of Carvey’s most beloved characters and my personal favorite was Church Lady. (Fun Fact: Carvey created Church Lady during his college stand-up career)

Church Chat Video

However, Carvey’s most famous character was none other than Garth Algar, the lovable metal head opposite Mike Myers’s Wayne Campbell.

Wayne’s World Video

Carvey decided to leave SNL in 1993 after seven seasons with the show. He would later go on to host the show four times.

 

Outside Work

Carvey’s first huge success outside of SNL actually came while was still a cast member. In 1992, Carvey and Mike Myers transformed their hit SNL sketch into a movie entitled Wayne’s World. 

Carvey and Myers would go on to release a sequel entitled Wayne’s World 2 in 1993 before the two split and began working on their own various projects. One of Carvey’s most notable projects was his 1996 sketch comedy show on ABC called The Dana Carvey Show. Even though it only lasted eight episodes, the show was responsible for jumpstarting the careers of Steve Carell and Steven Colbert, as well as popularizing Robert Smigel’s cartoon The Ambiguously Gay Duo, which led to the beloved SNL sketch TV Funhouse.

Aside from Wayne’s World and The Dana Carvey Show, Carvey has generally faltered in his non-SNL pursuits. After his operation for a blocked artery in 1997, Carvey began to limit his acting appearances to focus more on his family. Some notable Dana Carvey films include: Trapped in Paradise in 1994, The Road to Wellville also in 1994, Little Nicky in 2000, and The Master of Disguise in 2002.

 

Opinion

Dana Carvey and the rest of the cast of season 12 essentially saved SNL from being cancelled (NBC executives were planning on doing it at the end of season 11). Often times underrated or labeled as Mike Myers’s sidekick, people seem to forget that Carvey was on SNL for two and a half seasons before Myers was hired. The case can even be made that Carvey was one of the best impressionists in SNL history (Fun Fact: During his SNL career Carvey performed 72 different celebrity impressions).  I can only hope that Carvey decides to come back and host again sometime.

Schwing

Eddie Murphy: Seasons 6-9

Eddie-Murphy

Before SNL

Eddie Murphy was born on April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in the Bushwick projects and later in the town of Roosevelt, Long Island, Murphy acquired an early affinity for television, impressions, and comedian, Richard Pryor. Murphy began developing his stand-up routine while in high school where he was by all accounts the popular class clown. After graduating from high school, Murphy enrolled at Nassau Community College and began performing at various clubs around the New York City area.

With an act characterized as raunchy and profane, Murphy eventually worked his way up to larger comedy clubs, such as the Comic Strip. In 1980, Murphy heard rumors that Saturday Night Live was in need of black cast member and immediately decided to audition. After auditioning for the part six times, NBC hired him as a minor member of the show’s repertory cast.

 

Studio 8H

For the first few shows of Murphy’s first season at SNL (season 6), he was only utilized sparingly as an extra when needed. During the season’s sixth show on January 10, 1981, SNL producers realized that they were four minutes short on material. Fearing backlash from NBC if they were to run short, the producers put Murphy and told him to perform a segment from his stand-up routine until the show was over.

Murphy’s improv earned the show such positive reviews that the producers decided to give him a more prominent role on the show. Five weeks later, Murphy debuted his first recurring character sketch called Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood, a spoof of the popular children’s show Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood.

Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood Video

Murphy began to earn household fame with his recurring sketch in which he would impersonate the adult version of Buckwheat from the Our Gang series (more commonly known as the Little Rascals).

Buckwheat Sings Video

Fans of the show began to associate Murphy with Buckwheat so much that Murphy requested that the character be killed off. On May 12, 1983, SNL performed the sketch “Buckwheat Dead: America Mourns” in which Buckwheat was shot in the same scenario as the failed assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan. With Buckwheat dead and his film and stand-up career already on the rise (48 Hrs. in 1982, Trading Places in 1983, and Eddie Murphy: Comedian in 1983), Murphy decided to leave SNL during the show’s ninth season in 1984.

 

Outside Work

Murphy’s first major post-SNL success came with the release of his 1984 movie, Beverly Hills Cop (Fun Fact: Murphy is under contract to star in Beverly Hills Cop 4 in 2016).

Murphy also found large success in 1987 with the filming and release of his stand-up special, Eddie Murphy Raw. Aside from addressing some of the backlash he had received for his profanity (mostly from Bill Cosby), many of the show’s jokes concerned Murphy’s favorite topics of women, sex, or celebrities that wanted to fight him.

Murphy also appeared in several other notable films, such as Coming to America in 1988, The Nutty Professor in 1996, Mulan in 1998, Bowfinger in 1999, Shrek in 2001, Shrek 2 in 2004, Dreamgirls in 2006, and Tower Heist in 2011.

 

Opinion

Many people often forget that Eddie Murphy began his career as that young, profane kid on SNL. After being transformed into someone who is now seen as kid friendly by movies, such as Doctor Doolittle and Daddy Daycare, it’s genuinely hard for people to accept Murphy as the talented disciple of Richard Pryor on display in his stand-up. Murphy was the first person to really bring that air of controversy to SNL, always pushing the envelope and seeing what he could actually get away with. In essence, Murphy gave SNL that edge that took it from a show that the entire family could watch together to a show that parents were reluctant to let their kids watch. Eddie Murphy is the man who truly made Saturday Night Live, late night.

Eddie gif

Bill Murray: Seasons 2-5

Bill Murray

Before SNL

Bill Murray was born on September 21, 1950 in Wilmette, Illinois. One of nine children, Murray characterized his childhood self as something of a troublemaker. During high school, he worked as a caddy at a gold course in order to pay for his tuition to attend Loyola Academy. Murray then attended Regis College in Denver to major in pre-med, however, he was forced to drop out in after being arrested for attempting to smuggle four and a half kilos of marijuana through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. After being convicted and sentenced to probation, Murray decided to join his brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, as a member of Chicago’s improvisational comedy group, The Second City.

In 1973, Murray was recruited by John Belushi to be a member of the cast for the New York City based radio show, National Lampoon Hour. While performing in an Off Broadway version of the show in 1984, Murray was noticed by ABC sportscaster, Howard Cosell and subsequently offered a job as a featured cast member on ABC’s Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell. Due to the show being cancelled after one season, NBC’s Lorne Michaels decided to offer Murray a spot on the season 2 cast of SNL as a replacement for the departed Chevy Chase, to which Murray happily accepted.

 

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Murray’s first season on SNL was mostly characterized by the amount of backlash he received from fans for being the man who was replacing Chevy. This combination of resentment that Murray felt from fans and the general distaste for Chevy among the remaining original cast led to one of the lesser known moments in SNL history: the backstage brawl between Bill Murray and Chevy Chase (click here to read more). One of Murray’s best SNL sketches was actually in direct response to fans’ comparisons between himself and Chevy.

Bill Murray’s Apology Video

Over the course of Murray’s four seasons at SNL he developed a reputation for his trademark style of insincere and sometime sleazy character acting. One notorious example of this was when he hosted a spoof of the game show Family Feud.

Family Feud Video

In 1980, Murray decided to leave SNL to focus on furthering his acting career and pursuing opportunities as a screenwriter and director.

 

Outside Work

After leaving SNL, Murray starred in several cult classic films, such as Caddyshack in 1980 and Ghostbusters in 1984, as well as the film adaptation of the musical, Little Shop of Horrors in 1986. Murray’s first major, independent success came in 1993 with the release of Groundhog Day.

Murray also received wide critical acclaim for his 2003 film, Lost in Translation, which was the first film that saw Murray break away from his usual comedic persona in favor of a more sophisticated, subtle type of performance (plus he got to work with Scarlett Johansson, so there’s that).

Some of Murray’s other notable films include: Stripes in 1981, Scrooged in 1988, Kingpin in 1996, Space Jam in 1996, Rushmore in 1998, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou in 2004, Broken Flowers in 2005, Zombieland in 2009, Hyde Park on Hudson in 2012, and The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014.

 

Opinion

Even though his work on SNL wasn’t as good as some of the other early cast members, Bill Murray was definitely one of the best actors to ever come out of Studio 8H. I personally enjoy Murray’s film acting far more than the likes of Chevy Chase (take that Chevy). It seems like Murray’s talent has only continued to improve with his age, which is obviously evident by the fact that at sixty-four years old he’s still more than relevant. However, if you do disagree with me and think that Bill Murray is just an average actor, I would just like you to know that you’re wrong. I mean, the man was in Space Jam for God’s sake.

Bill Murray gif

 

Dan Aykroyd: Seasons 1-4

dan_aykroyd

Before SNL

Dan Aykroyd was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on July 1, 1952. (Fun Fact: He was born with the medical condition known as Syndactyly, which means webbed toes.) During his childhood, Aykroyd attended Catholic school with the hopes of one day becoming a priest. However, Aykroyd began to reconsider his chosen career path when he earned a spot on the cast of Lorne Michael’s CBC television show, The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour.

After deciding not to join the priesthood, Aykroyd enrolled at Carleton University where he studied criminology and sociology. Aykroyd never completed his studies at Carleton, instead opting to pursue his comedy career on a full time basis. In 1973, Aykroyd became a cast member of both the Toronto based affiliate and the main Chicago branch of the famous comedy group, The Second City. And then in 1975, Aykroyd’s former boss, Lorne Michaels, called him and offered him a spot as a cast member on his new show called Saturday Night Live. Thankfully for all of us, Aykroyd gladly accepted it.

 

Studio 8H

Due to his fantastic skill with sketch comedy, Aykroyd quickly became one of the more prominent cast members in the first few episodes of SNL. During the show’s second season, guest host Eric Idle (one of the members of Monty Python) characterized Aykroyd as a flawless character actor and writer. One of Aykroyd’s most famous characters was Georg Festrunk, one half of the infamous Czechoslovakian duo more commonly known as Two Wild and Crazy Guys.

Two Wild and Crazy Guys Video

Aykroyd was also known for his ability to perform spot on impressions of celebrities and for his stint as a co-host of Weekend Update with cast member Jane Curtin.

Point Counterpoint Video

Although he was beloved by many SNL fans and won a Primetime Emmy in 1977 for his writing on the show, Aykroyd decided to leave the show in 1979 to pursue a film career.

 

Outside Work

After leaving SNL, Aykroyd worked with longtime friend, John Belushi on a number of movies, most notably The Blues Brothers in 1980, before Belushi’s death in 1982. In 1993 Aykroyd starred in the comedy Trading Places with SNL cast member, Eddie Murphy.

In 1984, Aykroyd teamed up with fellow, former SNL cast member, Bill Murray and Second City alum, Harold Ramis to star in the cult classic, Ghostbusters.

Aykroyd also starred in several other notable films, such as Driving Miss Daisy in 1989, Coneheads in 1993, Tommy Boy in 1995, Antz in 1998, and Behind the Candelabra in 2013.

 

Opinion

Dan Aykroyd was a master at coming up with borderline absurd character concepts that are essentially the bread and butter of sketch comedy. Just the fact that Eric Idle said that he thought Aykroyd had what it took to be a python is an incredible credit to the talent that he possessed (if you don’t know who Monty Python is then shame on you). His use of character acting is what helped to influence the crazy and memorable characters created by other SNL cast members, such as Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, and Will Ferrell.

Aykroyd gif

Gilda Radner: Seasons 1-5

Gilda

Before SNL

Gilda Radner was born on June 28, 1946 in Detroit, Michigan to a wealthy, Jewish family. Throughout her childhood, Gilda found it extremely difficult to make friends largely due to the fact that her family relocated to Florida for a few months each year because her mother hated the winter weather of the Great Lakes. As a result, Gilda’s relationship with her mother became tense, which subsequently led her to form a bond with her father that was mainly centered on their mutual appreciation for the performing arts.

This appreciation ultimately resulted in Gilda attending the University of Michigan for theater.  However, Gilda left Michigan during her senior year, opting instead to move to Toronto with her then Canadian boyfriend, Jeffrey Rubinoff (Fun Fact: Michigan Still Sucks).  In Toronto, Gilda furthered her performing experience by joining the Toronto branch of the Chicago-based improv group, The Second City.

Through the Second City Gilda met future fellow SNL cast members, John Belushi and Dan Akroyd. In a path similar to other SNL greats, Chevy Chase and John Belushi, Gilda then moved to New York City where she began working with comedy giant, National Lampoon, and as a result caught the eye of NBC’s Lorne Michaels.

 

Studio 8H

One of three females in SNL’s initial cast, Gilda quickly made a name for herself with her charming comedic style that ranged from in your face to pleasantly subtle. Gilda was famous for being the first person to really make fun of television news anchors (Fun Fact: She was a weather anchor for her campus news station in Ann Arbor). One of her more notable impressions was her character Baba Wawa, who was inspired by the speech impediment of ABC News anchor, Barbara Walters.

Baba Wawa Video

Gilda’s most famous character however, was her fictional anchor who occasionally appeared on Weekend Update named Roseanne Rosannadanna.

Roseanna Rosannadanna Video

Gilda won a Primetime Emmy in 1977 for “Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music” for her work on SNL. She would eventually leave the show in 1980 to pursue a film career.

 

Outside Work

Gilda’s film career failed to ever really take off with her movies often flopping at the box office. Some of Gilda’s notable movies included First Family (1980), It Came From Hollywood (1982), Hanky Panky (1982), The Woman In Red (1984), and Haunted Honeymoon (1986). The latter three were all collaborations with her second husband and famous comedian in his own right, Gene Wilder.

Sadly, Gilda’s film career came to a sudden end in 1986 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

 

Death

In 1989 Gilda published a memoir detailing her life experiences entitled, It’s Always Something. That same year, on May 20th she passed away. On May 20, 1989, Steve Martin, a longtime friend of Gilda, was the host for SNL. After almost breaking down during his monologue, Martin and the rest of the SNL staff payed tribute to Gilda by rerunning a sketch from 1979 of her and Steve Martin entitled, Dancing in the Dark.

Watch Here

 

Opinion

There is no doubt in my mind that if Gilda had never been diagnosed with cancer she could have easily reached movie stardom and probably would have become a household name similar to the likes of her fellow cast members, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, and Chevy Chase. Gilda was an inspiration to countless female comedians including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Kristin Wiig. She will forever be another of SNL’s greatest “what ifs”.

Roseanna

Chevy Chase: Seasons 1-2

Chevy-Chase-2

Before SNL

Cornelius Crane Chase, or as he’s more commonly known as Chevy, was born on October 8, 1943 in New York City. Despite growing up in a home environment where his mother regularly subjected him to physical abuse, Chevy managed to become his high school’s valedictorian and earn a B.A. in English from Bard College.

After leaving college, Chevy worked at various odd jobs with the goal of one day developing a career in comedy. His first big break in the comedy business came when he started writing for Smothers Brothers and National Lampoon. Chevy’s first job as a performer was with the New York based video comedy group, Channel One. This would ultimately set Chevy up with his first movie, Groove Tube, and subsequently get him noticed by none other than NBC’s Lorne Michaels.

 

Studio 8H

Initially hired as only a writer, Chevy earned a place for himself as a cast member by creating the most continuously run recurring sketch in SNL history in the form of Weekend Update (for those unfamiliar, it’s a satirical news report on the events of the past week).

Weekend Update Video

With his initial role on the show as the anchor of Weekend Update Chevy quickly made a name for himself and began to be featured in other various sketches. One of Chevy’s other notable sketches was his infamous Landshark sketch.

Landshark Video

After winning two Primetime Emmys in 1975 and being nominated for the same two awards in 1976, Chevy decided to leave SNL to pursue a career as a film actor.

 

Outside Work

Chevy’s abundance of confidence and his deadpan style of humor (what would come to be seen as his trademark) quickly won him a host of adoring fans. His first major film success after leaving SNL was his 1980 film with Rodney Dangerfield entitled Caddyshack.

 

Following the success of Caddyshack, Chevy teamed up with his former employers at National Lampoon in 1983 to make, what is often referred to as his best film, National Lampoon’s Vacation.

 

Chevy would go on to film two sequels to Vacation in 1985 and 1989. Some other notable Chevy Chase films were Fletch in 1985, as well as ¡Three Amigos! with Steve Martin and Martin Short in 1986. Chevy’s most recent work was as part of the cast for the NBC sitcom, Community (2009-2014).

 

Opinion

Chevy Chase might not be considered one of the legends of Saturday night with respects to his sketch comedy prowess. However, he is a legend because he effectively helped solidify the foundation SNL has been building upon for thirty-nine years. (Fun Fact: Chevy holds the record for most host appearances among former cast members with eight) Without Chevy, it’s very possible that SNL would have never reached the format and the level of popularity that we see today.

3 amigos

John Belushi: Seasons 1-4

John Belushi as Bumble Bee at Skating Rink

Before SNL

John Belushi, one of the original seven cast members of Saturday Night Live, was born on January 24, 1949 in Wheaton, Illinois to a pair of Albanian immigrants, Agnes and Adam Belushi. In 1970 Belushi discovered his passion for comedy and decided to join Chicago’s famous improv group (and historical SNL training ground), The Second City. Belushi’s main acts while performing with The Second City focused on celebrity impressions, specifically Marlon Brando and Joe Cocker.

It was also while working with The Second City that he met his future friends and fellow SNL cast members, Dan Akroyd and Gilda Radner. In 1973 Belushi was chosen by the staff of National Lampoon to be in the cast for their Off-Broadway parody of Woodstock, Lemmings. Belushi’s work in Lemmings ultimately gained him enough exposure that he was noticed by NBC’s Lorne Michaels, who was searching for comedians to start a new late night television variety show that would eventually come to be known as Saturday Night Live.

Studio 8H

John Belushi debuted with the other six original SNL cast members in the show’s first episode on October 11, 1975 in NBC’s Studio 8H. Belushi’s main role in the show was to add an element of ridiculous, intense, physical humor as well as some lighter, musically related acts (Fun fact: He was the third musical guest in the show’s history). Belushi’s main recurring sketches included The Blues Brothers, The Killer Bees, Samurai Futaba, and Olympic Café. Samurai Futaba, arguably Belushi’s most recognizable SNL role, was actually the character that he used when he initially auditioned for the show.

Samurai Delicatessen Video

Another one of Belushi’s most famous sketches was Olympia Café, which was partially inspired by his father, who owned a restaurant.

Olympia Café Video

In spite of his love for destroying things with a sword and yelling “Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger”, Belushi eventually left SNL in 1979 to pursue his growing film career.

 

Outside Work

Belushi’s most famous non-SNL role was as John “Bluto” Blutarsky in National Lampoon’s Animal House. The first ever college party movie, Animal House reached out to a wide audience with great success and is now regarded as one of the best comedies ever filmed. (In my opinion, his best work)

Another one of Belushi’s most recognizable films was his 1980 collaboration with longtime friend, Dan Akroyd, Blues Brothers. (Fun fact: Belushi and Akroyd recorded an original album in 1978 with Atlantic Records entitled Briefcase Full of Blues)

Belushi also starred in several other films such as Goin’ South (1978), 1941 (1979), Continental Divide (1981), and Neighbors (1981).

 

Death

On March 5, 1982, John Belushi died at the age of 33 in Hollywood, California. Belushi was discovered dead in his bungalow at the Chateau Marmont with his cause of death found to be an overdose of speedball (cocaine and heroin). For more on Belushi’s addiction and death, click here.

 

Opinion

I personally believe that John Belushi was one of the top 5 SNL cast members of all time and should be considered a comedic genius. His style may be considered by some to have been over the top or crass, but he paved the way for future SNL gonzo comedians, such as Chris Farley, Molly Shannon, and Will Ferrell. Oh and one last thing, if Belushi was still alive today he would definitely have one of the best Youtube channels out there.

Belushi Guitar