Every cast member of SNL's history, ranked from worst to best - Page 2

I wonder how much of it is Lorne and how much of it is the writing staff.  In the past ten to fifteen years its really seemed as if the head writer really has the most influence over the general quality of the show.  I get the feeling Meyers doesn't like the show to take risks, and is complacent as long as the ratings are decent.  I really wonder how much of a direct hand Michaels really plays these days.

Count me as another voter in the Hartman #1 camp. He delivered the goods every single time without fail.

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Originally Posted by PMR 

Yes, they did.

Holy shit- I was wrong.  I wish I wasn't.  Goddamn, that's really not one that benefits from a repeat performance.

Will Ferral at no. 2 is insane. Quite frankly I don't think anyone post -2000 should be ranked in the top 50. But then that's when I stopped watching SNL regulary.

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Originally Posted by MikeI 

My "Wait... they were on SNL?" list:

 

Anthony Michael Hall

I remember him being on because he was such an odd choice at the time but did some good work (including being the 2nd guy in the back of the van with the stolen goods being peddled by Damon Wayans, a skit which then moved on with absolutely changes to In Living Color).

Even more though, I remember him because of the great joke during the "Five Timers Club" skit they did when Tom Hanks hosted the show for the 5th time.  Essentially the idea is that there is this ritzy club where only 5 time hosts are allowed to enter and all menu items are named after SNL cast members past and present.  When Tom Hanks asks Steve Martin for a recommendation from the menu he says, "Try the Anthony Michael Hall.  It's surprisingly good."

Anyway, I would agree with Eddie Murphy at 1.  He was a freaking supernova at that time and everything he did felt funny.  After that I'd have a hard time making a list, although some of your top 10's feel pretty close.  Obviously there's going to be some mixing and matching depending on tastes.

Tim Meadows though?  I say this as probably the biggest Ladies Man fan there was, but he's too high.

Ferrel can certainly be accused of over-exposure, but his work on SNL was consistent and fantastic.  Hartman at no. 1, sure, but I don't even see the case for anyone else over him if we're not taking full careers into account.

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Originally Posted by Gabe T 
-Forte is ranked below McKinney and McKean - bullshit. Forte is at least top fifteen.

I feel like I want to agree with this, but I'm no Saturday Night Live expert so I'm probably not qualified. All I know is, with the exception of various Will Ferrell bits, Forte's "Hamilton Whiteman" is the only SNL character I've seen that is so funny it actually hurts. And most other times on the show he seemed like an extremely funny guy in search of good material. His MacGruber stuff was kinda shit though (until the movie came out and changed everything of course).

I call Shenanigans on the whole " not taking the person's entire career into account" thing.   Victoria Jackson is no comedic genius but having her at last place?   I would say the 85-86 cast deserves those bottom spots. 

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Originally Posted by dynamotv 

I call Shenanigans on the whole " not taking the person's entire career into account" thing.   Victoria Jackson is no comedic genius but having her at last place?   I would say the 85-86 cast deserves those bottom spots. 

Victoria Jackson says that men kissing is a "comedy sketch"

I have no problem believing she is the least funny person in SNL history

Worst match of comedic talent with SNL: Janeane Garofalo.

Love her, but she was miserable there the few months before she ran screaming into the night, and it showed. She happened to be there during the Sandler/Spade/Farley pinnacle of dick jokes/gay jokes, too. If Lorne wanted her as a counterpoint to that, he was gravely mistaken, and she was hardly ever on in any meaningful way anyway. She might've thrived more during the Fey regime, but even then she really didn't seem built for the kind of sketch humor SNL has come to represent. Other shows, yes. That, no.

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Originally Posted by dynamotv 

I call Shenanigans on the whole " not taking the person's entire career into account" thing.   Victoria Jackson is no comedic genius but having her at last place?   I would say the 85-86 cast deserves those bottom spots. 

Only going by their work on the show itself, I agree that Jackson is far from the worst. Too bad about her hands....

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Originally Posted by Gabe T 

The Sprockets script, which I'm pretty sure is available online, is half a parody of Wings Of Desire. Definitely unfinished, but kind of brilliant.

I read the first half or so of it once...it actually read really funny.  And I was shocked.

And for Tim Meadows, don't forget "The Quiet Storm"!

Meadows was never a break out, but he was an incredible straight man whose long and consistent tenure would place him pretty high if it were simply about what they did on the show, while his total lack of an outside career would plummet him if that's taken into account. 

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Originally Posted by dynamotv 

I call Shenanigans on the whole " not taking the person's entire career into account" thing.   Victoria Jackson is no comedic genius but having her at last place?   I would say the 85-86 cast deserves those bottom spots. 

forget for a moment that Victoria Jackson makes Michelle Bachmann seem sane....Victoria Jackson shouldn't have been at #92....she should have been much, much lower on that list...#125, 130? 

IMO, Sandler and Farley should be much lower...never found them funny in the least. They were one note actor/comedians.

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Originally Posted by Schwartz 

Meadows was never a break out, but he was an incredible straight man whose long and consistent tenure would place him pretty high if it were simply about what they did on the show, while his total lack of an outside career would plummet him if that's taken into account. 

I will always have a soft spot for Leon Phelps...."hey, it's a lady"

Been catching up with those NBC documentaries about SNL by decade and just finished "Lost and Found: SNL in the 80's".  As far as casts go, I dare say the Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Kevin Nealan cast might just be the best ensemble the show ever had.   The original cast is good too but the late 80's stuff is still hilarious while the Coneheads, the Bees, and other acts haven't done as well.   Am I nuts in thinking this?

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Originally Posted by dynamotv 

Been catching up with those NBC documentaries about SNL by decade and just finished "Lost and Found: SNL in the 80's".  As far as casts go, I dare say the Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Kevin Nealan cast might just be the best ensemble the show ever had.   The original cast is good too but the late 80's stuff is still hilarious while the Coneheads, the Bees, and other acts haven't done as well.   Am I nuts in thinking this?

Isn't it fairly accepted that this era is SNL's most consistent run even above the original cast?

I prefer the 70s version. Hey look, it's OJ Simpson as a conehead.