Saturday Night Live is one of the most-watched sketch comedy programs on television. It has been broadcast for more than 40 years, and over the years, it has had a tremendous cast of comics. The program has received numerous honors, including Emmys.
The excellent lineup of comedians on Saturday Night Live is among the factors contributing to its enormous popularity. The show has previously included some of the biggest stars in comedy. In this list, we will highlight the 48th-season cast member of the program as well as those that departed before the new season premiered.
#17: Sarah Sherman
Best recognized for her work on Saturday Night Live, Sarah Sherman is an actress, playwright, and comedian. Sarah gained notoriety as a cast member of Saturday Night Live’s 47th season in 2021.
Her comedic style is renowned for its surrealism and body horror. Her writing credits include “Magic for Humans,” “The Eric Andre Show,” and “Three Busy Debras.” She began her career in Chicago, where she even had her own monthly show called “Helltrap Nightmare.”
In addition to her work on Saturday Night Live, Sarah also wrote the screenplay for the reality comedy film “Jackass Forever” and starred in the Netflix comedy “You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah.”
#16: Punkie Johnson
Jessica Williams, better known by the stage name Punkie Johnson, is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Punkie was born on April 29, 1985, in New Orleans, Louisiana, though she currently resides in New York.
She is well-known for her Saturday Night Live and The Comedy Store performances. Before the start of the 48th season in 2022, she was elevated to a repertory position after joining the latter during its 46th season as a featured player.
Additionally, Punkie has made appearances in a number of movies and television episodes, including “Space Force,” “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Sixteen Thousand Dollars,” “The Adventures of Whit,” “Love Life,” and “Ghosts.”
#15: Molly Kearney
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Molly Kearney is a stand-up comedian and performer who goes by the pronouns they/them. After being revealed to be the first non-binary cast member of the program, Molly is currently a part of the Saturday Night Live cast.
Additionally, they have had appearances in “A League of Their Own” and “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” among other movies and television shows.
#14: Mikey Day
In Orange, California, on March 20, 1980, Mikey Day, an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer, was born. Since debuting as a writer in the show’s 39th season, Mikey has been a cast member on Saturday Night Live.
Later, during the show’s 42nd season, he was appointed as a featured player. He was then elevated to the position of repertory player at the start of the 44th season. He worked as an on-air correspondent for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Jay Leno Show before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live.
He has also appeared in films such as “American Hustle: The Movie,” “Brother Nature,” “Hubie Halloween,” “Home Sweet Home Alone,” “The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special,” and became the host of “Is It Cake?”
#13: Michael Longfellow
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, comedian, actor, and writer Michael Longfellow is renowned for his observant comedy. For the 48th season of Saturday Night Live, Michael will be a prominent player in SNL cast 2022.
During the start of his career, he already performed in comedy clubs across the country and has performed at the “Netflix Is A Joke” festival. He has also appeared on “Conan” and the NBC reality competition series “Bring The Funny.”
#12: Michael Che
Born in New York City on May 19, 1983, Michael Che is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. The Weekend Update segment of Saturday Night Live, which he co-hosted with Colin Jost, is where Michael is best known for his work.
He originally came to the attention of the public as a journalist on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and then in late 2014, he was hired by Saturday Night Live to co-anchor Weekend Update for its 40th season.
In addition to his work on television, he has also performed stand-up comedy on several occasions and appeared in multiple movies and tv series, including “Chinese Puzzle,” “Lyle,” “Top Five,” “That Damn Michael Che,” and “Michael Che: Shame the Devil.”
#11: Marcello Hernandez
Born in Miami, Florida, Marcello Hernandez is an American comedian. Having joined the cast of Saturday Night Live season 48, Marcello is most known for his work on that program.
He was born and raised in Miami and later moved to New York to pursue his stand-up career in 2019 after completing his degree in Entrepreneurship and Communication at John Carroll University.
On social media platforms, he had previously performed humor and short-form pieces, such as the TikTok review show “Only in Dade” about his hometown of Miami, Florida, which aired once a week.
#10: Kenan Thompson
Born in Columbus, Ohio, on May 10, 1978, Kenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian. The NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live is where Kenan is most recognized for his work as a cast member. He has been a part of the show since 2003 and is presently the longest-running cast member in the show’s history.
Along with that, he has made appearances in a wide range of movies and TV shows, such as “Kenan & Kel,” “All That,” “Good Burger,” “The Mighty Ducks franchise,” “Fat Albert,” “Snakes on a Plane,” and “Wild ‘n Out.”
#9: James Austin Johnson
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, James Austin Johnson is an American actor and comedian. James is best recognized for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for making impressions of former President Donald Trump. He has even been dubbed “the best Trump impersonator” on occasion.
Additionally, he has made appearances in various movies and television shows, including “Blue Like Jazz,” “Hail, Caesar!” “Adam Ruins Everything,” “Better Call Saul,” “All Rise,” and “The G Word.” He was chosen to become a featured character on SNL in 2021.
#8: Heidi Gardner
Heidi Gardner is an American comedian, writer, and actress who was born on July 27, 1983, in Kansas City, Missouri. Heidi has been a cast member on Saturday Night Live since 2017.
Before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live for its 43rd season in 2017, she enrolled in a number of acting classes, including those at The Groundlings Theatre and Sunday Company.
In addition to being a skilled actress and comedian, she has also made appearances in a variety of movies and television programs, including “Dibs!” “Life of the Party,” “Making Babies,” “Otherhood,” “Hustle,” “Girls5eva,” and “That Damn Michael Che.”
#7: Ego Nwodim
Actress and comedian Ego Nwodim hails from the US. Ego is a cast member on Saturday Night Live and was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 10, 1988. She attended the University of Southern California.
Prior to working on Saturday Night Live, she started her comedy career in college by doing improv and stand-up at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She has additionally appeared in shows of “Magic Camp,” “The Broken Hearts Gallery,” “Spin Me Round,” and “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” on television.
#6: Devon Walker
Devon Walker is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and writer best known for being one of the 48th seasons featured players on Saturday Night Live. His birthplace was Austin, Texas.
Walker started doing stand-up comedy in Austin in 2015, and since then, he has performed both domestically and abroad. His television appearances include “Big Mouth” and “Everything’s Trash.” In 2019, he even got his own special on Comedy Central Stand-Up Featuring.
#5: Colin Jost
Born in New York, USA, on June 29, 1982, Colin Jost is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Colin is a cast member of Saturday Night Live. Since 2014, he has co-anchored the show’s “Weekend Update” segment.
He has contributed writing to SNL since 2005. Along with his work on television, Colin has also acted in movies like “Staten Island Summer,” “How to Be Single,” “Tom & Jerry,” “Coming 2 America,” and “Worst Man.” He is also well-known for being married to actress Scarlett Johansson at the moment.
#4: Chloe Fineman
Born on July 20, 1988, in Berkeley, California, Chloe Fineman is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Coolidge, Megan Fox, JoJo Siwa, and Tiffany Trump are just a few of the famous people Chloe has impersonated on Saturday Night Live.
She has also appeared on other tv shows, and films such as “Home Team,” “Father of the Bride,” “Babylon,” “High Fidelity,” “Search Party,” “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens,” and “Dickinson.” Chloe appeared on Saturday Night Live for the first time in 2019 as a featured player and joined the program once again for Season 48.
#3: Cecily Strong
Cecily Strong is an American actress and comedian who was born on February 8, 1984, in Springfield, Illinois. The majority of people are familiar with Cecily from her work on Saturday Night Live, where she has been a cast member since 2012.
She has also acted in a number of movies and television shows, such as “Ghostbusters,” “The Female Brain,” “Sparring Partner,” and “Schmigadoon!” where she also serves as a producer.
She started out in improvisation and sketch comedy at Chicago’s Second City and iO Theater. After returning for season 48, the actress joined the cast of Saturday Night Live as a featured player in 2012 and went on to become one of the longest-running female cast members in the show’s history.
#2: Bowen Yang
Born on November 6, 1990, in Brisbane, Australia, Bowen Yang is an Australian-born Chinese-American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Bowen’s work on Saturday Night Live, where he has been a cast member since 2019 but joined the program as a staff writer for the first time in 2018, is what has made him most well-known.
As a matter of fact, he is the third openly gay male cast member in the history of the program and the first Chinese-American performer to join. In addition to his career in the comedy industry, he has also made appearances in a number of other movies, including “Isn’t It Romantic,” “Cicada,” “The Lost City,” “Fire Island,” “Bros,” “Girls5eva,” and a “The Kardashians” episode.
#1: Andrew Dismukes
Andrew Dismukes was born on June 21, 1995, in Houston, Texas. He is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. The majority of people are familiar with Andrew via his work on Saturday Night Live, where he has been a cast member since 2020, or the show’s 46th season, and a repertory performer since its 48th season.
Beginning in 2017 and continuing through 2020, Andrew also served as the show’s writer. In addition to his work on SNL, he has also had appearances in “Inside Joke at Moontower” and “Call Me Brother,” among other movies, television shows, and documentaries.
Andrew has been nominated for numerous honors, including Primetime Emmys and Writers Guild of America Awards, both for his work on Saturday Night Live. In addition, he is a rising star in the comedy industry and is someone to keep an eye out for in the future.
The Saturday Night Live Cast That Quit After Season 47
#8: Pete Davidson
Pete Davidson is an American comedian and actor who was born on November 16, 1993, in New York City. Pete is well-known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2014 and 2022.
He has also appeared in films and other tv shows, including “The Suicide Squad,” “I Want You Back,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” “Marmaduke,” “Good Mourning, “Meet Cute,” “The Freak Brothers,” “Ricky Velez: Here’s Everything,” “The Now,” “The Kids in the Hall,” and even has his own show named “Pete Davidson Presents: The Best Friends.”
Davidson began his career appearing in multiple films and television series before switching to standup comedy, in which his first televised standup aired as part of a second-season episode of the Comedy Central program “Gotham Comedy Live.”
He joined the cast of SNL with the show’s 40th-season premiere in 2014 and became its first cast member to be born in the 1990s and its youngest. Since then, more opportunities have come his way in the entertainment industry.
Aside from his work, his name became much more known for dating several huge celebrities, including Kate Beckinsale, who became engaged to Ariana Grande after dating for just a few weeks and eventually called it off, and recently, he dated Kim Kardashian, which led to his feud with Kanye West.
#7: Melissa Villaseñor
Melissa Villaseñor is a stand-up comedian, singer, artist, and actress who was born in Whittier, California, on October 9, 1987. Melissa is a cast member on Saturday Night Live, having joined the 42nd season in 2016 and left at the end of its 47th season.
She has appeared on several TV shows, including America’s Got Talent, where she became a semifinalist, “Crashing,” “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens,” “Summer Camp Island,” “Q-Force,” and “Amphibia.”
For her film credits, it includes “The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It,” “Laid in America,” and “Hubie Halloween.”
#6: Kyle Mooney
Kyle Mooney is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer who was born on September 4, 1984, in San Diego, California. Kyle is a cast member of the sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live.
He first came to national attention as a YouTube personality, making videos with his friends as a teenager. He joined SNL season in 2013 and was later hired as its writer the following year. In 2017, he co-wrote the film “Brigsby Bear,” and in 2021, he also did the same in “Saturday Morning All Star Hits!”
He has appeared in several films, including “Hello, My Name Is Doris,” “Me Him Her,” “Zoolander 2,” “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” “Never Goin’ Back,” “The Unicorn,” and “Spree.”
#5: Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon is an American actress, comedian, and writer who was born on January 6, 1984, in Sea Cliff, New York. Kate is best known for her portrayal of characters on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live.
She has also appeared in films and tv shows such as “Irreplaceable You,” “Family,” “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” “Yesterday,” “Bombshell,” “The Bubble,” “DC League of Super-Pets,” “Friends from College,” “Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner,” and “Joe vs. Carole.”
#4: Chris Redd
Chris Redd is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and writer who was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Chris has been a cast member on Saturday Night Live since 2017. However, he decided to leave the show on its 48th season.
He initially started as a rapper but later switched to sketch comedy after finding interest in it. He has also appeared in films such as “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” “Disjointed,” “Vampires vs. the Bronx,” “Scare Me,” “Bust Down,” and “Kenan.”
#3: Aristotle Athari
Aristotle Athari is an actor, filmmaker, and comedian who is known for being a cast member of Saturday Night Live on its 47th season. Aristotle was born on July 28, 1991, in Plano, Texas.
He started his career in stand-up comedy; Athari began collaborating with Muslim-American comedians Hasan Minhaj, Asif Ali, and Fahim Anwar on sketches under the group name “Goatface.” Since then, he became well-known and eventually landed a spot as a cast member on SNL in 2021 as its featured player.
As a matter of fact, Aristotle is the first Middle-Eastern male on the show and the second cast member of Iranian descent in the show’s history. He is also known for his work in other tv shows and films, including “Hanging in Hedo,” “Funny Man,” “The Coop,” and “Silicon Valley.”
#2: Alex Moffat
Alex Moffat is a comedian, actor, and writer. Alex is best recognized for his work on Saturday Night Live, where he first appeared as a featured player in 2016 and later rose to the position of the main cast member in 2018.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 25, 1982. He has also appeared in the films “Uncle John,” for which he was nominated as Best Actor in Midwest Independent Film Festival, “Rachel,” “Someone Great,” “The Opening Act,” “Holidate,” “Dating and New York,” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog.”
#1: Aidy Bryant
Aidy Bryant is an American comedian, actress, writer, and producer. The NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where Aida has been a cast member since 2012, is where she is best known for her work.
She was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 7, 1987. Aside from being a cast member of SNL, she is also the creator and star of the Hulu comedy series “Shrill.”
In addition to her work on television, Bryant has appeared in the films “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” “Kids,” “Prom Queen,” “Brother Nature,” “Darby Forever,” “The Big Sick,” “The Star,” and “I Feel Pretty.”