“Live from New York, it’s…Broadway!”
Broadway shares two key similarities with NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live: They’re both considered New York City mainstays, and they both boast performers with an uncanny ability to say, “Yes, and …” There’s nothing like live theater and live television, so it’s no wonder that actors have brought their comedy chops to both Studio 8H and the Theatre District. In celebration of Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary season beginning September 28, we revisit the actors who have bowed on both stages.
Five-Timer’s Club
Just like the special Five-Timers’ Club of SNL hosts (who have hosted five times), here are the SNL actors who were cast members for five-plus seasons and have been on Broadway five times.
Ana Gasteyer: A cast member on SNL from 1996 to 2002, Gasteyer became known for original characters such as Bobbi Mohan-Culp and Margaret Jo McCullen, as well as her wide range of celebrity impressions, from Martha Stewart to Christina Aguilera to Hillary Clinton. She is a frequent visitor to Broadway, beginning with her debut in The Rocky Horror Show in 2000. She returned in 2006 for The Threepenny Opera and to star as Elphaba in Wicked, and in 2009 for The Royal Family. She is currently performing as Queen Aggravain in the Sutton Foster–led Once Upon A Mattress.
Garrett Morris: Before joining SNL, Morris was a successful Broadway actor. He made his debut in the 1967 musical Hallelujah, Baby! and went on to perform in I’m Solomon, Operation Sidewinder, Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death, and What the Wine-Sellers Buy. Also a playwright, Morris was initially hired as a writer for SNL before becoming one of the original cast members in 1975, and he was the first Black cast member. Being the first Black cast member meant that Morris dealt with racism and discrimination, his characters often leaning into stereotypes. However, he did provide his own social commentary with sketches like “White Guilt Relief Fund” before leaving the cast in 1980.
Repertory Players
The Repertory Players for SNL are full-time cast members. These SNL actors were cast members for more than one season and have appeared on Broadway at least once.
Rachel Dratch: Dratch was a popular SNL cast member during her 1999–2006 run, with characters such as Debbie Downer, Professor Virginia, and Denise. On Broadway, Dratch earned a 2022 Tony Award nomination as best featured actress in a play for her performance in POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.
Will Ferrell: Ferrell is one of the most famous actors who got their start on SNL, having been a cast member from 1995–2002. The list of characters he brought to life is long and varied, from original characters such as Spartan cheerleader Craig Buchanan, “Roxbury Guy” Steve Butabi, and passionate cowbell player Gene Frenkle, to impressions of celebrities like Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek and President George W. Bush. Ferrell’s impression of Bush became such a signature, he made his Broadway debut with the solo show You’re Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush. The show was nominated for a 2009 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event, the last year of that category.
Taran Killam: From 2010–2016, Killam gave audiences plenty of laughs with his performances as Jebidiah Atkinson, Brad Pitt on the Weather, and more on SNL. As a Broadway actor, he has taken on the humorous roles of King George in Hamilton and Sir Lancelot in Spamalot.
Darrell Hammond: Perhaps most well-known for his impression of President Bill Clinton, Hammond was a SNL cast member from 1995–2009. He was seen on Broadway as the Douglas Panch replacement in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2007.
Chris Kattan: During his 1996–2003 tenure, both Kattan’s original characters and celebrity impressions became popular among SNL fans, most notably Doug Butabi, one half of the Butabi brothers. Dubbed “The Roxbury Guys,” the characters headed to the big screen in A Night at the Roxbury. In 2004, Kattan played Xanthias in Stephen Sondheim’s The Frogs on Broadway.
Molly Shannon: Shannon was a celebrated cast member from 1995–2001. Though she performed a long list of celebrity impressions, it was her original characters that were most memorable for audiences. Her best-known original character was Mary Katherine Gallagher, a teenage Catholic school student. The character became so popular, she received a feature-length film Superstar in 1999. Shannon has appeared on Broadway only once, in the 2010 revival of Promises, Promises.
Alex Moffat: During his time as an SNL cast member, from 2016–2022, Moffat showcased his many celebrity impressions, including President Joe Biden, Tucker Carlson, Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Zuckerberg. He made his Broadway debut in the 2023 comedy The Cottage.
Gilda Radner: One of the original cast members in 1975, Radner stayed with SNL until 1980, and earned a 1978 Emmy Award for her performances. She was the first actor to be cast, and she cowrote a lot of her material, such as advice expert Roseanne Roseannadanna and her parody of Barbara Walters, Baba Wawa. These characters came with Radner to Broadway in 1979 for her musical revue Gilda Radner: Live From New York. In 1980, she starred in Lunch Hour alongside Sam Waterson.
Jane Curtin: Curtin was an original cast member in 1975, and she stayed until 1980. She earned an Emmy Award nomination in 1978 for her performances, which included coanchoring Weekend Update with Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray. She was seen on Broadway in Candida, Love Letters, Noises Off, and Our Town.
Laraine Newman: Newman was an original cast member in 1975, creating original characters such as Connie Conehead, Christy Christina, and Sherry the Valley Girl. She also did celebrity impressions, such as Barbra Streisand, Shirley Temple, and her personal favorite, Lina Wertmüller. After leaving SNL in 1980, she made her Broadway debut as a replacement in Fifth of July.
Jon Lovitz: As an SNL cast member from 1985–1990, Lovitz earned two Emmy Award nominations for his performances, like for his recurring character Tommy Flanagan, the Pathological Liar, and Master Thespian. He made his Broadway debut as a replacement in Neil Simon’s 2000 comedy The Dinner Party.
Colin Quinn: First hired as a writer and featured player for SNL in 1995, Quinn became a full-time cast member in 1997. He became the host of Weekend Update after Norm Macdonald in 1998, and did so until he left in 2000. The year became anchor, he also made his Broadway debut, with his solo show, Colin Quinn: An Irish Wake, which he cowrote with Lou DiMaggio. In 2010, he returned to Broadway with another solo show, Colin Quinn: Long Story Short, directed by Jerry Seinfeld.
Julia Sweeney: Sweeney joined SNL in 1990, doing celebrity impressions, like Chelsea Clinton, Jane Pauley, and Nancy Sinatra. She also became well-known for her original character, the androgynous Pat. Pat was so popular, Sweeney starred in the 1994 feature film It’s Pat!. Two years after leaving SNL in 1994, Sweeney starred in her solo show, Julia Sweeney’s God Said “Ha!” on Broadway.
Tim Kazurinsky: During his time as an SNL cast member from 1981–1984, Kazurinsky created original characters, such as Dr. Jack Badofsky, as well as celebrity impressions, like Ozzy Ozborne and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He made his Broadway debut as Gabriel in the 2015 play An Act of God, starring Jim Parsons.
Chris Rock: Before becoming a household name, Rock got his start doing standup, and SNL from 1990–1993. He was a part of the group of male comics dubbed “Bad Boys of SNL,” which also included Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, David Spade, Norm Macdonald, and Rob Schneider, because they “to SNL. Rock performed memorable sketches such as his character Nat X’s “The Dark Side,” “Showtime at the Apollo,” and “Weekend Update: Martin Luther King Jr. Day.”
Jim Belushi: While Belushi was a cast member on SNL from 1983–1985, he created original characters, such as Hank Rippy and That White Guy. He also did celebrity impressions, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Willie Nelson, and Babe Ruth. Before joining SNL, Belushi made his Broadway debut as the Pirate King replacement in the 1981 production of The Pirates of Penzance. A decade later, he played Eddie in Conversations With My Father, and in 2011, he starred in the revival of Born Yesterday.
Honorable Mention
Tina Fey: Though audiences didn’t get to see Fey act on Broadway, she had a presence through writing the book for the musical adaptation of her 2004 smash hit film Mean Girls, earning a 2018 Tony Award nomination. She even made a special one-night-only appearance in Freestyle Love Supreme alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2021. Fey was and continues to be a fan favorite on SNL. She became SNL’s first female writer in 1999, earning an Emmy Award for writing in 2002. During her time as a cast member from 2000–2006, Fey acted in many sketches and coanchored Weekend Update for 117 episodes. Even after departing, Fey made her mark as a guest actor with her impression of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, picking up a 2009 Emmy Award for it.
Featured Players
For SNL, Featured Players are the newcomers who haven’t been promoted to Repertory Player status yet. Here, these are actors who were on SNL for up to one season and have been on Broadway at least once. You may be surprised to see some Broadway veterans — even Tony Award winners — who were cast members on SNL, if only for a few episodes!
Christine Ebersole:
- SNL cast member for 1980 season
- Broadway credits: Angel Street, On the 20th Century, Oklahoma!, Camelot, Harrigan ‘n Hart, Getting Away With Murder, The Best Man, 42nd Street (Tony Award winner), Dinner at Eight (Tony Award nominee), Steel Magnolias, Grey Gardens (Tony Award winner), Blithe Spirit, War Paint (Tony Award nominee)
Laurie Metcalf:
- SNL cast member for 1980 season (one episode)
- Broadway credits: My Thing of Love, November (Tony Award nominee), Brighton Beach Memoirs/Broadway Bound, The Other Place (Tony Award nominee), Misery (Tony Award nominee), A Doll’s House Part 2 (Tony Award winner), Three Tall Women (Tony Award winner), Hillary and Clinton (Tony Award nominee), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Grey House
Martin Short:
- SNL cast member for 1984 season
- Broadway credits: The Goodbye Girl (Tony Award nominee), Little Me (Tony Award winner), Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, It’s Only a Play
Billy Crystal:
- SNL cast member for 1984 season
- Broadway credits: 700 Sundays (actor and playwright, Tony Award winner of Special Theatrical Event), Saturday Night (Tony Award nominee for actor and book writer)
Denny Dillon:
- SNL cast member for 1980 season (13 episodes)
- Broadway credits: Gypsy, Skin of Our Teeth, Harold and Maude, My One and Only (Tony Award nominee), Enchanted April
Michael McKean:
- SNL cast member for 1994 season (joined halfway through the 1994 season, and continued for the next season)
- Broadway credits: Accomplice, Hairspray, The Pajama Game, The Homecoming, Superior Donuts, The Best Man, All the Way, The Little Foxes
George Coe:
- SNL cast member for 1975 season
- Broadway credits: What Makes Sammy Run, Mame, Company, On the Twentieth Century
Robert Downey Jr.:
- SNL cast member for 1985 season
- Broadway credits: McNeal (currently playing at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre)
Janeane Garofalo
- SNL cast member for 1994 season (14 episodes)
- Broadway credits: Marvin’s Room
Christopher Guest:
- SNL cast member for 1984 season
- Broadway credits: Moonchildren
Ann Risley:
- SNL cast member for 1980 season (12 episodes)
- Broadway credits: Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
Ben Stiller:
- SNL cast member for 1989 season (four episodes as a featured player)
- Broadway credits: The House of Blue Leaves