Saturday Night Live has given the world some of the best comedic actors ever. Many of the cast members from this show have become some of the most successful stars in the business. They have been in great comedies and have even been able to turn in great dramatic performances as well.
Lorne Michaels, the creator of SNL, certainly has a knack for finding great talent and exposing their comedic talents to audiences. While some may not be able to become as popular as others, many cast members have become household names. Here are the 10 most successful cast members from SNL, ranked.
10 Bill Hader
Hader was an absolute fan favorite during his time on SNL, especially his character Stefon. Throughout his career, Hader has found success in funny supporting roles such as Superbad, Tropic Thunder, and Hot Rod. Recently, he has had a lot more starring roles in movies such as Trainwreck and It: Chapter 2. He has also received a lot of critical praise for his more dramatic role as the lead in HBO's Barry. He even provided the voice for BB-8 in the newest Star Wars movies. Hader is always a delight to see on screen simply for how much he commits to a comedic bit or role.
9 Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Louis-Dreyfus was only on the show for 3 years. She mainly found success with her role as Elaine Benes on the show Seinfeld, one of the most acclaimed sitcoms of all time. More recently, she received a lot of praise for her role on HBO's Veep, which garnered lots of awards and critical acclaim.
She also had a voice role in Pixar's newest film, Onward. She may not have the largest catalog, but she has had some of the most success due to the popularity of the shows in which she appeared.
8 Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd is one of the most legendary members of SNL as he was one of the original members. In addition to SNL, Aykroyd starred in some of the most iconic comedies from the '80s including Ghostbusters, Trading Places, and The Blues Brothers. He was nominated for a best-supporting actor award at the Academy Awards in 1990 for Driving Miss Daisy. He has also made a pretty penny off of the House of Blues restaurant chain. Aykroyd remains active in the acting realm but hasn't been in anything recently as iconic as his older films.
7 Mike Meyers
Around the late '90s to early 2000s, Meyers was one of the most well-known names in Hollywood. The Austin Powers franchise had a lot of success at the box office and remains an iconic comedy franchise. He also found success as the vocal lead in the massively popular Shrek franchise and even turned his popular SNL sketch, Wayne's World, into 2 movies. Unfortunately, 2 flops, The Cat in the Hat and The Love Guru, may have lead to decreased demand for Meyers, but he may be on his way to having a comeback.
6 Chris Rock
Rock has been in a bunch of movies including the Madagascar movies, Lethal Weapon 4, and Grown Ups. Rock has seen a large amount of his success come from his many stand-up specials. Rock is considered by many to be one of the best active stand-up comedians. His most recent special on Netflix, Tambourine, is absolutely hysterical and shows how gifted he is at naturally being funny. In 2005, Rock also executive produced and narrated Everybody Hates Chris, a show loosely based on his childhood. Rock has also had the honor of hosting the Academy Awards twice.
5 Will Ferrell
Ferrell is a part of some of the funniest SNL sketches ever, including Celebrity Jeopardy. Outside of SNL, Ferrell has had an incredibly successful movie career. He has starred in many great comedies, such as Elf, Talladega Nights, Old School, and Step Brothers. He may be best known for his character Ron Burgundy, the legendary news anchor in Anchorman. While some of his more recent films haven't exactly been great hits, his most recent film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga proves that he is still one of the best comedic talents in the business.
4 Bill Murray
Murray is another legendary member of SNL who has had a career in film that has lasted for more than 4 decades. He has been in classic comedies, such as Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Stripes, and Groundhog Day. In 2004, he was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor for his performance in Lost in Translation.
He has also become a favorite of director Wes Anderson, usually having a supporting role in each movie. Murray is considered a legend in the realm of comedy and he still continues to make audiences laugh.
3 Robert Downey Jr.
It's easy to forget that Downey, Jr. was ever on SNL because he was only on it for one season back in 1985. Since then, Downey jr. has become one of the biggest movie stars in the world, primarily due to his role as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In his many film roles, RDJ, is still able to show how he has a lot of comedic chops mixed in with his dramatic talents. His role in Tropic Thunder is a hilarious one that even earned him an Academy Award nomination for best-supporting actor. He has also played Sherlock Holmes and received a nomination for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin.
2 Eddie Murphy
Murphy has had a lot of success in both stand-up and in film. He dominated the '80s comedy movie landscape with hits such as Trading Places, Coming To America, 48 Hrs, and the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. In addition to that, voice roles such as Mushu in Mulan and Donkey in the Shrek movies have led to even further success for Murphy. He has also shown that he can shine in dramatic roles, such as Dreamgirls which he was nominated for an Oscar for. He has not been in much recently, but the success of his most recent film Dolemite is My Name suggests that Murphy is ready for a comeback.
1 Adam Sandler
Sandler was actually fired from SNL in 1995. It's Sandler, though, who has the last laugh. Not only has Sandler had a very successful movie career, but he has the highest net worth out of any SNL member at $420 million. His production company, Happy Madison, has produced a lot of high-grossing comedy movies, even if they may not be the best quality. Throughout his career, he has had a lot of hits including The Waterboy, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, Grown Ups, and the Hotel Transylvania movies. Films like Punch-Drunk Love and Uncut Gems prove that Sandler is also a solid dramatic actor as well. Whether his movies have audiences laughing or not, Sandler is the one laughing all the way to the bank.
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