Not Ready For Prime Time Players
Writers
Cast members on SNL are expected to write; those that don't write often and well end up not getting parts and eventually leaving the show. Three groups serve as ?farm clubs? for the cast and writing staff: the improvisational comedy troupes the Groundlings and The Second City, and the Harvard Lampoon. Each of the three brings a different perspective:
- performers from the Groundlings often end up creating the vivid recurring characters which are one hallmark of the show;
- writer-performers from Second City are known for ?aesthetic perfectionism?; they tinker obsessively with the wording and inflections of a punch line or the behavioral details of a character;
- writers from the Lampoon emphasize the conceptual premise of a sketch, taking a boyhood fantasy to an extreme, for example.
List of cast members
The following list of cast members includes both featured and repertory players. The dates given are the dates of the season in which they first appeared as a player and the season when they left. For example, Bill Murray first appeared on the show in 1977. However, the season began in 1976. Therefore, the date given on the listing will specify 1976.
Those cast members who have been the subject of a "Best of SNL" videotape or DVD are marked with a (¤).
The Not Ready For Primetime Players (1975-1978)
Started 1979-1985
Started 1985-1989
Started 1990-1994
Started 1995-1999
Started 2000-2001
- Jerry Minor (2000-2001)
- Dean Edwards (2001-2003)
- Jeff Richards (2001-2004)
Current repertory players
Current featured players
- Fred Armisen (2002-present)
- Finesse Mitchell (2003-present)
- Kenan Thompson (2003-present)
