Hey! In this post, we will consider the best hosts of Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Live is one of the most popular shows. Lorne Michaels started the show in 1975 which aired on NBC. George Carlin hosted the premiere of Saturday Night Live. The exciting element about SNL is that it has different guest hosts every week.
The multiple award-winning show was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. It is one of the longest-running network TV programs in the US. SNL earned forty-five Emmy Awards.
Moreover, the Weekend Update segment attracted millions of viewers and several people hosted it. The cast of the show includes experienced repertory and newer members. Saturday Night Live has aired more than nine hundred episodes. Its fiftieth season will be aired in 2025.
Let’s learn the best and most popular Saturday Night Live hosts without further discussion. The guests who have hosted the show five times or more became Five-Timers Club members. There has been a long list of hosts, from the youngest host, Drew Barrymore to the oldest, Betty White, and the Five-Timers Tom Hanks, Danny DeVito, and Scarlett Johansson. Several politicians also hosted the show. Here is the list of the twenty most popular hosts. Also, you must watch the most popular comedians on Joe Rogan podcasts.
1- Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks is one of the hosts who appeared the most on Saturday Night Live. He is a successful actor best known for movies Splash, A League of Their Own, Terminal, Apollo, and Captain Phillips.
Hanks owns a production company Playtone and produced several series and shows. Forbes included Hanks on its list of the top ten world’s most powerful celebrities thrice. Some of his most popular SNL episodes are Black Jeopardy, Haunted Elevator, and Knights of the Realm.
2- Steve Martin
Next up is another Five-Timers Club member of SNL, Steve Martin. Martin appeared as a host sixteen times since his debut in 1976. He is famous for his comedic roles in television series, and movies. He is one of the most popular stand-up comedians toured nationally.
Steve Martin wrote multiple books and plays. Apart from that, he is also a musician and won Grammy Awards for his musical works. King Tut, Coneheads: IRS, The Festrunk Brothers, and Theatre Stories are his best SNL sketches.
3- Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson appeared in Saturday Night Live more than five times. She debuted in Hollywood with the film North. She is among the highest-grossing actresses. Johansson portrayed the role of Black Widow in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Iron Man 2, Captain America: Civil War. and The Avengers.
Several publications named her among the most attractive women in the world. You must watch her SNL sketches I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, A Conway Marriage Story, Hallmark Dating Show, and Monologue.
4- Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin is the most appeared host on Saturday Night Live. He hosted the show seventeen times and seven left Steve Martin(16 times) behind. He played the role of Donald Trump in an SNL sketch that earned him a Prime Emmy Award.
Baldwin’s most famous SNL sketches include Brenda the Waitress, Soap Opera Digest, Glengarry Christmas: Elf Motivation, and Donald Trump Oval Office Cold Open.
5- Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase has been an original cast member of Saturday Night Live. He is famous for the segment Weekend Update. He used to say the catchphrase “I’m Chevy Chase… and you’re not”. Chevy Chase earned fame with the show and later started his acting career.
Chase became a successful actor with his comedic roles in the films National Lampoon’s Vacation, Modern Problems, and Fletch Lives. He had a narrow escape from electrocution while shooting for the film “Modern Problems.” He is truly an exceptional comedian.
6- Emma Stone
The La La Land actress appeared as a host on Saturday Night Live five times. She gave stellar performances in the sketches The Christmas Candle, The Actress, and I Broke My Arm. She married Dave McCary in 2020 whom she met in 2016 on SNL.
Besides, Stone and McCary own the production company Fruit Tree. Emma Stone worked across a variety of genres. She became the highest-paid actress in 2017. In the film Kinds of Kindness, she portrayed three roles. It premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
7- John Goodman
John Goodman is a renowned actor who hogged the limelight with the series Roseanne. He appeared in several hit television series like Treme, Alpha House, and The Righteous Gemstones. Goodman is best known for his films The Big Lebowski, Argo, Matinee, and Patriots Day.
He is a big fan of the professional baseball team St. Louis Cardinals. Goodman is a recurring host of Saturday Night Live. He hosted the show thirteen times. His best sketches include Adult School Badass, Too Hot, Happy Smile Patrol, and Neil Diamond Storytellers.
8- Christopher Walken
American actor Christopher Walken hosted Saturday Night Live seven times. He is a widely popular actor who has appeared in numerous television series and films throughout his long-spanning career. The actor was included in Channel 4’s 100 greatest stars of all time.
Apart from lead roles, he has done antagonist roles as well. Walken received several prestigious accolades including the BAFTA, Academy, and Screen Actors Guild awards. His SNL sketches The Continental Anticipation, Cowbell, Meet the Family, and Biden Halloween Cold Open became highly popular.
9- Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore is the youngest host of Saturday Night Live, she hosted the show at seven. Drew belongs to the famous Drewmore family. Most of her relatives are successful actors. She began acting in childhood and earned several awards throughout her career.
Her best films include Charlie’s Angels, Riding in Cars with Boys, Fever Pitch, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and 50 First Dates. The actress has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She appeared on SNL six times.
10- Danny DeVito
Danny Devito is a legendary actor and filmmaker. He hosted SNL six times and is a member of the Five-Timers Club. He began his with the off-Broadway musicals. It was the television sitcom Taxi that made him popular. He portrayed the role of Louie De Palma.
DeVito co-founded the production company Jersey Films. In addition to his comedic and acting talents, DeVito directed films. He made his directorial debut with the dark comedy Throw Momma from the Train. His most famous films include Twins, Jack the Bear, Jumanji: The Next Level, and L.A. Confidential.
11- Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake is one of the most popular SNL hosts. He comes from a family of musicians and became one of the best-selling recording artists. He established himself as a successful actor with the films The Love Guru, Friends with Benefits, and Palmer.
Timberlake is a member of the Five-Timers Club. His famous Saturday Night Live sketches are Single Ladies, D*** in a Box, The Barry Gibb Talk Show, and At Home With Beyonce And Jay-Z.
12- Will Ferrell
The renowned comedy actor Will Ferrell has hosted SNL five times. After doing several minor roles in TV series like Living Single and Grace Under Fire, he joined SNL. He is famous for comedic roles in hit films Step Brothers, Elf, Kicking and Screaming, and Barbie.
Ferrell became the highest-paid SNL cast member in 2001. The British GQ publication named Will Ferrell the best comedian. Will Ferrell’s must-watch SNL sketches are Celebrity Jeopardy, Jeffrey’s, and Dissing Your Dog.
13- Dwayne Johnson
Actor Dwayne Johnson aka Rock appeared on the highly anticipated show SNL. He is one of the highest-paid actors in the world and best known for Fast & Furious films. He portrayed the role of Luke Hobbs. His highest-grossing films are Furious 7, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, The Fate of the Furious, San Andreas, and Black Adam.
Dwayne Johnson is a world-famous wrestler. Before acting, he was a wrestler for eight years in the World Wrestling Federation(WWF) and also co-owns the United Football League.
14- Kristen Wiig
American actress and comedian Kristen Carroll Wiig started his career with The Groundlings. After appearing in several shows, she hogged the limelight appearing in the Saturday Night Live. She is also a member of the Five-Timers Club of the show.
Her breakthrough came with the comedy film The Bridesmaids. She also wrote the screenplay with Annie Mumulo. In 2012, Time ranked Kristen Wiig among the 100 Most influential people in the world. Wiig voiced characters in animated films like Despicable Me and Gift of the Night Fury.
15- Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould is one of the popular SNL hosts. He hosted the show six times and was a member of the Five-Timers Club. He began his acting journey with Broadway musicals. His breakthrough role came with the film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.
Gould worked across a variety of genres. His best films include Ocean’s Eleven, The Silent Partner, The Touch, and Little Murders. He also starred in popular television series Friends, Ray Donovan, Mulaney, and The Lincoln Lawyer.
16- Melissa McCarthy
Actress Melissa McCarthy hosted SNL for five times. Her best SNL sketches are Taste Test, Pizza Business, Million Dollar Wheel, Girlfriend’s Talk Show, and Outside the Lines. She also earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
McCarthy made her debut with the NBC TV series Jenny. She played a minor role in the comedy movie “Go”. Melissa McCarthy was ranked among the list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century by The New York Times. She co-founded the production company On the Day Productions.
17- John Mulaney
Comedian and actor John Mulaney hails from Chicago. He developed an interest in acting when he was five. He performed in various plays and also worked as an office assistant in Comedy Central. Mulaney initially started as a writer in the Saturday Night Live show.
Later, he hosted SNL as well and became a member of the Five-Timers Club. He also worked as a stand-up comedian in a variety of shows including Late Night With Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and Live at Gotham.
18- Buck Henry
Buck Henry was one of the most appeared hosts on Saturday Night Live. He has hosted ten times from 1970 to 1980. Henry was a prolific actor, director, and writer. His mother was a silent film actress while his father was an Air Force brigadier general.
Henry made his acting debut with Broadway’s Life With Father at fifteen. The multitalented Buck Henry won several awards for his works. Some of them include a Primetime Emmy, a Golden Globe, the Venice Film Festival, and the British Film Academy Awards.
19- Tina Fey
Tina Fey is a famous comedian and actress. She started her career performing shows with the improvisational comedy troupe The Second City. She joined the improv theatre Improv Olympic. Afterward, she joined SNL as a writer and became SNL’s first female head writer.
Fey eventually started performing sketches. She is a Five-Timers Club member and hosted SNL six times. Her memoir Bossypants topped the New York Times Bestseller list for five weeks. Time included her twice among the list of 100 most influential people in the world.
20- Candice Bergen
American actress Candice Bergen hosted SNL five times. She was the first woman to host the show and became a Five-Timers Club member. She made her acting debut with the film The Group. Her popular films include Live for Life, Sand Pebbles, Gandhi, The Wind and the Lion, and Soldier Blue.
Candice Bergen started her talk show Exhale on Oxygen and she was herself the host. She also appeared in popular television series like The Muppet Show, Sex and the City, Boston Legal, and The Conners
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