The 10 Most Underrated SNL Cast Members

October 11, 2025 will officially mark 50 years to the date that "Saturday Night Live" has been on the air. Across those 50 years, there have been a total of 172 comedians who have been part of the show's cast, from stars of its early years like Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner, to current cast members like James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman. The upcoming season 51 has even added a whopping five new cast members to its roster: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. 

As these new hires will soon find out, "SNL" has and always will be a Mecca for sketch comedy, where only the best of the best have a shot at becoming legendary names in the halls of 30 Rock. While recent years have seen performers like Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, and Bowen Yang become A-list actors in their own right, others have gone unnoticed in their great work on the show, at times dwarfed by the other stars of their respective eras.

Whether it's because they never got a chance to show off their best work, got fired after only a couple of seasons, or simply had a rough time working on the sketch comedy show, these 10 former "SNL" cast members are who we believe to be the most underrated in the show's entire 50-year history. With each entry, we'll also highlight some of the best sketches they were a big part of. 

It may seem redundant to include any of the original "SNL" cast from the first season in this list, considering each and every one of them have gone on to become icons in the comedy world. But, of all the main actors still alive from the first ever episode of "SNL," the one who gets way less credit than she deserves is Jane Curtin. Oftentimes, Curtin got stuck with playing straight-women characters, especially when paired as an anchor on Weekend Update with Dan Aykroyd (resulting in Aykroyd's famous quote, "Jane, you ignorant slut.")

She even nailed the straight-woman role in one of her most famous bits, a Weekend Update piece in which Curtin addresses the audience regarding the departure of Chevy Chase from "SNL," and, frustrated at complaints about her lack of sex appeal compared to Chase, undoes her blouse and flashes her bra at the camera. Given the applause break the in-studio audience gives her, it's clear that this was a watershed moment for "SNL" and its reframing of gender norms on television, carried by the articulate and composed delivery of Curtin leading up to it. 

Nevertheless, the role of the straight-woman must've been no easy feat when Curtin was sharing the screen with Gilda Radner's Roseanne Roseannadanna, or the expressive and energetic John Belushi. Outside of that, Curtin was also the irreplaceable Prymaat Conehead, the wife of Aykroyd's Beldar, a role she reprised in the 1993 film adaptation of the Coneheads sketch.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus needs little introduction in this day and age. She's an 11-time Emmy Award winner for her work on shows like "Seinfeld," "Veep," and "The New Adventures of Old Christine," and she's even joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as "Thunderbolts*" antagonist Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. But even now, there are still fans of the actress who are unaware that she was a cast member on "SNL" from 1982 to 1985, which is where she initially met "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David during his singular year on the writing staff. 

It's not too surprising that Louis-Dreyfus' work on "SNL" has been underrated over the years, because, at the time, she shared the screen with juggernauts like Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, and Christopher Guest. Nevertheless, she still showed glimmers of the Mark Twain Prize for Comedy recipient she'd eventually become, including sketches like "Calvin Klein Jeans," "Wrong Number Break-Up," and "Practical Cheerleading Squad."

In addition to originating characters like teenage "Update" correspondent Patti Lynn Hunnsucker and televangelist April May June, Louis-Dreyfus would later host "SNL" three times, giving her an adequate chance to showcase how well she fit the show had she been given more time to develop as a comedienne. Among one of the best sketches from Louis-Dreyfus' "SNL" hosting gigs is "Heroin AM," a satirical commercial for busy people who'd like to do heroin without the negative side effects of becoming tired. 

In addition to being one of the most iconic stand-up comedians of the modern era, Chris Rock's best movies have included box office blockbusters like "Madagascar," "Grown Ups," and "New Jack City." However, his stint as a cast member on "SNL" was famously ill-fated, despite joining the cast in 1990 and quickly making friends with fellow newcomers Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and Tim Meadows. He quickly stood out via appearances as himself on Weekend Update, as well as sketches like "Bank Robbery" and "The Dark Side with Nat X." 

Unfortunately, Rock's era as a cast member on "SNL" was short-lived, as he was fired after the eighteenth season ended in 1993, later citing his own lack of freedom as a performer as a reason for his failure to thrive at the show. Although he jumped to NBC's rival sketch series "In Living Color," that show's subsequent cancellation promptly ended any future for Rock as a burgeoning sketch comedian. Thankfully, he had his stand-up career and movie stardom to fall back on, which ended up securing his place as a legendary comic. 

Since leaving the cast of "SNL," Rock has returned to host four times, most recently in the 50th season. Some of his best moments as a host include playing a teenage girl's exasperated father in "Dance Vlog" or the chaotically messy "Gallbladder Surgery" from his latest hosting stint. There's also, of course, his stand-up monologues, which have been topical and, at times, scathing. 

Prior to Kenan Thompson taking the crown in 2017, Darrell Hammond was the longest-tenured cast member on "SNL" for quite a long time. He was hired in 1995 alongside Will Ferrell, Nancy Walls, and Cheri Oteri, and left the cast 14 years later in 2009. Although he anchored the show for a long time with impressions of notable figures like Bill Clinton, John McCain, and Dick Cheney, he's rarely, if ever, considered one of the show's best cast members, but he very much should be. 

Where Hammond got to shine the most at "SNL" is in the "Celebrity Jeopardy" series of sketches, in which he played a foul-mouthed Sean Connery badgering Will Ferrell's Alex Trebek with jokes about his mother. He and Ferrell also starred in iconic sketches like "Bush vs. Gore," and "Who Want to Be a Millionaire?" He also, notably, played Donald Trump long before the billionaire's White House bid, with one stand-out sketch being when the future president stars in a Domino's pizza ad.

Although Hammond was never a big enough comedy star to warrant his own "SNL" movie, he still has a major place on the show as its current announcer, having taken over from Don Pardo in 2014. However, his legendary Trump impression on the show was replaced with Alec Baldwin's for the 2016 election season, limiting Hammond's recurring screen time in future seasons. 

Chris Parnell joined "SNL" in 1998 alongside Jimmy Fallon, but quickly gained a reputation among the cast for being impervious to breaking character. This is probably best exemplified by Parnell's comedic acting in sketches like "Dr. Beaman's Office" and "Dillon-Edwards Investments," in which his dry, dead-pan delivery makes even the absurd seem logical. He's a grounding agent in some of the greatest "SNL" sketches of all time, including "More Cowbell" with one of the best "SNL" guest hosts Christopher Walken, and "Spelling Bee" with Will Forte. 

However, that's not to say that Parnell hasn't had his own star-making moments on the show, the best examples being his "Weekend Update" raps dedicated to famous women, including Kirsten Dunst and Jennifer Garner (the latter making a cameo to confront Parnell about his song). Of course, we also can't talk about Parnell and rapping without mentioning "Lazy Sunday," the sketch that skyrocketed "SNL" into the Internet era with Parnell and Andy Samberg trading bars about seeing "The Chronicles of Narnia" in theaters. 

Sadly, Parnell was also victim to the cruel machine of "SNL" firings when he was let go ahead of the show's 27th season due to budget cuts. However, as a credit to Parnell's strength as a cast member, his fellow cast-mates rallied for his return by mid-season, only to get fired once again in 2006. By that point, Parnell had already etched himself into "SNL" history with "Lazy Sunday," so he gets the last laugh.

Now, it's time for a personal favorite for this /Film writer. Vanessa Bayer joined the cast of "SNL" in 2010, and she immediately made a strong impression with memorable characters like Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy and Ms. Meadows. Even her chemistry with fellow cast-mates was immediately apparent thanks to recurring sketches with Fred Armisen, Cecily Strong, and Taran Killam. However, if she was already underrated during her first few years, the second half of her tenure on "SNL" would prove she deserves to be in conversation as one of the show's greatest heavyweights.

Notably, Bayer's later "SNL" seasons included the introduction of characters like Dawn Lazarus, a "Weekend Update" weatherwoman whose nerves are getting the best of her, or the chaotic "Santa Baby" in which she and Ryan Gosling play a couple who are obsessed with meeting Santa Claus. Above all the others, though, is perhaps one of the best recurring "SNL" sketches of the past 10 years: the "Totino's Pizza Rolls" trilogy where she plays a nameless housewife joyfully feeding her "hungry guys."

In addition to her unparalleled character work, Bayer also showcased several memorable impressions on the show, including Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Aniston, and Margaret Thatcher. Since leaving the sketch show in 2017, she's gone on to do great things, including starring in a Showtime series inspired by her own life. Still, nothing beats the joy of seeing Bayer return to the show after all these years, particularly in the recent "SNL 50" special. 

These days, Tim Robinson is a well-known figure in the world of sketch comedy thanks to his Netflix series, "I Think You Should Leave." The best "I Think You Should Leave" sketches may have even begun as scrapped ideas from Robinson's time as a writer on "SNL," after having played a role on its cast for one season, from 2012 to 2013. Despite being a clearly original comedic voice, Robinson struggled to find his place in early seasons of "SNL," with exceptions being sketches like "Roundball Rock" and "Real Estate Agents." 

Other Robinson-led sketches, like "Love Letters" and "Z-Shirt," feel like adequate precursors to the brand of cringe-inducing humor he'd perfect on "I Think You Should Leave." After his demotion (or promotion, depending on how you look at it) to being just a writer on "SNL," Robinson formed a partnership with fellow writer Zach Kanin, who he'd later go on to collaborate with on his Comedy Central sitcom "Detroiters," as well as co-create "I Think You Should Leave" with. 

Nowadays, it's hard to look back on Robinson's short-lived time on "SNL" and not feel like his potential was wasted, but if it had gone better maybe we wouldn't have brilliant sketches like "Driving Crooner" and "Hot Dog Car." At the very least, he has the connections he made at "SNL" to thank for getting to continue making generation-defining sketch comedy today. 

One of the characters Kyle Mooney played numerous times on "SNL" was stand-up comedian Bruce Chandling, whose awkward timing and hackneyed jokes would struggle to connect with an audience, leading to him making a desperate bid for sympathy with the audience. When you think about it, Bruce is really a metaphor for Mooney's entire tenure on "SNL," bringing a comedic tone that, albeit unique, didn't very much appeal to mainstream audiences and were often relegated to online-only "Cut For Time" uploads.

Some of Mooney's best work in this realm includes "Beers," a parody of poorly acted '90s sitcoms, "The Fight," a homemade video by a high schooler declaring he's going to fight his fellow classmate, and "Kyle and Leslie," one in a series of mockumentary shorts chronicling the tumultuous behind-the-scenes romance between Mooney and cast-mate Leslie Jones. Oftentimes, Mooney was at his best when paired with fellow cast-mate and longtime friend and comedy partner Beck Bennett, resulting in charmingly goofy sketches like "Pogie Pepperoni's."

Sadly, Bennett left "SNL" in 2021, whilst Mooney remained on the cast for one more season before making his own departure. Although he never really had his moment of truly connecting with casual "SNL" lovers, he's gone on to direct the horror-comedy "Y2K" and create the Netflix anthology animated series "Saturday Morning All Star Hits!," proving that there still is, somewhere, an audience for his type of weird, nostalgic, sometimes oddly sad comedy. 

Melissa Villaseñor joined the cast of "SNL" in 2016, and right from the get-go, she had to compete with the comedic brilliance of Mikey Day and the character work of Alex Moffat, who were also both starting that season. Thankfully, Villaseñor had a secret weapon at her disposal: impressions. It's quite possible that Villaseñor is one of the best impressionists that the show has ever had, nailing the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Lady Gaga, the latter giving her a stand-out moment on Weekend Update. 

"Weekend Update" would end up being where Villaseñor did her best work, either playing herself or as characters like "Every Teen Girl Murder Suspect on Law & Order." Nevertheless, especially in her later seasons she struggled to get screentime against fellow cast mates. Once Chloe Fineman was hired as the show's newest resident impressionist in 2019, Villaseñor had an even harder time feeling represented on the cast, causing her to leave "SNL" in 2022. 

Thankfully, Villaseñor's career has been going well with her stand-up pursuits, though it does feel like a missed opportunity to not let her truly shine on "SNL." At least we still have some of her best moments to look back on, like her bad bedroom flirting in "Dirty Talk," her theater kid singing in "Crucible Cast Party," or her enthusiastic response to Abraham H. Parnassus' life story in "Career Day." 

As far as recent firings at "SNL," few have shocked fans as much as the premature leaving of Chloe Troast ahead of the show's 50th season. Troast was a new addition for season 49, and quickly stood out as an incredibly necessary talent following the departure of staples like Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant, displaying not only a love for the most absurd sketches but also showing off a very gifted singing voice. One of her first big moments early on in her only season was "Little Orphan Cassidy," a sketch in which she croons as an unwanted orphan with the reluctant encouragement of the moon, played by Timothée Chalamet. 

Troast's singing would also be on full display in sketches like "Get That Boy Back," a country song about enacting psychological revenge on your ex, and "Make Your Own Kind of Music," in which she does a spectacular Mama Cass as Emma Stone re-enacts of how the song is the perfect soundtrack for slow-motion zombie killing. In addition, she showcased great chemistry with not only her fellow cast-mates, but even hosts, as evidenced in "AirBnB Design Commercial" and "Protective Mom." 

Sadly, Troast was not subject to the Chris Parnell treatment of getting re-hired, even though she showcased incredible potential and talent in just one season's worth of appearances. Maybe one day she'll get to come back and host, if someone is smart enough to start casting her in more things.