Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Role: Cast member
Time connected SNL: 1985-1986

Long earlier Robert Downey Jr. was successful the Marvel Cinematic Universe, helium was portion of the Saturday Night Live universe.

The Iron Man prima was connected the amusement for lone play 11, with him joining SNL the aforesaid twelvemonth creator Lorne Michaels returned to the programme aft being distant for 5 years. The Peacock documentary SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night called this play "The Weird Year" and described it arsenic a pugnacious clip successful which Lorne was trying to prevention the amusement from cancellation.

As Robert admitted connected a 2016 occurrence of The Howard Stern Show, "It wasn't similar we were blowing everyone's minds."

However, the Oscar victor noted helium looks backmost astatine that agelong "fondly" and that it provided "great training." In fact, Robert, who returned to big SNL successful 1996, told Howard Stern, "It is astir apt the astir breathtaking week you tin person connected Earth."

Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Role: Featured performer
Time on SNL: 2004 to 2005

If you ever request manifesting advice, possibly inquire Rob Riggle. The Let's Be Cops histrion antecedently revealed however helium went from grooming to go a aviator to mounting his intentions to beryllium connected SNL.

"I hadn't discontinue thing successful my life," he recalled connected a 2024 occurrence of the Diggin' Deep Podcast. "I said, 'If I quit, it's gotta matter. It's gotta count. So what americium I going to do?' The archetypal happening I wrote was ‘I’m going to get connected Saturday Night Live’ successful that book. Ten years later, 2 wars, a marriage, a child, successful September of 2004—almost to the day—I got connected Saturday Night Live. So you constitute your things down, you perpetrate to them and you bash them."

In fact, it was however Rob got his commencement successful amusement business.

"My archetypal occupation ever was Saturday Night Live," helium added connected a 2023 interrogation with The A.V. Club, "and I deliberation that was a imagination travel true."

Raymond Bonar/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Role: Featured performer
Time connected SNL: Less than a play successful 1989

Ben Stiller had a abbreviated tally connected Saturday Night Live—like truly short.

In fact, according to The New York Times, the Zoolander prima was connected the sketch drama bid for lone 4 episodes. And helium inactive remembers Lorne's absorption erstwhile helium quit.

"He was like, 'OK. Ben’s going to bash what Ben’s going to do,'" helium said successful his champion Lorne dependable during a January 2025 occurrence of The New York Times' The Interview podcast. "It wasn’t great, but I knew that I couldn’t bash good determination due to the fact that I wasn’t large astatine unrecorded performing."

Ben added helium "got excessively nervous" connected the show, "didn’t bask it" and wanted to marque abbreviated films instead. Plus, helium was funny successful doing 1990's The Ben Stiller Show connected MTV.

"It had been my imagination to beryllium connected Saturday Night Live," the Severance manager continued portion reflecting connected his determination to leave, "but looking backmost connected it, I don’t retrieve precisely however I had the gumption, but for immoderate reason, I followed that instinct."

Still, Ben  has occasionally  returned—hosting successful 1998 and 2011 arsenic good arsenic making astonishment cameos implicit the years.

Raymond Bonar/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Role: Writer
Time connected SNL: 1987 - 1995

You amended telephone your friends and archer them Bob Odenkirk was erstwhile a writer connected Saturday Night Live. In fact, the Better Call Saul prima wrote the celebrated sketch successful which the precocious Chris Farley played Matt Foley—a motivational talker who lived successful a van down by the river.

"I wrote that unsocial successful my flat successful Chicago erstwhile we were doing Second City together," Bob recalled connected a 2021 occurrence of The Howard Stern Show. "It's 1 of the fewer sketches—and I've written thousands of sketches—but not galore of them are done the mode you wrote them erstwhile you sat down and wrote them. And that's 1 of them. That motivational talker came retired conscionable similar that, perfect. And of course, Chris elevates it to a full different place."

The histrion adjacent won an Emmy for his penning connected SNL. However, he's expressed regret implicit however helium behaved astatine the time.

"I privation I wasn't specified a stuck-up young man," Bob admitted connected a 2021 occurrence of PeopleTV's Couch Surfing. "I privation I was a sweeter chap due to the fact that I had a large accidental there. I made the astir of it. I learned a batch astir drama penning and I made immoderate large friends for beingness astatine that show, but I inactive privation I'd conscionable handled it better. But don't you ever privation that astir your young self?"

Saturday Night Live/YouTube

Role: Featured performer
Time connected SNL: Two cameos, 1 successful 1981 and 1 successful 1988

If you don't retrieve seeing Laurie Metcalf connected Saturday Night Live, it's astir apt due to the fact that she had lone 2 little appearances. As she erstwhile recalled connected Late Night with SNL alum Seth Meyers, the archetypal was successful 1981 erstwhile she did a "man connected the street" bit, and the 2nd was successful 1988 erstwhile she starred successful "Laurie Has a Story" with Catherine O'Hara.

"You know, it seems similar a imagination due to the fact that it was truthful agelong agone and it was a whirlwind 5 days I spent successful New York," the Lady Bird actress besides told Vulture successful 2019. "I deliberation it was my archetypal travel to New York ever. I didn’t cognize anybody and I was enactment up successful a hotel. They enactment maine successful a concern suit and sent maine retired connected the thoroughfare with a small mini–camera crew. I was truthful retired of my element; I had nary thought what I was doing. But I cognize that I did it due to the fact that determination is proof, determination is footage. When I spot that, I recognize I was precise naïve and brave astir it successful a way. Like, Okay, you privation maine to bash this? Okay, let’s go."

Will Heath/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Role: Writer
Time connected SNL: 1984-1985

The communicative of however Larry David discontinue his occupation arsenic a Saturday Night Live writer volition leave audiences laughing.

"My sketches would bash precise good astatine the readthrough, and past they would invariably get chopped week aft week aft week," the Curb Your Enthusiasm prima explained connected a 2015 occurrence of The Howard Stern Show. "And past 1 night, earlier the show, different sketch of excavation was chopped astatine 11:25—five minutes earlier the amusement was to start. I had enough."

So, Larry continued, helium walked implicit to enforcement shaper Dick Ebersol and said, "This f--king amusement stinks. It stinks! It’s s--t! I’m done! I’m gone! F--k this! I’m out!”

As helium walked location successful the cold, helium added, helium realized what helium had done and however overmuch wealth helium would lose. So, Larry returned the adjacent week arsenic if thing had happened.

"There’s a writers’ gathering each Monday morning, and I locomotion into the meeting," helium continued. "The writers had heard the outburst, and I sat down. And past helium would spell astir and inquire everybody what they were moving connected for the week. And I was astir the 5th 1 connected the couch. And past helium got to maine and I was like, 'Well, I’m reasoning of doing this circus sketch.'"

Larry got to support his job, but stayed for lone astir a year. But it was present the Seinfeld creator met his sitcom's prima Julia Louis-Dreyfus. 

Over the years, Larry has hosted SNL doubly and made galore impermanent appearances, including playing Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Role: Cast member
Time connected SNL: 1982-1985

While galore cognize Julia Louis-Dreyfus for her roles connected Seinfeld and Veep, not everyone whitethorn retrieve that she was a formed subordinate connected SNL for 3 years. In fact, she was hired to articulation the amusement portion she was inactive successful college.

Still, the actress—whose hubby Brad Hall was besides connected SNL—admits she didn't emotion her acquisition connected Saturday Night Live.

"I didn't person tons of fun," she told Andy Cohen connected a 2020 occurrence of Radio Andy. "No, but I did larn a ton. I was truly ace young. I was 21. I went into it precise naively. So I learned a batch truly quickly."

In fact, Julia likened SNL to "grad school" for drama and said it helped power which opportunities she took connected successful the future.

"I acceptable my priorities consecutive for starters," she added. "I came retired of that thinking, 'This wasn't arsenic amusive arsenic I've had doing improv shows and Second City and each that benignant of worldly backmost successful Chicago. And I request to find that. And if I can't find that, if it doesn't exist, I'm not gonna bash this.'"

Still, Julia has returned to SNL galore times—making past successful 2006 arsenic the archetypal pistillate erstwhile formed subordinate to big and taking connected the relation 2 much times.

M. Lewis Jr./NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Role: Featured performer
Time connected SNL: Less than a play successful 1986.

Damon Wayans' clip connected Saturday Night Live was besides brief. In fact, helium erstwhile revealed helium got fired aft 7 shows.

"Eddie Murphy had conscionable left," the My Wife and Kids prima explained connected a 2020 occurrence of The Breakfast Club. "So Lorne Michaels was trying, helium thought, [to] support maine from being compared to Eddie Murphy. I was like, 'Look, springiness maine the shot oregon fto maine go. Fire maine from the team.' So, helium wouldn't springiness maine the ball, truthful I conscionable switched characters during a unrecorded taping. I wanted to get fired."

Damon said helium changed his quality to beryllium a "super, ace flamboyant cheery cop" successful a sketch that was a spoof connected Miami Vice called Mr. Monopoly.

"I did it with the incorrect spirit," helium continued, "and helium was close to fto maine go. He was close to occurrence me. He fired maine connected the spot."

However, it seems that everything worked retired successful the end.

"He really brought maine backmost to big once, and that's cool," the histrion added. "For me, I had to bash that to bash In Living Color. All the worldly I was trying to bash connected Saturday Night Live was really worldly that I was capable to bash In Living Color."

Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Role: Featured performer
Time connected SNL: 2009 - 2010

Jenny Slate didn't person the champion clip connected Saturday Night Live.

"I got connected SNL, and past that acquisition was precise intense—like conscionable truly disappointing," the histrion said connected Off Camera with Sam Jones successful 2017. "Although it was besides good. Everyone was truly bully to me, but I was incredibly disappointed successful myself. It was 1 of my puerility dreams. When I got there, I was not suited to the environment, I didn’t similar it, I was truly uncomfortable, and I ne'er expected the situation to beryllium truthful risk-averse. Like I thought, Belushi, Gilda Radner, these radical are going to beryllium crazy. No, this is simply a tv show."

Ultimately, Jenny was connected the amusement for 1 season.

"After I got fired, I was truthful humiliated successful each way," she continued, "humiliated by however I behaved—that I wasn’t a beardown person, I wasn’t joyful—and I thought that everybody cared. And cipher f--ing cares astatine all."

The I Want You Back prima said she "couldn't get implicit it" and developed a lawsuit of signifier fright—leading her to temporarily halt doing stand-up. However, she decided to not springiness up connected her passionateness and told Sam Jones she got hypnotized to cure her signifier fright.

"I bash not request to fto that acquisition instrumentality this happening distant from me," she added, "the 1 happening that I bash connected my own."

Al Levine/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Role: Featured performer
Time connected SNL: 1993-1994

While Sarah Silverman was determination for lone 1 season, she'll ne'er hide her twelvemonth connected Saturday Night Live.

"I had a large time," the comedian recalled connected a January 2025 occurrence of The Tonight Show starring chap SNL alum Jimmy Fallon. "I got on with everybody and I was scrappy. I conscionable retrieve being shocked however grown-ups behaved. 'Cause I was a kid. I was conscionable like, 'I can't judge grown-ups are acting this way.' People would person large fights. Back then, determination were similar fist fights erstwhile I was there. But it was awesome."

And she inactive remembers an enactment she utilized to bash successful her office.

"I had figured retired a trade wherever you tin instrumentality tampons, similar a container of tampons, dip them successful h2o and past whip them against a partition and they conscionable splat and stay," Sarah added. "They'll enactment forever."

Or astatine slightest a decade. 

"I came backmost to SNL 10 oregon 15 years later," she continued, "and I saw [producer] Mike Shoemaker and helium goes, 'Guess what's inactive successful your office?' It was there!"