Choose the WORST member of the SNL cast - EVER!

I vote for Joe Piscopo, but here’s the list.

1975-76

Dan Aykroyd
John Belushi
Albert Brooks
Chevy Chase
George Coe (1975)
Jane Curtin
Garrett Morris
Laraine Newman
Michael O’ Donoghue (1975)
Gilda Radner
Andy Kaufman

1976-77

Dan Aykroyd
Chevy Chase (1976)
John Belushi
Jane Curtin
Garrett Morris
Bill Murray (1977)
Laraine Newman
Gilda Radner

1977-78

Dan Aykroyd
John Belushi
Jane Curtin
Garrett Morris
Bill Murray
Laraine Newman
Gilda Radner
Tom Davis
Al Franken
Andy Kaufman

1978-79

Dan Aykroyd
John Belushi
Jane Curtin
Garrett Morris
Bill Murray
Laraine Newman
Gilda Radner
Tom Davis
Al Franken
Andy Kaufman
Don Novello

1979-80

Jane Curtin
Garrett Morris
Bill Murray
Laraine Newman
Gilda Radner
Harry Shearer
Peter Aykroyd (1980)
Tom Davis
Jim Downey
Al Franken
Andy Kaufman
Brian Doyle-Murray (1980)
Don Novello
Tom Schiller (1980)
Paul Shaffer
Alan Zweibel (1980)

1980-81

Denny Dillon
Robin Duke (1981)
Gilbert Gottfried
Tim Kazurinsky (1981)
Gail Matthius
Eddie Murphy
Joe Piscopo
Ann Risley
Charles Rocket
Tony Rosato (1981)
Yvonne Hudson (1980)
Andy Kaufman
Mitchell Kriegman (1980)
Matthew Laurance (1980)
Laurie Metcalf (1981)
Emily Prager (1981)
Patrick Weathers

1981-82

Robin Duke
Christine Ebersole
Mary Gross
Tim Kazurinsky
Eddie Murphy
Brian Doyle-Murray
Joe Piscopo
Tony Rosato

1982-83

Harry Anderson
Robin Duke
Mary Gross
Brad Hall
Gary Kroeger
Tim Kazurinsky
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Eddie Murphy
Joe Piscopo
Andy Kaufman

1983-84

Harry Anderson
Jim Belushi
Robin Duke
Mary Gross
Brad Hall
Gary Kroeger
Tim Kazurinsky
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Eddie Murphy
Joe Piscopo

1984-85

Jim Belushi
Billy Crystal
Mary Gross
Christopher Guest
Rich Hall
Gary Kroeger
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Harry Shearer (1984)
Martin Short
Pamela Stephenson

1985-86

Joan Cusack
Robert Downey Jr.
Nora Dunn
Anthony Michael Hall
Jon Lovitz
Dennis Miller
Randy Quaid
Terry Sweeney
Danitra Vance
A. Whitney Brown (1986)
Al Franken (1986)
Don Novello
Dan Vitale
Damon Wayans

1986-87

Dana Carvey
Nora Dunn
Phil Hartman
Jan Hooks
Victoria Jackson
Jon Lovitz
Dennis Miller
A. Whitney Brown
Kevin Meaney
Kevin Nealon

1987-88

Dana Carvey
Nora Dunn
Phil Hartman
Jan Hooks
Victoria Jackson
Jon Lovitz
Dennis Miller
Kevin Nealon
A. Whitney Brown
Al Franken

1987-88

Dana Carvey
Nora Dunn
Phil Hartman
Jan Hooks
Victoria Jackson
Jon Lovitz
Dennis Miller
Kevin Nealon
A. Whitney Brown
Al Franken
Mike Myers (1989)
Ben Stiller (1989)

1988-89

Dana Carvey
Nora Dunn
Phil Hartman
Jan Hooks
Victoria Jackson
Jon Lovitz
Dennis Miller
Mike Myers
Kevin Nealon
A. Whitney Brown
Al Franken

1989-90

Dana Carvey
Phil Hartman
Jan Hooks
Victoria Jackson
Dennis Miller
Mike Myers
Kevin Nealon
A. Whitney Brown
Chris Farley
Al Franken
Tim Meadows (1991)
Chris Rock
Adam Sandler (1991)
Rob Schneider
David Spade
Julia Sweeney

1990-91

Dana Carvey
Phil Hartman
Jan Hooks
Victoria Jackson
Dennis Miller
Mike Myers
Kevin Nealon
A. Whitney Brown
Chris Farley
Al Franken
Tim Meadows
(1991) Chris Rock
Adam Sandler
(1991) Rob Schneider
David Spade
Julia Sweeney

1991-92

Dana Carvey
Chris Farley
Phil Hartman
Victoria Jackson
Mike Myers
Kevin Nealon
Chris Rock
Julia Sweeney
Beth Cahill
Ellen Cleghorne
Siobhan Fallon
Al Franken
Melanie Hutsell
Tim Meadows
Adam Sandler
Rob Schneider
Robert Smigel
David Spade

1992-93

Dana Carvey
Chris Farley
Phil Hartman
Mike Myers
Kevin Nealon
Chris Rock
Rob Schneider
Julia Sweeney
Ellen Cleghorne
Al Franken
Melanie Hutsell
Tim Meadows
Adam Sandler
Rob Smigel
David Spade

1993-94

Ellen Cleghorne
Chris Farley
Phil Hartman
Melanie Hutsell
Michael McKean (1994)
Tim Meadows
Mike Myers
Kevin Nealon
Adam Sandler
Rob Schneider
David Spade
Julia Sweeney
Al Franken
Norm Macdonald
Jay Mohr
Sarah Silverman

1994-95

Morwenna Banks (1995)
Ellen Cleghorne
Chris Elliott
Chris Farley
Janeane Garofalo (1994)
Norm Macdonald
Michael McKean
Mark McKinney (1995)
Tim Meadows
Mike Myers
Kevin Nealon
Adam Sandler
David Spade
Al Franken
Laura Kightlinger
Jay Mohr
Molly Shannon (1995)

1995-96

Jim Breuer
Will Ferrell
Darrell Hammond
David Koechner
Norm Macdonald
Mark McKinney
Tim Meadows
Cheri Oteri
Molly Shannon
David Spade
Nancy Walls
Chris Kattan (1996)
Colin Quinn
Fred Wolf

1996-97

Jim Breuer
Will Ferrell
Ana Gasteyer
Darrell Hammond
Chris Kattan
Norm Macdonald
Mark McKinney
Tim Meadows
Tracy Morgan
Cheri Oteri
Molly Shannon
Colin Quinn
Fred Wolf (1996)

1997-98

Jim Breuer
Will Ferrell
Ana Gasteyer
Darrell Hammond
Chris Kattan
Norm Macdonald
Tim Meadows
Tracy Morgan
Cheri Oteri
Colin Quinn
Molly Shannon

1998-99

Will Ferrell
Ana Gasteyer
Darrell Hammond
Chris Kattan
Tim Meadows
Tracy Morgan
Cheri Oteri
Colin Quinn
Molly Shannon
Jimmy Fallon
Chris Parnell
Horatio Sanz

1999-2000

Jimmy Fallon
Will Ferrell
Ana Gasteyer
Darrell Hammond
Chris Kattan
Tim Meadows
Tracy Morgan
Cheri Oteri
Chris Parnell
Colin Quinn
Horatio Sanz
Molly Shannon
Rachel Dratch
Maya Rudolph (2000)

2000-01

Jimmy Fallon
Will Ferrell
Ana Gasteyer
Darrell Hammond
Chris Kattan
Tracy Morgan
Chris Parnell
Horatio Sanz
Molly Shannon
Rachel Dratch
Tina Fey
Jerry Minor
Maya Rudolph

Did you put that togetehr yourself?

There’s alot I do not remember, although I have watched it pretty faithfully since the very first episode.

Of the ones I DO remember, it’s a bit of a tossup. I’m trying to differentiate between people who really had absolutely no talent whatsoever, and people who simply grated on my nerves personally.

I think I will vote for Brad Hall for least talented, and Melanie Hutsell and Ellen Cleghorne can duke it out over which is the more irritating.

You should start a thread for “Most underappreciated” SNL cast member…there’s lots of those. Starting with Dan Aykroyd.

stoid

Therefore, I’m not going to techically answer your question, just offer a couple thoughts.

I think I must have been the only person on the planet who agreed with the NBC president who fired Norm MacDonald. IMHO, he was just not funny, not one bit. But, alas, his replacement, Colin Quinn, was even worse!

Also, there’s been a very funny thread going about the “Jeopardy” skit featuring “Sean Connery” and “Alex Trebek.” While the performer who does Connery is quite good, Will Ferrel’s Trebek is just godawful. He neither captures nor effectively parodies any of Trebek’s inflections, mannerisms, etc.

IMHO.

Sir

Hell, I don’t need to see the list. Dennis Miller, hands down. How that guy gets work is beyond me.

Speaking of Norm MacDonald, whom I think is one of the funniest people alive… I hear that the guy who fired him from SNL was the same guy who hired Dennis Miller to do football. True? Boy, talk about about bad choices.

There are several names on the list I just don’t recognize.

The least talented is Anthony Michael Hall.

The most annoying is Al Franken.

Least talented of all time? Gilbert Gottfried without question.

Kevin Meany was on SNL? God, I couldn’t stand that talentless hack when he was doing guest appearances on WZLX morning radio in Boston. Hey everybody! I’m fat! And my parents were squares! And I’m fat! IT’S FUNNY, DAMMIT!

Sorry about that, but he seriously deserves to be fed to Rip Taylor’s wig.

–sublight.

Andy Kaufman was such a loser. He’s the only one that would make me change the channel that first season.

Norm Macdonald and Collin Quinn. Neither could act worth a damn.

I always found Jan Hooks phenomenally grating, but not untalented. I can’t remember anyone so untalented they stuck out, but then the untalented ones didn’t tend to last long.

Most Underappreciated: Garrett Morris. He always seemed to get overshadowed by Belushi and Aykroyd .

jr8

“And now the news for the hearing-impaired: OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT…”

Uniball, I think the easier question would be: Who’s the best? I think MOST of the people on SNLs throughout history have sucked royal ass.

but that’s just me

broccoli!

The best? Easy. Phil Hartman.

Charles Rocket was the worst, I’ve seen him in reruns and he still sucks big time.

IMHO, with a very, very few exceptions, you could take the whole show after 1978/79 and toss it out and there would have been no great loss.

To be the Worst SNL Cast Member of all time, you shouldn’t be able to do ANYTHING well. That eliminates, say, Norm Macdonald; even if you hated his Weekend Update, the guy could do bang-up impressions of David Letterman and Burt Reynolds. “Funny guy, Scooby-doo. Drove around in a van. Solved mysteries.” Joe Piscopo did some things well. So did Dennis Miller.

To my mind, it comes down to three present-day choices:

Colin Quinn did nothing well. He was terrible at Weekend Update, and if he was ever in any good skits I didn’t see them.

Cheri Oteri had no talent. I don’t know why people thought that cheerleading joke was funny, because it was about as funny as knee surgery. Oteri did the same screeching, irritating schtick in every sketch.

Will Ferrell is absurdly untalented; I don’t know how he got on SNL. As Sir Rhosis has pointed out, Ferrell’s imitation of Alex Trebek is probably the worst imitation of any famous person in the history of SNL. He looks and acts about as much like Trebek as he does like Audrey Hepburn.

The best?

John Belushi was a genius.

Dan Aykroyd is from Kingston, ON. so I have to vote for him. He’s an asshole in person, though.

Gilda Radner had some wonderful characters.

Eddie Murphy was the show’s heart and soul through some lean years, and he did some terrific sketches. Murphy’s “Gumby” was hilarious.

Jon Lovitz… Acting!!!

Dana Carvey did more terrific characters than I could name.

Phil Hartman was a genius.

Mike Myers gets on the list just for having “West Germany’s Most Disturbing Home Videos” on “Sprockets,” but he did other great sketches as well.

And that’s it, IMO. There have been many other very talented people on the show, but not all of them really bloomed on SNL.

How could anybody look through this list and pick anybody not on the 1980/1981 list?

Denny Dillon
Robin Duke (1981)
Gilbert Gottfried
Gail Matthius (who?)
Ann Risley (who?)
Charles Rocket Also bad in "Earth Girls are Easy"
Tony Rosato (1981) (who?)
Yvonne Hudson (1980) (who?)
Mitchell Kriegman (1980) (who?)
Laurie Metcalf (1981) (Roseanne’s sister was a cast member? I find that hard to believe . . .)
Emily Prager (1981) (who?)
Patrick Weathers (who?)

My vote for best cast? Easily the 1984/1985. I’ll limit it to the following:

Jim Belushi
Billy Crystal
Christopher Guest
Rich Hall
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Harry Shearer (1984)
Martin Short

I still think that the Men’s synchronized swimming sketch is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. And 2/3 of Spinal Tap were cast members together (The other 1/3 was a cast member later). How interesting in retrospect. Of course, Spinal Tap made their performance debut on SNL.

I guess Denny Dillon or all the others she costarred with that year.
Best: Difficult.
Belushi, Hartman, Murphy.

Since a grand total of 23 people saw the show from 1980 to 85, and 3/5 of those were high at the time, we’ll never know. That was some bad TV.

Norm McDonald and the whole entire current cast deserves mention, as does my vote for worst, Victoria Jackson. She can’t even play a believable airhead, and she is one!

My computer is acting really oddly. I could have sworn that someone just posted that the 1984/85 cast of SNL was the best. Man, these computers sometimes spit out the weirdest stuff.

I hate Colin Quinn, I loathe Norm McDonald. I don’t know which verb is worse…I suppose the second one.

But I’m going to save my vote for an actress truly unappreciated for her sub par acting abilities. She was the first one who made me think “This is a popular, nationally televised show. Tens of thousands of actors and actresses around the country would claw their grandmother’s eyes out and attach them permanently to their foreheads just to get a minute of air time and yet they let this woman perform.”

The sad thing is that I don’t remember her name. I think that’s a good thing. Why waste any more brain power on her than absolutely necessary?

This woman played on SNL maybe 6 years ago for a season or two. She tried to do impersonations of Tori Spelling and was thankfully only on for about one skit a night. She had one emotional “range:” monotone. She had one facial expression: homo erectus. She couldn’t even impersonate herself if you spotted her a cleft palate that vibration device for tracheotomy patients.

I weep even now just thinking of her. Perhaps one of you could fill in the name. If you don’t want to, I understand. I think it might actually be better believing she was a figment of my demented imagination.