How many big movie careers have spun out of stints on SNL?

Cafe Society
1

Just curious if there was list somewhere.

2

Do you mean SNL actors who got their start there or successful movies based on specific sketches? If the latter, I’d nominate Wayne’s World and Wayne’s World 2 as the most financially successful. If the former, you can pick from Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrel and any of a dozen or so others who have major film success (commercial if not always critical) with second-tier success for Rob Schneider and some others.

3

Bill Murray

4

Sorry.

Chevy Chase is another one I just thought of.

5

Well this is an offhand list. The following performers had at least one big feature film (of wildly varying quality & box office performances mind you). This list only mentions folks who starred in a film, i.e. they received top billing and were considered a major audience attraction (as opposed to making a cameo performance or appearing in a bit part).

Chevy Chase (“Foul Play”, “Seems Like Old Times”, “Fletch”)
John Belushi (“Animal House”, “the Blues Brothers”)
Dan Ackroyd (“the Blues Brothers”, “Ghostbusters”)
Gilda Radner (“Gilda Live!”, “Hanky Panky”, “Woman in Red”)
Jane Curtain (“How to Beat the High Cost of Living”)
Laraine Newman (“Holy Moses!”)
Al Franken (“Stuart Saves His Family”)
Eddie Murphy (“Beverly Hills Cop”, “Raw”, “Shrek”)
Joe Piscopo (“Johnny Dangerously”)
Mary Gross (“Feds”)
Billy Crystal* (“City Slickers”, “When Harry Met Sally”)
Martin Short (“the Three Amigos”, “Father of the Bride”)
Phil Hartman (“Sgt. Bilko”)
Dana Carvey (“Wayne’s World”)
Victoria Jackson (“Casual Sex?”)
Julia Sweeney (“It’s Pat!”, “God Said ‘Ha’”)
Mike Myers (“Shrek”, “Austin Powers”, “Wayne’s World”)
Chris Farley (“Black Sheep”, “Beverly Hills Ninja”)
Adam Sandler (“Wedding Singer”, “Punch Drunk Love”)
Rob Schneider (“Deuce Bigolo”)
David Spade (“Dicky Roberts: Former Child Star”)
Chris Rock (“Dogma”)
Will Ferrell (“Elf”, “Bewitched”)

Probably forgot a few. And, as mentioned above, this list doesn’t reflect SNL members in supporting parts (Randy Quaid, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss,
*Although he was already a relatively famous performer, his film career did not take off until after his stint on SNL.

6

Damn! Completely forgot about Bill Murray! (“Ghostbusters”, “Groundhog’s Day”, “Rushmore”, “Lost In Translation”)