# Who is the single greatest Saturday Night Live cast member? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546 "2020-07-17T03:55:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/81 "2020-07-20T01:27:11Z")
I’m having a difficult time thinking of one single thing I liked that Ayckroyd did afterwards. Totally stumped. Meh, I was ok with Elwood Blues, I spose. But with SNL - one of the most versatile, along with Murray, Hartman, Hader… Heh - no love for crusty ole Brian Doyle Murray? 🙂 Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer put in many-a fine turn, too. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/82 "2020-07-20T01:40:55Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > That skit also gave us Garret Morris’s funniest line (IMO): “Right on, Buck Rogers. Is that an order, baby?” Yeah, good one. Or head of NBC programming Elliot Gould informing Captain Kirk (a very Shatner-y yet emasculated Belushi) that Flieshman’s Maragerine had just left a message for him to call them to do a commercial for them. this derail could go on 😋 ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/83 "2020-07-20T04:00:01Z")
You mean Kazurinsky ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/84 "2020-07-20T04:45:00Z")
😳Ah, thanks. (couldn’t find an emoji like the old slapping head emoji from the previous board) (this one was called “flushed”, so I guess this’ll be its replacement) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/85 "2020-07-20T04:48:43Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > I’m having a difficult time thinking of one single thing I liked that Ayckroyd did afterwards. Seriously? **Ghostbusters**. **Driving Miss Daisy** (Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and so on… ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/86 "2020-07-20T05:17:19Z")
I remember that I used to love Tim K when he would appear on “Weekend Update,” as a scientist/doctor who would be discussing medical conditions. (“Should you be bitten by an ownerless dog, that’s Straybies, and a foaming French poodle can give you Qu’est-ce Que-C’estbies”). Interesting factoid: the youngest person to ever host SNL was Drew Barrymore. She was 7 ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/87 "2020-07-20T05:57:56Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Seriously? > > **Ghostbusters**. > **Driving Miss Daisy** (Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and so on… I’ve probably been too chicken to catch those ones. I’d say the greatest would be a tie between Belushi/Murray - both shining, in their own (quite different!) ways, but never out-shining the other. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2020, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/88 "2020-07-20T11:23:27Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > > [@TriPolar](#): > > > > In that case I’ll stick with Aykroyd > > You can’t forget Fred Garvin. It’s where I learned the word " strumpet". I go with Dan as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/89 "2020-07-22T14:52:58Z")
Julia Louis-Dreyfus also the only cast member whose father was a billionaire. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/90 "2020-07-22T17:03:21Z")
A very tough choice with a very long list of candidates. But like several others, I’m going with Phil Hartman. Why? Because he never missed. SNL has always had something of a throw-everything-against-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks philosophy, and there’s been a lot that didn’t stick. Even the best of the best, whatever your tastes - Aykroyd, Belushi, Murray, Murphy, Farley, McKinnon, et al - have had their share of cringeworthy moments. Some more than others, of course, but Hartman is the only one I can recall who delivered every single time. I can’t think of one exception. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/91 "2020-07-22T17:09:39Z")
No love for Billy Crystal? Remember Fernando or how about Willie and Frankie night watchmen? ---
**Author:** ![thdudescar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thdudescar/32/4638_2.png) [@thdudescar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thdudescar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/92 "2020-07-22T19:15:09Z")
Another vote for Phil Hartman. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/93 "2020-07-22T19:49:43Z")
Charles Rocket was fucking great. ---
**Author:** ![Zelski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c67d28/32.png) [@Zelski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zelski)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/94 "2020-07-22T22:42:30Z")
Maybe you people should have been voting in the Giraffe Boards megapoll… ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/95 "2020-07-22T23:15:22Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > **Ghostbusters**. > **Driving Miss Daisy** (Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and so on… He was in about 3 dozen films. > **[Dan Aykroyd | Filmography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Aykroyd#Filmography)** > > In 1977, Aykroyd received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series for his collaborative work on Saturday Night Live. In 1994, he received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Carleton University. In 1999, Aykroyd was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2002. In 2017, he was made a member of the Order of Ontario in recognition for being "one of the world's most popular entertainers, well-known for > [@](#): > > Guest host [Eric Idle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Idle) of [Monty Python](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python) said that Aykroyd’s ability to write and act out characters flawlessly made him the only member of the _SNL_ cast capable of being a Python.[[16]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Aykroyd#cite_note-snl20050220-16) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/96 "2020-07-23T00:43:14Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > Guest host [Eric Idle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Idle) of [Monty Python](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python) said that Aykroyd’s ability to write and act out characters flawlessly made him the only member of the _SNL_ cast capable of being a Python Wow. I never heard about that. And the more I think about it the more I agree with Eric. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/97 "2020-07-23T13:57:24Z")
High praise indeed! ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/98 "2020-07-23T16:03:32Z")
Chris Farley as the funniest. Hartman for most versatile. It was a sad day when they died. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/99 "2020-07-23T17:34:51Z")
Going to go with Eddie Murphy for this one, as he single-handedly was the reason the show survived the Lorne-less years. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_BinJu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Mr\_BinJu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_BinJu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546/100 "2020-07-24T08:38:47Z")
Eddie Murphy in his Mr. Roger’s spoofs sure make you laugh hard. That’s my vote [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-single-greatest-saturday-night-live-cast-member/915546.md?page=4)