NBC Store Blog

Last week, Hugh Laurie (House) was in the MSNBC.com Digital Cafe at the NBC Experience Store taping a promo spot with Fred Armisen for his appearance on Saturday Night Live.

Michael Phelps will get the honor of hosting the seasosn premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 13th. The musical guest will be Lil’ Wayne.

…Hope Michael Phelps can live up to the bar set by past comic genius hosts Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky.

We here at NBCStore.com decided to name our Top 7 All-Time favorite Saturday Night Live cast members. This list does not include Guest Stars or Hosts… which might be our next SNL ‘Best Of’ list.

7. Gilda Radner - Famous for her Roseanne Roseannadanna character, Radner was more than just that. In a male-heavy cast, Radner was not only able to hold her own, but out-shine anyone else in the skit.

6. Phil Hartman - Main Character, Sidekick, Funny-man, Straight-man, Impressionist, Background Extra… Phil Hartman was brilliant in everything he did.

5. Will Ferrell - One of the only bright spots in the late ’90s, Will Ferrell kept us tuned in with his awkward style and man-child antics. More Cowbell? No. More Ferrell!

4. John Belushi - Though he would like to feed your fingertips to the wolverines, you couldn’t help but crack a smile once he entered a scene. Best known as the Samurai Deli-owner and Blues Brother Jake, Belushi starred in many low key sketches that were phenomenal such as ‘Little Chocolate Donuts’.

3. Bill Murray - Unfortunatley, not pictured above…why he doesn’t have his own ‘Best of’ DVD is beyond me. Whether turning the score to Star Wars into a catchy sing-along or nodding incessantly during Robert Klein’s breakfast order at the Olympia Restaurant, Bill Murray could be counted on to nail the scene.

2. Eddie Murphy - James Brown? Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood? Buckwheat? Eddie Murphy clearly brought the show to a whole new level - insanely hysterical. He was Gumby, Dammit!

1. Chris Farley - Funny is an understatement when describing Farley. Not only did the audience explode when Chris took the stage, but his own castmates couldn’t even hold it together when sharing a scene. Note David Spade and Christina Applegate hiding their faces as they cracked up during the ‘Down By The River’ sketch. (And I’m not talking about ‘on purpose’ laughing as done in later years).

*Please note that we did not take into account what they went on to do after their SNL run (or else Mike Myers would have been added and Eddie Murphy would have been thrown off).

Who’s YOUR favorite Saturday Night Live cast member of All-Time?  Submit a comment now.

According to Perezhilton.com, Chris Kattan (Saturday Night Live, Undercover Brother) and his wife of two months, model Sunshine Tutt, have ’separated’.

…What do you mean you couldn’t care less?