The 25 Best 'SNL' Players of the Last 25 Years: #20-16
On February 9, 1991 — 25 years ago this month — Adam Sandler made his Saturday Night Live debut as a featured cast member in Season 16. And we thought that was a great excuse to take a look back at the past quarter-century of SNL history and rank the 25 best cast members who’ve joined the show since Sandler did. We debated each nominee’s on-air performance only based on longevity, versatility, cultural impact, and overall magnificence, and came up with the following list. Live, from New York… it’s the 25 best SNL cast members of the last 25 years.
Related: The 25 Best ‘SNL’ Players of the Last 25 Years: #25-21
20. Aidy Bryant (Seasons 38-Current)
Why She Made the Cut: Joining the show at the tender age of 25 in 2012, the Second City vet knew she’d have a lot to learn. There’s one thing she’s definitely mastered: subverting her sweet-faced good-girl image. See: her as Tonkerbell, Tink’s acerbic half-sister; Morgan, the insecure but resilient co-host of the “Girlfriends Talk Show”; and Lil’ Baby Aidy, the Pussycat Doll wannabe who’s been the highlight of digital shorts including “(Do It On My) Twin Bed,” which earned Bryant an Emmy nomination for original music and lyrics, “Back Home Ballers,” and, unofficially, “Dongs All Over the World.”
Signature Moment: The “Birthday Party” sketch — featuring Bryant as hormone-addled 13-year-old Melanie, who sexually harasses her friend’s father (host Ryan Gosling) during a sleepover — is Bryant at her best. She basks in the inappropriateness of Melanie’s come-ons, milking lines, looks, and those moments when she gets to suck icing off Gosling’s finger and break a coffee table in a fit of overwhelming adolescent lust. —Mandi Bierly
19. Chris Parnell (Seasons 24-31)
Why He Made the Cut: The spiritual heir of the late, great Phil Hartman, Parnell was an indispensable utility player who elevated every sketch he appeared in. (That’s probably why Lorne Michaels rehired him in 2002 after laying him off before Season 27 began.) While Parnell had moments of spotlight-stealing greatness — “Lazy Sunday,” “Behind the Music (More Cowbell)” — his best moments were subtle asides, like the look of chagrin he gives Rachel Dratch in "Mom Jeans.”
Signature Moment: For showcasing Parnell’s impressive rap skills — and helping launch the idea of “viral video” — we’ve gotta go with “Lazy Sunday,” which Parnell co-wrote with Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island. —Kristen Baldwin
18. Molly Shannon (Seasons 20-26)
Why She Made the Cut: Shannon will always be best remembered for throwing her body around with wild abandon as awkward Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher. But she also gave us the gift of “licensed joyologist” Helen Madden (“I love it! I love it! I love it!”) and a wide array of impressions, from Monica Lewinsky to Courtney Love. Plus, she gets bonus points for joining Ana Gasteyer and Alec Baldwin for the all-time great “Schweddy Balls” sketch.
Signature Moment: It has to be Mary Katherine Gallagher, right? It’s this 1995 sketch that marked the birth of a “Superstar,” with the armpit-sniffing teen auditioning for the school talent show with a monologue from a Meredith Baxter-Birney TV movie — and demonstrating her gymnastics prowess by crashing into a stack of folding chairs. —Dave Nemetz
17. Jason Sudeikis (Seasons 30-38)
Why He Made the Cut: Starting off as a writer in 2003, before moving in front of the camera two years later, Sudeikis had an obvious respect for the written word, to the point where you got the sense that he actually memorized his lines rather than depending on cue cards. Which is just as well, because the amount of dialogue he was often tasked with delivering wouldn’t have fit on cue cards anyway. Many of Sudeikis’s most memorable characters — ESPN Classic anchor Pete Twinkle, DJ Super Soak, even the Devil — were motor-mouths. But he also knew the comic value in keeping quiet; as D'Andre Cole’s silent background dancer on the much-missed Kenan Thompson sketch “What’s Up With That?”, Sudeikis kept his fancy footwork going for multiple minutes at a stretch without ever seeming winded.
Signature Moment: No character complemented Sudeikis’s gift for gab more effectively than Twinkle, he of the inane sports patter and absolutely insane sponsorship double entendres. Listen to the multiple ways he hypes “Vagisil” during this women’s bowling telecast, always keeping a straight face despite the silly ad copy. —Ethan Alter
16. Rachel Dratch (Seasons 25 - 31)
Why She Made the Cut: With her big eyes and frame petite enough to play a fantastic Harry Potter, Dratch excelled at physical comedy (especially when it involved swallowing Jimmy Fallon’s face as Boston teen Sully’s girlfriend, Denise). Her deadpan style often provoked fellow cast members into breaking. Her memorable recurring character Debbie Downer was particularly good at this.
Signature Moment: Here’s another example where Dratch’s delivery caused herself and scene partners to break — the infamous “Hot Tub Lovahs” sketch, featuring Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, and host Drew Barrymore. —Kelly Woo
Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. on NBC. Come back to Yahoo TV Thursday when the countdown continues.
