Usually, when you think of people who get their start in show business early, you think of famous child actors. However, the same could be said about SNL cast members — many of whom can say they first got hired onto the show when they were just in their mid-20s, or even younger. The following are some of the youngest performers to grace the stage Saturday Night Live yet.
Anthony Michael Hall
According to The Independent, when Anthony Michael Hall became an SNL regular in 1985, he set the record for the show’s youngest cast member at just 17 years old. By then, he was already a teen idol from starring alongside fellow Studio 8H vet Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Vacation and standing out in now-iconic ‘80s movie classics like Sixteen Candles and Weird Science.
Dan Aykroyd
One of the youngest members of SNL’s original run from 1975 to 1980 was Dan Aykroyd, who became a Not Ready For Primetime Player at 23 years old. His high-energy performance style and bizarre ideas — he wrote beloved sketches like The Coneheads, among others — ensured a glorious Studio 8H tenure and his lasting legacy as an esteemed comedy icon.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Despite her unforgettable, Emmy-winning performances in the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes and Selina Meyer in the Veep cast, an actor you may have forgotten was on SNL is Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The sketch comedy series was the multi-Emmy winner’s big break in 1982 when she was just 21.
Pete Davidson
When Pete Davidson made his “Weekend Update” debut in 2014, the then-20-year-old was aptly referred to as SNL’s “Resident Young Person” and would frequently appear in sketches as a very convincing teenager. The comedian, who left the show in 2022, would soon grow up to be one of the biggest stars of his day, from co-creating and leading his own series, Bupkis, to joining blockbuster franchises like the Fast and Furious movies and the Transformers series.
Eddie Murphy
An often credited for coming to SNL’s rescue during its struggles in 1980 was Eddie Murphy, who was the first cast member hired while still under the age of 20 (19, to be exact). With unforgettable characters like Mister Robinson or his iconic take on Gumby, he showed a voracious talent way beyond his years that soon secured his place as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars.
Joan Cusack
As she recalled to Terry Gross on the Fresh Air podcast, Joan Cusack did not have the best experience when she was cast on Saturday Night Live from 1985-1986 (not considered the show’s best season either) at age 23. Fortunately, after becoming the first SNL actor nominated for an Oscar two times (for Working Girl and In & Out), getting the chance to act alongside her siblings (including John Cusack) multiple times, and other memorable achievements, it seems things got better for her.
John Belushi
One of the first faces that most longtime fans picture when they think of SNL is John Belushi, whom you might assume already had decades of comedic work under his belt before being hired on the show in 1975 based on his staggering talent. As it turns out, the future star of The Blues Brothers — one of the greatest SNL movies ever made — was only 26 at the time.
Jay Pharoah
A then-22-year-old Jay Pharaoh quickly made a grand impression on Studio 8H when he appeared on “Weekend Update” with a spot-on impression of Will Smith in 2010. This would be only the first of many hilarious impersonations he demonstrated week after week until he, unfortunately, was fired from SNL in 2016.
Aidy Bryant
When Aidy Bryant was first hired in 2012, the then-25-year-old would often play teenagers, such as in one of SNL’s most popular sketches on YouTube in which she plays a high school student unaware she is an adult film character. The Shrill star would continue to play younger roles throughout her decade-long SNL tenure (which was actually longer than she had intended, due to Covid).
Robert Downey Jr.
Talk about starting early — Robert Downey Jr. earned his first IMDb credit at 5 years old when his father cast him in a bizarre avant-garde drama called Pound in 1970. Fifteen years later, after the future MCU star turned 20, he joined the SNL cast for just one season, during which he realized sketch comedy was not really his game, as he revealed to Sam Jones on Off Camera later.
Jimmy Fallon
Even as the host of The Tonight Show from 2014 on, Jimmy Fallon has, impressively, looked around 24 years old the entire time. However, that was actually the age at which the skilled impressionist, whose tendency to laugh often caused some sketches to not go as planned, joined the SNL cast in 1998.
Sarah Silverman
With two Emmy Awards, a Disney franchise (the Wreck-It Ralph movies, as the voice of Vanellope), and an acclaimed stand-up career, Sarah Silverman has done a pretty good job navigating show business. According to her interview with Perri Nemiroff for Collider Ladies Night, she credits her brief SNL tenure, from 1993 to 1994, when she was just 22 as a great help in that area.
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson got his start in sketch comedy even earlier than many can say, having been cast on Nickelodeon’s All That at age 15. About a decade later, in 2003, the then-25-year-old graduated to Studio 8H and went on to become one of the longest-tenured SNL actors in the show’s history.
Chris Farley
Chris Farley is a prime example of a showbusiness icon who achieved much in little time. The high-energy comedic talent, known for characters like motivational speaker Matt Foley and, later, movies like the fan favorite 1995 classic, Tommy Boy, was hired on SNL in 1990 at 26 and passed away just seven years later.
Laraine Newman
Arguably, one of the most underrated Not Ready For Primetime Players is Laraine Newman, who might be best known as Beldar (Dan Aykroyd) and Prymaat’s (Jane Curtin) daughter, Connie, from the “Coneheads” sketches. She was also one of the original SNL cast’s youngest members, having been hired in 1975 at 23.
Chris Rock
His blistering, hilarious satirical commentaries on “Weekend Update” made Chris Rock, easily, one of the sharpest ‘90s SNL cast members. Those appearances also stood as proof that he was wise beyond his years, having joined the cast in 1990 at age 25.
Gilbert Gottfried
Before the late Gilbert Gottfried became known for movies like Beverly Hills Cop II and 1992's Aladdin (as the voice of Iago), one of his first (and lesser-known) gigs was Saturday Night Live. The comedian started his 12-episode stint as part of the cast in 1980 when he was 25.
Abby Elliot
Abby Elliott was already 7 years old when her father — future Schitt’s Creek cast member, Chris Elliott — joined the SNL cast for the 1994-1995 season. Fourteen years later, in 2008, the future member of FX’s The Bear cast became part of Studio 8H's legacy at age 21.
Damon Wayans
Years before performing bits like “Homey D. Clown” and “Men on Film” in the In Living Color cast made him a comedy all-star, Damon Wayans was hired on SNL 1985 when he was 25. As he recalled in a Weekender interview, his stint only lasted 11 episodes because he decided to go off-script while a sketch was live in progress.
Andrew Dismukes
Andrew Dismukes is one of those SNL cast members who can be seamlessly inserted into a sketch set at a high school or as a family’s teenage son. One might even be surprised to learn that the actor — who also shined as a Joker-obsessed wedding bestman in a sketch that is somehow both terrible and amazing — was as old as 25 when he joined the show in 2020.
Ben Stiller
Five weeks after joining the SNL cast, then-23-year-old Ben Stiller quit the show, wanting to just create short films instead of perform live sketches, according to an interview with Howard Stern from 2018. The actor and filmmaker later would do exactly that on the short-lived The Ben Stiller Show — also starring non-SNL sketch comedy performer, Bob Odenkirk — but eventually came back for a few SNL hosting gigs and a recurring role as Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Yvonne Hudson
Yvonne Hudson officially became the first Black female SNL cast member (and third Black cast member overall after Garrett Morris and Eddie Murphy) when she was 25. According to a Vulture interview with fellow Season 6 cast member Mitchell Kriegmann, Hudson was actually Studio 8H’s receptionist before she was brought onto the ensemble in 1980, which may explain why she has no other acting credits to her name.
Marcello Hernandez
One of the underrated Marcello Hernandez’s most popular SNL sketches — which spawned a sequel featuring Bad Bunny — saw him playing a college student bringing his girlfriend (Chloe Fineman) home to his overprotective, Spanish-speaking mother (Pedro Pascal). The comic’s college days were actually not too far away from him when that bit aired during his introductory season, having been hired in mid-2022 when he was 25.
Adam Sandler
Before Adam Sandler’s movies started to really launch him toward icon status in his 30s, the comic was making a name for himself on SNL while still in his 20s. The actor behind characters like Opera Man and songs like “Lunch Lady Land” first came onto the show when he was 25 in 1991.
Ellen Cleghorne
Ellen Cleghorne, SNL’s second Black, female cast member, was hired in 1991 when she was 26 and stayed on until 1995. Outside of Studio 8H, she is known for appearing in blockbusters like Armageddon as well as several comedies featuring fellow SNL veterans, such as Little Nicky opposite Adam Sandler and Old School with Will Ferrell.
Jay Mohr
Highlights of Jay Mohr’s two-year SNL stint, which began in 1993 when he was 23, include his impressive impersonations of celebrities like Christopher Walken and Billy Idol. Highlights of the comic’s career since include his antagonistic role in Jerry Maguire, his Emmy nomination for executive producing Last Comic Standing (which he also hosted, originally), and appearing in the Air cast for Amazon.
Melanie Hutsell
Best known for playing Jan Brady in “Weekend Update” segments and Di for the Delta Delta Delta sorority, Melanie Hutsell came on to SNL as a featured performer in 1991 when she was 23. Some may also recognize her from her small appearance alongside the Bridesmaids cast, a recurring role on Netflix’s Lady Dynamite, and more.
Brad Hall
According to People, when Brad Hall joined the SNL cast in 1982, the then-24-year-old had already met his co-star and future wife, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as students at Northwestern University. The couple would go on to work together again when he created her first follow-up to Seinfeld, Watching Ellie.
Laura Kightlinger
Laura Kightlinger was 25 when she joined the SNL cast in 1994, during the show’s 20th season. After a year, she found even greater success as a producer of sitcoms like Will & Grace and 2 Broke Girls, on which she also made guest appearances.
Gary Kroeger
Al Franken is not the only SNL cast member to go into politics later on. According to the Des Moines Register, Gary Kroeger, who was hired in 1982 when he was 25 years old, ran for Congress in his home state of Iowa in 2015.
Tom Davis
Tom Davis was actually hired at SNL as a writer during the first season when he was 23, but would not be brought on as a cast member until two years later in 1977. Before he passed away in 2012, he also made a cameo in the sort-of Christmas movie classic, 1983’s Trading Places, alongside Al Franken, helped write the Coneheads movie from 1993, and more.
Peter Aykroyd
When Dan Aykroyd and the rest of the Not Ready For Primetime Players left the show in 1980, his then-25-year-old younger brother, Peter, briefly joined the cast the following season. Also an Emmy-winning SNL writer and former member of the Second City comedy troupe, Aykroyd sadly passed away in November 2021 at the age of 66.
Sometimes the brightest SNL stars turn out to be among the youngest as well.
