SNL Five-Timers Club: What It Is, Who's In It, And Why It's A Big Deal

Tom Hanks sitting in his Five-Timers Club robe during a Five-Timers Club sketch on Saturday Night Live.

For the first time in more than a year, there will be a new member of the Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club. Upcoming SNL host Jack Black will be inducted into the ever-growing, yet still exclusive club when he hosts SNL for his fifth time this weekend. Black first hosted back in 2002.

If you are a fan of Saturday Night Live, you may have heard of something called the Five-Timers Club — an exclusive organization reserved only for the great SNL hosts who have taken the stage at Studio 8H as a headliner at least five times (and no, Ryan Gosling isn't there, yet). While this “club” is really just a fun recurring bit used to poke fun at the long-running sketch comedy’s legacy and for celebrities to poke fun at themselves, being inducted as a member is nothing to take lightly, either. We will explain why below, but first, here’s a little introduction for anyone unfamiliar.

(Image credit: NBC)

What Is The Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club?

While the first person to be inducted into the Five-Timers Club was Buck Henry in 1977 (just two years after SNL premiered), the first mention of it didn't occur until December 8, 1990. In his monologue that night, the actual creator of the bit, Tom Hanks — who has hosted enough times now to have his own recurring characters — toured the exclusive members' lounge, where he socialized with the likes of Steve Martin and Paul Simon, who are both members.

Before Black gets officially inducted, the most recent member to join as a five-timer came during Season 50 of SNL when former cast member Martin Short hosted on December 21, 2024. The most recent inductee for fifth musical guest appearances happened on January 27, 2024, when Justin Timberlake, who was already a member as a host, also joined the musical guest side wing of the club

The club has been referenced numerous times in the monologues of subsequent inductees and in more sketches that take place in the lounge. The most recent return to the prestigious backstage club was in 2022 when John Mulaney joined and was welcomed in by the likes of Tina Fey, Elliott Gould, Candice Bergen, and more, with some encouragement from former SNL writer Conan O'Brien, who was actually in the first Five-Timers Club sketch.

(Image credit: NBC)

Who’s In The SNL Five-Timers Club? 

On February 25, 2023, it was confirmed that hosting SNL five times is not the only way to join the Five-Timers club. Both that night’s host, Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, and Grammy winner Jack White were inducted at the end of the show – meaning that the club also officially welcomes musical guests with at least five appearances. That explains why Paul Simon has long been recognized as a member despite hosting only four times.

Below are two charts – one presenting the full list of Five-Timers Club members as hosts and another for those inducted as musical guests. Each list also includes the date of the inductee’s first hosting gig, the date of their initiation, and their total number of times headlining or performing on the show so far.

Five-Timers Club Hosts

Host	First Gig	Fifth Gig	Total Gigs
Alec Baldwin	April 21, 1990	December 10, 1994	17
Steve Martin	October 23, 1976	April 22, 1978	16
John Goodman	December 2, 1989	May 7, 1994	13
Tom Hanks	December 14, 1985	December 8, 1990	10
Buck Henry	January 17, 1976	November 19, 1977	10
Elliott Gould	January 10, 1976	February 6, 1980	6
Chevy Chase	February 18, 1978	November 16, 1985	8
Candice Bergen	November 8, 1975	May 19, 1990	5
Danny DeVito	May 15, 1982	January 9, 1993	6
Bill Murray	May 7, 1981	February 20, 1999	5
Christopher Walken	January 20, 1990	May 19, 2001	7
Drew Barrymore	November 20, 1992	February 3, 2007	6
Justin Timberlake	October 11, 2003	March 9, 2013	5
Ben Affleck	February 19, 2000	May 18, 2013	5
Tina Fey	February 23, 2008	December 19, 2015	6
Scarlett Johansson	January 14, 2006	March 11, 2017	6
Melissa McCarthy	October 11, 2011	May 13, 2017	5
Dwayne Johnson	March 18, 2000	May 20, 2017	5
Jonah Hill	March 15, 2008	November 3, 2018	5
Will Ferrell	May 14, 2005	November 23, 2019	5
Paul Rudd	November 15, 2008	December 18, 2021	5
John Mulaney	April 14, 2018	February 26, 2022	5
Woody Harrelson	November 18, 1989	February 23, 2023	5
Emma Stone	October 23, 2010	December 2, 2023	5
Kristen Wiig	May 11, 2013	April 6, 2024	5
Martin Short	December 6, 1986	December 21, 2024	5
Jack Black	January 19, 2002	March 21, 2026

Five-Timers Club Musical Guests

Musical Guest	First Gig	Fifth Gig	Total Gigs
Paul Simon	October 18, 1975	May 10, 1986	15
Foo Fighters	December 2, 1995	October 13, 2007	9
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers	November 10, 1979	November 19, 1994	8
Coldplay	April 7, 2001	May 3, 2014	8
Beck	January 11, 1987	April 16, 2005	7
Eminem	October 23, 1999	December 18, 2010	7
Kanye West	October 5, 2005	May 18, 2013	7
Randy Newman	October 18, 1975	December 6, 1986	6
James Taylor	September 18, 1976	December 14, 1991	6
Miley Cyrus	October 5, 2013	April 25, 2020	6
Arcade Fire	February 24, 2007	May 7, 2022	5
Maroon 5	February 21, 2004	October 4, 2014	5
Rihanna	December 5, 2009	May 16, 2015	5
Sting	October 17, 1987	November 20, 1999	5
Taylor Swift	January 10, 2009	November 13, 2021	5
Jack White	October 19, 2002	February 23, 2023	5
Justin Timberlake	October 11, 2003	January 27, 2024	5

One notable musician not on that list, though he technically (if not "officially") qualifies, is Dave Matthews. He's appeared with the Dave Matthews Band four times, and once with his side project under his own name, with musicians Trey Anastasio (of Phish) and Tim Reynolds (of DMB).

(Image credit: NBC)

Why It’s A Big Deal

Die-hard SNL fans know that there is no actual club in which multi-time hosts and musical guests like Steve Martin or Miley Cyrus sip scotch in custom-made robes in a lounge backstage. However, the Five-Timers Club does symbolize an achievement of notable importance.

Appearing on a cultural landmark like SNL is widely recognized as a sign of “making it” – including for those who do not regularly act – and being asked to come back at least four more times is a surefire indication of one’s impeccable performing skills, grand sense of humor, compelling onstage charisma, and reliability. Not everybody receives the chance to come back and some people have even been banned from the show, so being a Five-Timer is, most definitely, an honor to be proud of.

If you cannot catch the next induction ceremony as it airs or if you want to relive previous mentions of the Five-Timers Club, you can stream Saturday Night Live with a Peacock Premium subscription or even check out some of the show’s most popular sketches on YouTube, as well.