10 Comedy Actors Who Broke Out On SNL

10 Comedic Actors Who Broke Out on “SNL”

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the comedic actors who used “Saturday Night Live” as a springboard to even greater success.

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph joined "SNL" in 2000 and quickly proved that she could disappear into just about anybody. Her impressions ranged from Beyoncé and Donatella Versace to Oprah Winfrey, Whitney Houston, and Maya Angelou. Yet Rudolph was never merely a gifted mimic. Characters like “Bronx Beat” co-host Jodi Dietz showed off her ability to create broad personalities that still felt strangely believable. By the time she left in 2007, Rudolph had become one of the show’s most dependable ensemble players. She remained part of the "SNL" family, returning as both a host… and, of course, a recurring Kamala Harris.

Kate McKinnon

For much of the 2010s, whenever a politician or celebrity dominated the news, viewers waited to see what Kate McKinnon would do with them. Her most memorable creation may have been Colleen Rafferty, the chain-smoking alien abductee whose increasingly alarming stories routinely destroyed everyone else in the sketch. McKinnon’s physicality, and her willingness to go totally over the top, made her "SNL"’s defining performer for much of her decade-long run. She won consecutive Emmys in 2016 and 2017, an unusually prominent level of recognition for an individual cast member. Unlike alumni who only became stars after leaving, McKinnon’s breakthrough happened largely within the show itself.

Amy Poehler

Long before Leslie Knope began enthusiastically reorganizing Pawnee, Amy Poehler was bringing that same unstoppable energy to live television. She arrived at "SNL" in 2001 with considerable improv experience from the Upright Citizens Brigade, but the show showed a national audience what else she was capable of. Hyperactive child Kaitlin, one-legged reality contestant Amber, and “Bronx Beat” co-host Betty Caruso all ran on Poehler’s ability to bulldoze through a scene without losing control of it. “Weekend Update” revealed another side of her talent. Whether paired with Tina Fey or Seth Meyers, she could deliver a sharp joke without making it feel overly rehearsed.

Kristen Wiig

“Bridesmaids” reached theaters before Kristen Wiig had even left "SNL", but her breakout was already well underway on the show itself. During her 2005–2012 tenure, she became one of the most dominant and versatile performers in the cast, quickly establishing a reputation for characters that could swing from awkward to unhinged in seconds. Audiences came to expect her as the Target Lady, Penelope, Gilly, Dooneese, and Sue the Surprise Lady—recurring roles that evolved into fan-favorite staples that defined entire episodes. What made Wiig stand out on "SNL" wasn’t just the characters themselves, but her commitment to pushing them further each time.

Tina Fey

The most consequential promotion of Tina Fey’s "SNL" career happened off-camera. After joining the writing staff in 1997, she became the show’s first female head writer in 1999. Only afterward did she emerge as an on-screen personality, using “Weekend Update” to perfect the dry, analytical delivery that would become her trademark. Writing “Mean Girls” demonstrated that her comic worldview could survive outside late-night television. Creating “30 Rock” took matters further by transforming the pressures, egos, and absurdities of a live sketch show into one of television’s most acclaimed sitcoms. Her famous return as Sarah Palin then became an "SNL" phenomenon years after she had officially left the cast.

Mike Myers

Most recurring sketch characters remain permanently attached to the show that created them. Mike Myers turned his into a blockbuster movie. “Wayne’s World” began as a deliberately cheap-looking public-access program hosted by Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, yet its popularity was strong enough to support a hit 1992 film and a sequel. That alone made Myers, among the show’s few Canadian cast members, one of "SNL"’s most significant discoveries. His other creations, including Dieter from “Sprockets,” Linda Richman from “Coffee Talk,” and excitable British schoolboy Simon, showed how meticulously he constructed voices and mannerisms. Once he left in 1995, Myers applied the same approach to “Austin Powers” — and the rest was groovy history.

Adam Sandler

Getting fired from "SNL" should have been a major career setback. Instead, Adam Sandler released “Billy Madison” that same year and began building one of Hollywood’s most profitable comedy brands. The show had already established the persona audiences would follow into theaters: childish but oddly sincere, casually musical, and liable to erupt without warning. Opera Man, Cajun Man, Canteen Boy, “The Thanksgiving Song,” and “The Chanukah Song” sounded unlike anything else on "SNL" at the time. "SNL" may have dismissed him, but it had already introduced viewers to comic stylings strong enough to survive almost anything. Even Jack & Jill.

Will Ferrell

"SNL" entered the 1995 season needing more than a few new cast members. Following a disastrous year and extensive turnover, the show needed someone capable of defining its next era. Will Ferrell became that person. Whether he was playing George W. Bush, Harry Caray, Alex Trebek, Spartan cheerleader Craig Buchanan, or the infamous Gene Frenkel, Ferrell acted as though nothing could possibly be more serious. That authority allowed him to dominate sketches without appearing desperate for attention. Plenty of performers have stood out during difficult "SNL" periods. Ferrell did something more significant: he helped make the show feel essential again.

Bill Murray

Replacing Chevy Chase midway through "SNL"’s second season was an almost impossible assignment. Rather than imitate the show’s departing star, Bill Murray gradually established a looser and more unpredictable presence. Nick the Lounge Singer could turn any location into an unwanted concert, while his “Nerds” character Todd DiLaMuca mixed obnoxious confidence with adolescent insecurity. Beneath the sarcasm was a quality that would become essential to Murray’s film career: the suspicion that his character might be miserable even when he was making everyone laugh. "SNL" did more than make Murray famous: it allowed him to explore and define the comedic niche that would turn him into a household name.

Eddie Murphy

At only 19, Eddie Murphy entered an "SNL" that had lost its original cast, its creator, and much of its cultural momentum. Within a remarkably short period, he became the main reason to watch. Murphy’s screen magnetism was so complete that he became the only regular cast member to host an episode while still part of the cast; his movie career accelerated just as quickly. “48 Hrs.” and “Trading Places” arrived during his "SNL" tenure, followed by “Beverly Hills Cop” shortly after his departure. Before turning 24, Murphy had conquered sketch comedy, stand-up, and Hollywood. No other "SNL" breakout happened with the same combination of speed, dominance, and long-term impact.

Make your case for the greatest "SNL" breakout, and tell us which major name deserves a spot in the comments.