Top 20 Times SNL Cast Members Who Never Break BROKE
#20: Aidy Bryant
“Inside the Beltway”
Obviously a lot goes on behind the scenes with costumes and such for an “SNL” sketch. But it hasn’t all been behind the scenes. Just ask Aidy Bryant. She was a member of “SNL” for ten seasons, but this moment sticks out for its unique hilarity. During the political sketch called “Inside the Beltway,” Bryant’s dresser comes into the shot and touches the comedian’s arm, seemingly signaling it’s time for a wardrobe change. Uh-oh—not now! In rare fashion, Bryant cannot resist laughing. And she would go on to deliver what was designed to be a serious line without much seriousness at all. That mishap was just too funny—and it honestly made the sketch funnier, too.
#19: Dana Carvey
“Court TV”
In his seven seasons at “SNL” between 1986 and 1993, Dana Carvey provided countless memorable moments as the Church Lady, Garth, and others. And at an impressive rate, he was able to not only stay in character, but thrive. But, when you’re on “SNL,” it’s really hard not to break at some point. And Carvey did that during a sketch called “Court TV,” where he plays Johnny Carson as a defense attorney at the O.J. Simpson trial. Yeah—interesting premise for sure. It’s obviously a serious courtroom setting, where you’d expect more sternness. But on multiple instances, Carvey cracks a smile and even laughs. Still, his ability to recover is exceptional. All things considered, it’s not even that big of a break.
#18: Amy Poehler
“Debbie Downer: Disney World”
There may not have been a more mood-dampening character Amy Poehler could’ve imagined performing alongside when she joined the cast in 2001. Debbie Downer sure proved a challenge for her and everyone else in the famous Disney World sketch in 2004. Poehler, like her castmates, could not maintain her composure. You can tell she’s fighting laughs as she’s playing with her food at the table. But the reason we’re talking about it is because, throughout her eight-season “SNL” tenure, she so often did keep her cool when it wasn’t easy. Debbie Downer got her this time, though.
#17: Jason Sudeikis
“Scared Straight”
His most noteworthy break came towards the end of his “SNL” career. Jason Sudeikis was first a writer before becoming a cast member in 2005. In this 2012 sketch called “Scared Straight,” he plays a police officer welcoming in Lindsay Lohan and Kenan Thompson’s characters to talk to some teens who are in trouble with the law. Lohan and Thompson’s funny shenanigans pose a challenge for Sudeikis. He lets a subtle smile out a few times, but, believe it or not, the most notable break doesn’t come until after Lohan and Thompson leave the room. Sudeikis jumps and sits on his desk, but by the sounds of it, knocks something over. Sometimes a random accident is the tipping point of laughter.
#16: Norm Macdonald
“Across the Bar: Silent Flirting”
The “Weekend Update” segment is perhaps what his “SNL” career is most remembered for. But before that, Norm Macdonald did plenty of impressions and sketches, becoming known for his steady, deadpan delivery. However, Kevin Nealon really tested him in a 1994 sketch in which a man and woman silently flirt with each other across the bar. Macdonald sits next to Nealon, who hilariously and ridiculously mirrors the woman’s every non-verbal move. Eventually that move is kissing the person next to her. You know what that means! Pucker up, Norm! He tries to act mad, but breaks ever so slightly. Once Nealon kisses him again, it’s just so absurd that Norm can’t help but laugh.
#15: Gilda Radner & John Belushi
“The Farbers Meet the Coneheads”
They were two of the original cast members of “Saturday Night Live.” Gilda Radner and John Belushi were instrumental in catapulting the sketch comedy to pop culture mainstay. Among the multiple roles in which they gave us laughs was the Farbers. In a 1977 sketch, the married couple meet the famous Coneheads. After a, let’s just say, interesting interaction in the living room, the Coneheads dive out the window at the sight of a hairdryer. The window shatters, and Radner bursts into laughter. Belushi follows suit. Good thing this happens towards the end of the sketch! Of course these comedy legends were able to finish their final lines.
#14: Nasim Pedrad
“First Date”
She joined the cast in 2009, and arguably has been underrated for what she did on “SNL.” Maintaining her composure while not breaking in comical situations is one of those things. But in a 2012 sketch with Seth MacFarlane in which the two are on a blind date, it was nearly impossible for her not to break. Throughout a series of silly and excessive impressions from both, Pedrad does quite well to stick to the part. It’d sure be hard for the rest of us to internalize our laughter in this situation. But once Bill Hader splashes some water on her, a smile becomes inevitable.
#13: Dan Aykroyd
“Ask President Carter”
He was there from the beginning of “SNL” back in 1975—and oo-wee did he do some great things from then until his departure in 1979. One of Dan Aykroyd’s many celebrity impersonations was U.S. President Jimmy Carter. In the “Ask President Carter” sketch, he fields phone calls from the public. But these are not questions you’d expect a man in his position to be answering. Aykroyd is clearly aware of how random and comical it is that he is answering these questions. Honestly, only letting out a few minor cracks through it all is actually pretty impressive.
#12: Phil Hartman
“Tonto, Tarzan, & Frankenstein: Thanksgiving Greetings”
His castmates called him “Glue” because of how important he was to holding things together throughout his eight seasons from 1986 to 1994. This man was Mr. Reliable. People may remember him as chef Eugene or the “Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer,” but he appeared even more often as Frankenstein’s monster. Mimicking the facial expressions and sounds of the iconic character, Hartman proved he was the one for the job. In a Thanksgiving segment, though, he breaks ever so slightly while standing in costume alongside Jon Lovitz as Tonto and Kevin Nealon as Tarzan. You’re thankful for fire? Are you sure about that?
#11: Will Ferrell
“The Lovers: Hot Tub”
Not laughing in the presence of Will Ferrell is a tall task. Surely many of his “SNL” castmates between 1995 and 2002 could attest to that. But even he could break. Look no further than “The Lovers” sketch where he and Rachel Dratch play a loving couple who sure know how to make other people feel uncomfortable. In the hot tub with characters played by Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, Ferrell does the best of the group at maintaining his composure. However, the hilarity of it all gets to even him eventually, particularly after Dratch lets out a laugh. Hey, they say laughter can be contagious. But few can recover like Will Ferrell.
#10: Fred Armisen
“Short Term Memory Loss Theater”
During his 11-year tenure on “SNL,” Fred Armisen introduced several iconic characters that never failed to leave the audience, as well as his fellow cast members, in stitches. But despite the chaos that often surrounded him, Armisen somehow typically managed to keep his composure intact. That is, at least, until this season 38 sketch. Bill Hader plays a doctor who swears he’s found an unconventional method of treating short-term memory loss through theater, but the results are far from impressive. Hader barely keeps it together during the sketch and ultimately drags Armisen down with him when he tries feeding him his line. Perhaps Armisen forgot he was not supposed to break character. Common mistake.
#9: Mikey Day
“Try Guys”
On “SNL,” Mikey Day often plays the straight man, and it’s a role he fully commits to. He rarely breaks character, even when surrounded by others who are struggling to keep a straight face. However, parodying a group of YouTubers proved to be his kryptonite. In this sketch, Day plays one of the Try Guys reacting to their former member’s cheating scandal. All seems well, until Bowen Yang starts going off, which makes it difficult for Day to contain his laughter. He teeters on the verge of total collapse when Andrew Dismukes acknowledges his struggle with a pat on the shoulder. This experience is uncharted territory for Day, and the audience can’t seem to get enough of it.
#8: Kyle Mooney
“Neo-Confederate Meeting”
You’d have a hard time finding a sketch in which Kyle Mooney full on breaks into a fit of laughter. He was that good. Over his nine-season run, Mooney became known for his eccentric characters and his close partnership with fellow cast member Beck Bennett. When the two appeared together in this season 44 sketch, it was Bennett who achieved the rare feat of getting Mooney to break. We’re not sure if it’s the ridiculous mustache hanging on for dear life or Bennett’s Southern accent, but something somehow gets Mooney to crack a smile. Can’t say we blame him. If we were up against Beck Bennett and Adam Driver, we’d probably crack in the first 10 seconds.
#7: Beck Bennett
“Sexual Harassment Charlie”
Throughout his tenure on “SNL,” Beck Bennett never quite got the recognition he fully deserved. While most performers tend to stick to a specific niche, Bennett proved his exceptional versatility, excelling at virtually everything. He adeptly played the straight man, the butt of the jokes, and a quirky wildcard, all while rarely ever breaking character. But unfortunately for him, and fortunately for us the audience, he slipped up in this season 43 sketch. Playing a corporate executive addressing workplace misconduct, Bennett falls victim to a case of the giggles when he confronts Kenan Thompson’s Charlie. Nonetheless, it’s still pretty impressive that this was his only notable slip-up in eight years.
#6: Melissa Villaseñor
“Girlfriends Game Night”
There was simply no chance of anyone keeping their composure in this situation, not even stone cold performers like Melissa Villaseñor. In the sketch, Villaseñor plays one of the titular girlfriends whose fun night is ruined when one of her pals attempts to conceive with her elderly husband in full view of everyone. The elderly husband is portrayed by Bill Hader, complete with a bald cap, motorized scooter and his signature high tendency to break character. When Hader accidentally backs into Villaseñor, she is propelled across the stage and into a fit of laughter. Villaseñor certainly isn’t the only casualty here; however, since the others are regular culprits already, their reactions aren’t so surprising.
#5: Kenan Thompson
“The Muppet Show”
When you think of “SNL” cast members who rarely break, Kenan Thompson probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind. The long-tenured performer may slip-up sometimes, but he is skilled at concealing it, either by establishing that his character is naturally giggly or having the cameras cut away just in time. Neither of those factors came to Thompson’s aid in this season 46 sketch, in which he plays a bouncer at a live performance of “The Muppet Show.” When host Keegan-Michael Key refers to Kermit the Frog as a dragon, cracks begin to appear in Thompson’s usual composure. He later loses it completely while attempting to intervene in a chaotic situation involving one of the disruptive Muppets.
#4: Heidi Gardner
“Beavis and Butt-Head”
It’s a pretty impressive feat to have only broken character during a sketch that was cut for time. And that’s the case with Heidi Gardner. Gardner was notably the only person in the aforementioned “Girlfriends Game Night” scene who managed to maintain her composure despite the chaos going on around her. But that composure shattered during this dress rehearsal sketch about a group of drama students anxiously awaiting the cast list for their new production. Gardner almost makes it through the entire thing intact, but she crumbles towards the end when Kenan Thompson’s choreographer is introduced. At least, she can take pride in the fact that she’s never broken during a sketch that made it to air.
#3: Taran Killam
“Weekend Update: Jebidiah Atkinson on Holiday Movies”
Taran Killam was yet another versatile “SNL” performer whose skills were highly underrated during his tenure on the show. At a time when cast members like Bill Hader, Fred Armisen and Kate McKinnon intentionally tried to break their colleagues, Killam never succumbed to their antics. Interestingly, when he did break character, it was of his own doing. During a “Weekend Update” appearance as Jebidiah Atkinson, the cranky 1860s newspaper critic, Killam stumbled over one of his jokes, causing him to crack a smile. Shortly after, he broke character again, this time after a poorly-received quip about the virgin birth. It seems even the harshest critics deserve grace sometimes.
#2: Vanessa Bayer
“New Girlfriend”
When it comes to staying in character during an “SNL” sketch, Vanessa Bayer was truly one of the greats. But she was no match for Fred Armisen. In this season 41 sketch, Bayer plays a woman meeting her friend’s eccentric new girlfriend Regine for the first time. Armisen plays Regine and his over-the-top antics prove to be too much for Bayer, who initially begins laughing but tries to hide behind Beck Bennett. However, she is put on the spot when she has to deliver a line and barely manages to get it out intact. Judging by the audience reaction, it’s clear everyone was excited to witness the typically unbreakable Vanessa Bayer finally break.
#1: Chris Parnell
“T.G.I. Friday’s”
Now this is the “SNL” alum who was known for never breaking character. Chris Parnell was so good at maintaining his composure, even in the most absurd scenarios, that he earned the nickname “The Ice Man.” Surely, anyone who could survive the chaotic “More Cowbell” sketch without cracking deserves recognition. However, Parnell’s facade wavered ever so slightly in this ridiculous season 26 sketch set at T.G.I. Friday’s. At first, he seems unfazed despite Will Ferrell’s shenanigans. But upon closer inspection, you can see Parnell crack a slight smile two or three times. It’s as close as he ever came to laughing on camera in eight years.
Which of these “SNL” cast members do you never get tired of watching? Let us know in the comments!
