Saturday Night Live hosts
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There have been many people who have been invited to host SNL. The hosts have ranged from comedians, like Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Eric Idle, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and George Carlin, to serious character actors, like Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Charlize Theron and Charlton Heston; from pop culture and music icons, like Christina Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Janet Jackson, Madonna and Britney Spears, to sports figures like Peyton Manning, Deion Sanders, Derek Jeter, Wayne Gretzky and Tom Brady. SNL has also had many of its distinguished alumni, like Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Chris Rock, Norm Macdonald and Will Ferrell to return to host the show.
Even elected political figures, like former Vice-President Al Gore, U.S. Senate members John McCain and George McGovern and New York Mayors, Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani have hosted the show. Other notable public figures to have hosted SNL have included Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Ralph Nader. The following are lists of notable categories of SNL hosts.
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[edit] Frequent hosts (5 times or more)
There have been many people who have been invited to come back and host SNL again, but few have broken the "five time hosting" barrier. Since December 1990, performers who have either hosted SNL (or appeared as a musical guest) for five times are considered members of SNL's Five Timer's Club.
Some of these "Five Timer" hosts (such as Steve Martin, Christopher Walken, Tom Hanks, and Alec Baldwin) have hosted so many times that special episodes of SNL have been compiled and aired as "Best of ..." episodes. Hosts who have been the subject of a Best of SNL videotape, DVD, or compilation special are marked with a (•) in the "Other Notes" section on the list below. The following people have hosted SNL at least five times:
| Host | Number of Episodes | First Hosted | Last Hosted | Number of Special Cameos | Other Notes |
| Steve Martin | 14 | October 23, 1976 | February 4, 2006 | 6 | Hosted three times in one year, 1978. He co-hosted with Chevy Chase and Martin Short on December 6, 1986 (•) |
| Alec Baldwin | 13 | April 21, 1990 | November 11, 2006 | 3 | Co-hosted with now ex-wife (Kim Basinger) on February 12, 1994. (•) |
| John Goodman | 12 | December 2, 1989 | November 3, 2001 | 9 | Hosted once a season for 11 straight seasons (15-25); holds SNL record for most total guest appearances (21). |
| Buck Henry | 10 | January 17, 1976 | May 24, 1980 | 5 | Hosted twice a season for each of the first five seasons. He is also the very first five-timer. |
| Chevy Chase | 9 | February 18, 1978 | February 15, 1997 | 5 | First former cast member to host more than five times. Was banned from ever hosting again in 1997. (•) |
| Tom Hanks | 8 | December 14, 1985 | May 6, 2006 | 1 | Had two recurring characters during his hosting tenures: A short-term memory guy, and as one of the lady crooners in a skit also featuring Jon Lovitz. (•) |
| Christopher Walken | 7 | January 20, 1990 | April 5, 2008 | 0 | Has a standing offer from Lorne Michaels to host the show when Walken's and SNL's schedules permit.[1] (•) |
| Elliott Gould | 6 | January 10, 1976 | November 15, 1980 | 1 | |
| Danny DeVito | 6 | May 15, 1982 | December 10, 1999 | 3 | Co-hosted with wife (Rhea Perlman) on October 15, 1983. |
| Candice Bergen | 5 | November 8, 1975 | May 19, 1990 | 0 | The first woman to host five times; hosted twice in one season in 1975. |
| Bill Murray | 5 | March 7, 1981 | February 20, 1999 | 1 | Second former cast member to host five or more times. |
| Drew Barrymore | 5 | November 20, 1982 | February 3, 2007 | 4 | Still holds the record for youngest host. The second woman to host five times. |
[edit] Cast members who have hosted
As of March 2008, there have been 24 performers who have hosted SNL who, at one point in their careers, were either a repertory or featured member of the SNL cast. The following performers have hosted SNL either before, during or after their tenure as a member of the SNL cast.
| Host | Number of Episodes | First Hosted | Last Hosted | Number of Special Cameos | Other notes |
| Chevy Chase | 9 | February 18, 1978 | February 15, 1997 | 5 | First former cast member to host and first to host more than five times. He is the first former Weekend Update anchor to come back to host SNL. |
| Bill Murray | 5 | March 7, 1981 | February 20, 1999 | 1 | Second former cast member to host five or more times. He is the second former Weekend Update anchor to come back to host SNL. Only cast member to host during Jean Doumanian's tenure as producer. |
| Dana Carvey | 3 | October 22, 1994 | October 21, 2000 | 5 | |
| Don Novello | 2 | January 14, 1984 | May 12, 1984 | 3 | Sometimes appeared as Father Guido Sarducci. |
| Eddie Murphy | 2 | December 11, 1982 | December 15, 1984 | 0 | He is the first African-American cast member to host SNL. He is the only performer to host while still a cast member. Also, he was the first of only four hosts who joined the cast when Lorne Michaels was not producing SNL. |
| Julia Louis-Dreyfus | 2 | May 13, 2006 | March 17, 2007 | 0 | She is the first female alum to host SNL, and as of March 17, 2007, she remains the ONLY female alum to host SNL twice. She is one of only four cast member hosts who joined the cast when Lorne Michaels was not producing SNL. |
| Billy Crystal | 2 | March 17, 1984 | May 12, 1984 | 2 | He is the first performer to join the cast after he had hosted. He co-hosted with Ed Koch, Don Novello, Betty Thomas and Edwin Newman on May 12, 1984. Also, he is one of only four hosts who joined the cast when Lorne Michaels was not producing SNL. |
| Martin Short | 2 | December 6, 1986 | December 7, 1996 | 1 | He co-hosted with Chevy Chase and Steve Martin on December 6, 1986. He is one of only four cast member hosts who joined the cast when Lorne Michaels was not producing SNL. |
| Phil Hartman | 2 | March 23, 1996 | November 23, 1996 | 0 | |
| David Spade | 2 | November 7, 1998 | March 12, 2005 | 2 | Joked during his 2005 monologue that he was returning as host to pad out his "Best of" DVD |
| Dan Aykroyd | 1 | May 17, 2003 | 8 | He is the fourth former Weekend Update anchor to come back to host SNL. | |
| Paul Shaffer | 1 | January 31, 1987 | 0 | He is the only former leader of the Saturday Night Live Band to host. | |
| Michael McKean | 1 | November 3, 1984 | 0 | He is the second performer to join the cast after hosting a show, and also the oldest individual to join the cast. | |
| Robert Downey, Jr. | 1 | November 16, 1996 | 0 | He is the second cast member to come back to host SNL after being fired from the show. | |
| Jon Lovitz | 1 | November 8, 1997 | 7 | ||
| Damon Wayans | 1 | April 8, 1995 | 0 | He is the second African-American cast member to host SNL. He is also the first cast member to come back to host SNL after being fired from the show, and the first cast member from In Living Color to host (the other In Living Color cast members who have hosted are Jim Carrey [Season 21], David Alan Grier [Seasons 21 and 22], Jamie Foxx [Season 25], and Jennifer Lopez [Season 26; was a musical guest in Season 25 on an episode hosted by Alan Cumming]) | |
| Chris Rock | 1 | November 2, 1996 | 3 | He is the third African-American cast member to host SNL. | |
| Mike Myers | 1 | March 22, 1997 | 3 | ||
| Chris Farley | 1 | October 25, 1997 | 1 | Farley's last TV appearance before his unfortunate death less than six weeks later. | |
| Ben Stiller | 1 | October 24, 1998 | 2 | ||
| Norm Macdonald | 1 | October 23, 1999 | 0 | He is the third former Weekend Update anchor to come back to host SNL and the only former WU anchor to host after being fired from being an anchor on WU (he was not fired from the cast). Even though he's technically a secondary member, he is also the fourth of the Bad Boys of SNL to host. | |
| Will Ferrell | 1 | May 14, 2005 | 3 | ||
| Molly Shannon | 1 | May 12, 2007 | 0 | She is the second female cast member to host and the first from the tenure of Lorne Michaels as executive producer. | |
| Tina Fey | 1 | February 23, 2008 | 0 | She is the third female cast member to host and the first head writer to host as well. | |
[edit] Hosts who auditioned (or were offered the opportunity) to join the cast
The following is a list of guest hosts who had previously auditioned for the show earlier in their careers only to be turned down. This list does not include the names of hosts, like Billy Crystal, who were rejected but eventually joined the cast at a later date. The list of the hosts and dates of their auditions are as follows:
| Host | SNL Season of Audition | First Hosted | Last Hosted | Other notes |
| John Goodman | 6th (1980–1981) | December 2, 1989 | November 3, 2001 | Hosted once a season for 11 straight seasons. |
| Jim Carrey | 6th (1980–1981) | May 18, 1996 |
He made a cameo on the Christopher Walken/Foo Fighters episode, playing his leg like a guitar during the Foo Fighters' second performance. |
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| Catherine O'Hara | 6th (1980–1981) | April 13, 1991 | October 31, 1992 | She was actually hired as a cast member towards the end of the sixth season after Jean Doumanian's dismissal and the hiring of Dick Ebersol as executive producer. However, she resigned, due to an incident involving Michael O'Donoghue's harsh treatment of the 1980-1981 cast and writers, before she appeared in any episode. She suggested to then SNL producer, Dick Ebersol, that her good friend Robin Duke replace her as a cast member. |
| Geena Davis | 10th (1984–1985) | April 22, 1989 | ||
| Paul Reubens | 6th (1980–1981) | November 23, 1985 | Hosted as his kids' show alter ego Pee Wee Herman in the 1985-1986 season. | |
| Lisa Kudrow | 16th (1990–1991) | October 5, 1996 | ||
| Steve Carell | 21st (1995–1996) | October 1, 2005 | He is married to former SNL cast member Nancy Walls. In 1995, lost the audition to Will Ferrell. He co-hosted SNL on April 26, 2006, along with Stephen Colbert, as The Ambiguously Gay Duo. Colbert served as the voice of Ace and Carell voiced his partner, Gary. Carell and Colbert are the first performers to host SNL via voice over work and animation. | |
| Johnny Knoxville | 21st (1995–1996) | May 7, 2005 | Cameoed on the Jack Black/Neil Young episode of season 31 in an Appalachian Emergency Room sketch. | |
| Dane Cook | 28th (2002–2003) | December 3, 2005 | September 30, 2006 | |
- Four notable names that auditioned for SNL yet never hosted were comedians Dom Irrera and Robert Townsend, who both auditioned to be cast members for the 1980-1981 season. MADtv comedienne Stephnie Weir also auditioned for SNL for its 1999-2000 season, but lost to Rachel Dratch. Up-and-coming comedienne Maria Bamford auditioned for the show prior to the 2003-2004 season.
[edit] Political figures who have hosted
As of March 2007, there have been 11 political figures who have hosted SNL. These public figures include elected officials and/or political activists. The following is a list of such hosts.
| Host | Office/Occupation | Number of Episodes | First Hosted | Last Hosted | Number of Special Cameos | Other notes |
| Al Gore | Vice-President (Democrat) | 1 | December 14, 2002 | 2 | He is the highest elected former public official to host SNL. | |
| George McGovern | U.S. Senator (Democrat), Democratic nominee for President (1972) | 1 | April 14, 1984 | 0 | He had also run as a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for President that year. | |
| John McCain | U.S. Senator (Republican) | 1 | October 19, 2002 | 0 | He is the first sitting Senator to host Saturday Night Live. The Washington, D.C. metro area did not see the episode on its first airing due to WRC-TV's coverage of a D.C.-area sniper shooting that occurred earlier that evening. | |
| Ed Koch | Mayor of New York City (Democrat) | 2 | May 14, 1983 | May 12, 1984 | 0 | As of March 2007, he is the only political figure who has hosted more than once. The first Mayor of New York to host SNL. |
| Rudy Giuliani | Mayor of New York City (Republican) | 1 | November 22, 1997 | 1 | The second mayor of New York City to host SNL. | |
| Jesse Jackson | Former Presidential candidate (Democrat)/ ordained minister | 1 | October 20, 1984 | 1 | ||
| Al Sharpton | Former Presidential candidate (Democrat)/ ordained minister | 1 | December 6, 2003 | 0 | ||
| Steve Forbes | Former Presidential candidate (Republican) | 1 | April 13, 1996 | 0 | Musical guest was Rage Against the Machine | |
| Ralph Nader | Former Presidential candidate (Green Party)/consumer activist | 1 | January 15, 1977 | 2 | ||
| Ron Nessen | Press Secretary for U.S. President Gerald Ford (Republican) | 1 | April 17, 1976 | 1 | ||
| Julian Bond | Civil rights leader/Georgia Representative and Senator (Democrat) | 1 | April 9, 1977 | 0 | ||
[edit] Sports figures who have hosted
As of September 2007, there will be 28 sports figures who have hosted SNL. These sport figures include athletes, coaches, one team owner, and sports commentators. The following is a list of such hosts.
| Host | Occupation | Number of Episodes | First Hosted | Last Hosted | Number of Special Cameos | Other notes |
| Fran Tarkenton | football player | 1 | January 29, 1977 | 0 | First football player to host SNL. | |
| O.J. Simpson | football player | 1 | February 25, 1978 | 0 | Only living celebrity host who was not invited to the SNL 25th Anniversary special. | |
| Bill Russell | basketball player | 1 | November 3, 1979 | 0 | ||
| John Madden | sportscaster | 1 | January 30, 1982 | 0 | ||
| Bob Uecker | baseball player/sportscaster | 1 | October 13, 1984 | 0 | ||
| Howard Cosell | sportscaster | 1 | April 13, 1985 | 0 | ||
| Hulk Hogan | wrestler | 1 | March 30, 1985 | 0 | First wrestler to host SNL. He co-hosted with Mr. T to promote the first Wrestlemania the following day. | |
| Joe Montana | football player | 1 | January 24, 1987 | 0 | ||
| Walter Payton | football player | 1 | January 24, 1987 | 0 | ||
| Tony Danza | boxer | 2 | April 19, 1986 | January 28, 1989 | 0 | First boxer to host SNL. Hosted as an actor to promote the show Who's The Boss. |
| Wayne Gretzky | hockey player | 1 | May 13, 1989 | 0 | First and only hockey player to host SNL. | |
| Chris Evert | tennis player | 1 | November 11, 1989 | 0 | ||
| George Steinbrenner | New York Yankees owner | 1 | October 20, 1990 | 0 | ||
| Michael Jordan | basketball player | 1 | September 28, 1991 | 0 | ||
| Charles Barkley | basketball player | 1 | September 25, 1993 | 0 | ||
| Nancy Kerrigan | figure skater | 1 | March 13, 1994 | 0 | ||
| George Foreman | boxer | 1 | December 17, 1994 | 0 | ||
| Deion Sanders | football/baseball player | 1 | February 18, 1995 | 0 | ||
| Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson | wrestler | March 18, 2000 | April 13, 2002 | 0 | Dwayne's first hosting gig was to promote Wrestlemania 2000 and featured cameos by his Wrestlemania opponents Triple H, Mick Foley and The Big Show. His second hosting gig was to promote the film The Scorpion King. | |
| Derek Jeter | baseball player | 1 | December 1, 2001 | 0 | ||
| Jonny Moseley | freestyle skiing | 1 | March 2, 2002 | 0 | ||
| Jeff Gordon | NASCAR driver | 1 | January 11, 2003 | 0 | The first and currently only NASCAR driver to host SNL. | |
| Andy Roddick | tennis player | 1 | November 8, 2003 | 0 | ||
| Tom Brady | football player | 1 | April 16, 2004 | 0 | ||
| Lance Armstrong | cyclist | 1 | October 29, 2005 | 0 | ||
| Jason Lee | skateboarder | 1 | November 12, 2005 | 0 | Lee was a champion skateboarder. Although he hosted as an actor to promote the show My Name is Earl, his skateboarding past was referenced in the show. | |
| Peyton Manning | football player | 1 | March 24, 2007 | 0 | Hosted SNL on the night of his 31st birthday. His mother, brother, and father cameoed in his monologue. | |
| LeBron James | basketball player | 1 | September 29, 2007 | 0 | First basketball player to host and start new season on SNL since Charles Barkley. | |
- Further information: list of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests
